Pitching In Southern League Premier Division
Arden Garages Stadium
Tuesday 26th December 2023

Well. What a finish. This game was looking for all the world as though it was petering out into a Christmas hangover for Leamington and a well deserved three points for the home side. A festive feast of football it most certainly was not, for those of a Gold and Black persuasion. Yet somehow, somehow, Brakes contrived to come away with a point that could turn out to be crucial come the end of the season with these two clubs seemingly in the thick of the promotion race.

To level things up in the 90th minute was something, but to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat after Stratford had scored what they, and probably everybody else inside the Arden Garages Stadium, thought was the winner, is something else altogether.

Paul Holleran stuck with the same eleven that began Saturday’s win over St Ives, while there were several changes to Gavin Hurren’s Stratford squad, which contained five former Leamington men in Paul McCone, Josh Hawker, Liam Daly and former loanees Dylan Barkers and Charlie Williams.

The home side got in on the right inside the opening couple of minutes, with Jamie Molyneux seeing a shot deflected behind for a corner which was headed clear by Tyrone Barnett.

Williams saw another attempt deflect off a Brakes defender for another corner, as Stratford made all the early running, with Brakes struggling to get out of their own half.

The first effort of the afternoon on target was somewhat unorthodox - Dan Lafferty’s shot looping towards goal with the aid of a deflection, but Callum Ebanks’ header was directed straight at Callum Hawkins.

The hosts were visibly up for this contest, snapping into challenges and making it tough for Leamington to get a foothold in the game. Stratford did seem prone to giving away the ball in dangerous areas at times, which they did when needlessly giving away a corner due to a poor touch. The delivery from the right eventually found its way out to Brakes skipper Adam Walker, who put his left boot fully behind a powerful strike that was cleared off the line by Dan Vann. Barnett collected the loose ball and hooked a shot back in which was saved by Liam O’Brien.

The game was halted by Referee Lewis Smith in the 23rd minute to allow all present inside the stadium to pay their respects to young Cody Fisher with a minute’s applause. The former Stratford and Bromsgrove Sporting player tragically lost his life 12 months ago at the age of just 23, and the visiting supporters paid their respects to begin the applause with a chant of ‘There’s only one Cody Fisher.’

The Stratford attacks continued, with two dangerous crosses being played across the Leamington six yard box, while Ebanks almost burst clear onto a ball played forward, but was matched stride for stride by Theo Streete and Josh Quaynor.

Inevitably it was Ebanks who opened the scoring on 37 minutes, beating Hawkins at the far post as he met Lafferty’s right wing centre with a thumping header that gave the Brakes keeper little chance. A nice goal, but from a Leamington perspective he was criminally under marked.

Leamington would have to come out and show what they were made of now if they were to get anything from this game, and if not for the superb reflexes of Hawkins they would have gone into the dressing room two goals behind, as he dived full length to his left to keep out a very well struck free kick from Hawker superbly.

Jack Edwards rose highest to head another free kick into the box from Hawker behind, and Vann was first to the resulting corner to head the ball onto the roof of the net.

There was certainly work to do as the two sides went in at the interval with the hosts firmly in the ascendancy.

The second half exploded into life several minutes after the restart. Ewan Williams appeared to be checked as he advanced into the Stratford penalty area, but the Referee immediately waved the appeals away, and with the Brakes players momentarily distracted, the hosts broke quickly. Williams had just enough pace in a race with Streete to get his shot away; Hawkins saving well with his legs.

The pendulum still appeared to be firmly with Stratford, but gradually, signs of life appeared. Three crosses into the box in quick succession brought no reward, but it was an improvement on what had gone before.

Cally Stewart looked to have the perfect opportunity to fire Leamington level when Dan Meredith’s hopeful ball into the area somehow found its way through to him at the far post, but unfortunately he did the thing you would have least expected him to do, and blazed a wild first time effort high out of the stadium.

Leamington looked to be in trouble when Williams surged powerfully from half way and fed Ebanks, who was not allowed to cut inside but laid the ball off to the edge of the box, for a shot which was blocked.

Streete and Ebanks were enjoying a right royal tussle; the Stratford number 9 receiving a booking for shoving the Leamington centre half as he rose to head a cross clear, before Streete then snuck a leg out to prevent Ebanks from cutting in to shoot inside the area.

Ebanks then drove forward and bent another strike wide of the target, before rifling an absolute hammer of a strike inches past the post, the product of another driving run from Williams.

Jack Edwards went into the Referee’s notebook having been shoved to the turf by Ebanks, presumably for reminding the man in charge that he had booked the Stratford man for the exact same thing minutes earlier.

