Pitching In Southern League Premier Division Central
Latimer Park
Saturday 17th February 2024

Brakes battled their way to a scrappy point on a notoriously difficult pitch at Latimer Park against struggling Kettering, but with the top two both winning again they will surely be frustrated not to have managed to come away with maximum points. 

With leaders Needham Market the visitors to Harbury Lane next Saturday this was a game Leamington really could have done with taking three points from. It extended their unbeaten run to 11 games, but with our forthcoming opponents having been the last team to beat us it provided a frustrating backdrop to what could be a pivotal game in the season. 

Paul Holleran’s men certainly started this game brightly enough, driving at Kettering from the kick off. Tyrone Barnett’s shot was deflected behind for a corner, while Adam Walker fired another just wide in the opening exchanges. Will Shorrock saw another effort blocked, while Henry Landers fired one over the crossbar. 

Harry Reilly, cross forced Callum Hawkins to palm the ball over his crossbar as the home side began to push back. From the resulting corner, Kelvin Langmead headed straight at Hawkins. 

The veteran headed another effort off target for the hosts, while Leamington came close when Landers headed just wide after Shorrock had sent the ball in from the left after Josh Quaynor’s free kick had been blocked. Cally Stewart then chased a lost cause to the dead ball line, his deflected cross falling for skipper Walker to drive just wide.  

Early in the second half the hosts had a penalty shout waved away by Referee Jamie Conde, and a tame shot that rolled through to Hawkins as both sides struggled to create anything of real note. 

A downward header was held by Hawkins before a member of the Kettering coaching staff was shown a yellow card for something or other. 

Brakes felt they had a penalty shout of their own when Henry Landers went down in the Kettering box after a swift counter attack, but again nothing was forthcoming. 

Stewart headed what was probably Leamington’s best chance of the afternoon just over the bar from a fine right wing delivery from Dan Meredith, but Kettering looked the more likely later on, with debutant Michael Reindorf firing just over the bar, and substitute Kobe Chong forcing a point saving stop from Hawkins with a great strike. 

A point in their battle to avoid a second successive relegation will no doubt have pleased new Poppies manager Richard Lavery, appointed just hours before the game, but Leamington will be disappointed that they did not do enough to take all three points. 

Attendance: 687

Kettering Town: 1 Dan Jezeph, 4 Harry Reilly, 5 Kelvin Langmead, 6 Lewis White, 7 Bruno Andrade, 10    Michael Reindorf-Junior, 11 Rhys Sharpe, 12 Dan Jarvis, 15 Huw Dawson (Kobe Chong, 65), 16 George Forsyth, 19 Lathaniel Rowe-Turner. 

Subs not used: Ben Toseland, Luca Miller, Tom Scott, Jack Degruchy. 

Leamington: Callum Hawkins, Dan Meredith, Josh Quaynor, Ewan Williams, Jack Edwards, Theo Streete, Henry Landers, Adam Walker ©, Cally Stewart, Tyrone Barnett, Will Shorrock (12 Joe Clarke, 72).  

Subs not used: 14 Dom Brown-Hill, 15 Rob Evans, 16 Jiah Medrano, 17 Connor Taylor

Referee: Mr Jamie Conde

Assistant Referees: Mr James Scerri & Mr Richard Booth

Brakes Man of the Match: Cally Stewart.