Holleran threw on all three substitutes late on in a bid to salvage something from the game, with Will Shorrock heading over, but a number of the travelling support had started to head for the exits, clearly disappointed with what they had seen from their side, something they will no doubt now be regretting!

Yet somehow, Brakes contrived to snatch something. Substitute Dom Brown-Hill’s swirling ball into the penalty area two minutes from the end of normal time saw Stratford fail to get it clear, and for a second occasion in this position Stewart was not going to make the same mistake twice, ramming the ball home to the delight of those behind the goal.

Substitute Liam Daly headed off the line as Leamington suddenly found their mojo. Edwards headed on a throw into the box and Stewart hooked another effort wide.

Heads were in hands, no doubt hearts in mouths of the home contingent, as the ball flashed across the Stratford goal. For the first time in the whole game, the hosts looked subdued, probably in disbelief that a game which for so long they looked to have won, had slipped away from them, but they found it within themselves for one last push, and in added time the ball sat up beautifully for substitute Devonn O’Sullivan, and the Stratford academy product rifled a first time drive the rocketed low past Hawkins into the net to spark wild celebrations around the Arden Garages Stadium. A goal he has probably dreamed of scoring.

Usually, that would be it. But not today. Brakes weren’t finished either. Teams who are successful find a way, even when they have not played well, and this was most certainly the case here. Quaynor found Stewart with a delightful ball, and the young striker rolled his man before gleefully ramming home his second of the afternoon to the absolute disbelief but utter delight of the Leamington fans behind the goal.

There was barely time to kick off before the full time whistle sounded, leaving everyone to reflect on a crazy, crazy last ten minutes or so. What nobody wanted to see was a member of the home support, who had already been warned about his behaviour towards youngsters in the reverse fixture, apparently spit in the face and aim a punch at another youngster to spark some unsavoury and unnecessary scenes. For those who were unfortunate enough to witness what happened, it soured what, when all is said and done, was a tremendous end to a local derby.

Speaking to BBC CWR’s Brian Halford after the game, Paul Holleran said: ‘First half we were nowhere near really. There’s been a quick turnover in games. We weren’t set up right. The way we set the press up wasn’t quite right. Stratford played well. There weren’t many chances in the game, I just think that we were too deep in all our lines really, albeit they’ve had the one chance and it’s a good header from the boy. Second half we got our first press right, and then once that is right we can follow it up, and I thought we started to ask questions, and were probably unfortunate not to equalise before we did. We had a couple of good chances, but they are a threat, they’ve got a very good number 9.

‘The last period of the game - it must have been great to watch! It was like a game of tennis! We’ve had the upper hand then - I think we’ve missed two good opportunities to get the winner - and then right at the death, in the 95th minute, they’ve put big Liam Daly up front which is what we used to do many a time years ago - he’s caused a few problems, we got too deep. We got carried away with the game and the occasion I think, probably committed a few too many forward, didn’t box the game off; and it’s a touch and a strike from the boy, and I looked up at the clock and it said 96 minutes, and I thought that’s it, really! But there’s one thing with this group, having watched them for the last three months, there’s plenty of will, plenty of effort, and straight away we got back on the front foot, and it’s a great threaded ball from Josh Quaynor, and what Cally’s done is he’s got hold of the ball, and he’s spun the centre half, all in one action - and he’s put the ball in the bottom corner. It really was a goal worthy of a higher level.

‘I’m just glad we’ve left with something. There’s a reason Stratford are where they are in the table, and they’re another team who I think will come good in the second half of the season. I think today we’ve shown character, to play the way we’ve played second half, and then right at the death. You’ll have to go a long long time in football to see somebody score in the 95th minute, and then for us to equalise in the 98th minute with the last kick of the game.’

Attendance: 1,179

Stratford Town: 1 Liam O’Brien, 2 Dan Vann, Alex Worley, 18 Chris Hussey, 5 Paul McCone ©, 20 Dan Lafferty (4 Liam Daly ), 7 Jamie Molyneux (15 Dylan Barkers ), 8 Josh Hawker (17 Devonn O’Sullivan ), 9 Callum Ebanks, 10 Lewis Ludford-Ison, 19 Charlie Williams.

Subs not used: 13 Louis Beresford, 16 Elie Ikwa.

Leamington: Callum Hawkins, Dan Meredith, Josh Quaynor, Joe Clarke (12 Will Shorrock, 77), Jack Edwards, Theo Streete, Henry Landers (14 Jiah Medrano, 83), Adam Walker, Callum Stewart, Tyrone Barnett (15 Dom Brown-Hill, 77), Ewan Williams.

Subs not used: 16 Connor Taylor, 17 Dan Baldwin.

Referee: Mr Lewis Smith

Assistant Referees: Mr Dean Steatham & Mr Thomas Johnson.

Brakes Man of the Match: Cally Stewart.