Pitching In Southern League Premier Division
Grange Park 
Tuesday 5th March 2024

Leamington paid their first visit to Long Eaton United’s Grange Park ground since April 1971, their final game as a Midland Counties League club, for this rearranged clash between two sides needing the points for very different reasons. After a turgid first 45 minutes the game exploded into life in the second half, but ultimately a point does little to help the aspirations of either club going forward. 

Brakes legends Ray Holmes and Syd Hall bagged goals on Long Eaton’s home turf in days gone by, but tonight it was turn of present day goal machine Cally Stewart to try and bag the goals that would see Leamington back into the play off places, and it was the young striker who fearlessly bagged the late penalty to earn his side a share of the spoils.  

There was a real community feel to the whole facility, from the friendly welcome to the sight of dozens of youngsters playing on the artificial pitches on either side of the stadium; something which Brakes would no doubt love to be able to aspire to, should the dream of the new community stadium ever become a reality. 

With Jack Edwards sitting this one out due to picking up a two game suspension for accumulated yellow cards, Rob Evans stepped in to make his debut. Otherwise the starting eleven was unchanged from the narrow defeat to league leaders Needham Market, with Dan Baldwin coming in to fill Evans’ place on the substitutes bench.  

This could have been billed as the battle of two much travelled former Football League strikers with several hundred professional appearances between them, as Nathan Tyson and Tyrone Barnett lined up against each other. 

The teams emerged from the tunnel with Leamington wearing a combination of their home and away kits, due to the hosts wearing black shorts. These kinds of mis-matched colour combinations usually draw feelings of trepidation from Brakes fans with long memories, as they often seem to lead to disappointing performances, and results. 

The opening twenty minutes or so were non eventful, with both teams exchanging possession frequently without troubling either goalkeeper. Stewart saw a shot blocked at source, while Ewan Williams fired one high over the crossbar. 

The lively hosts engineered their first sight of goal when Riece Bertram pounced on a loose ball just outside the box, feeding Jack Rogers, whose fierce strike was well blocked by Josh Quaynor. 

Despite sitting some 15 points from safety, Long Eaton were clearly up for the scrap, snapping into challenges and giving Leamington very little time to settle on the ball. 

Stewart turned his man well and fired low towards goal from a tight angle, but straight at Ross Durrant moments before the end of a first half in which the players on both sides seemed to spend more time screaming at the Referee for perceived fouls than anything else. 

Henry Landers gave hope of a brighter second 45 minutes a few seconds in when his driving run down the right led to a low cross which unfortunately bisected three of his team mates rushing in on the far side. 

Skipper Adam Walker, making his 100th appearance in Gold and Black, saw his effort headed off the line by Callum Cocks. Barnett then saw his shot cleared from the same area by Jamie Hanson. 

Three minutes in and the powerful start paid dividends. Dan Meredith took on his man on the right edge of the penalty area and his low driven cross was tucked home neatly by Barnett at the far post. 

The lead lasted all of five minutes; Hanson bravely heading home a right wing cross to bring the hosts level. 

Long Eaton introduced the pacy Andy Kanga in place of Tyson moments after the restart, and he kept pace with the equally rapid Rogers as he instigated a counter attack through the middle, slipping the perfect bal through for the substitute, but Callum Hawkins, who no doubt would have been disappointed with conceding the equaliser, waited until the last possible second to commit himself, and saved superbly with his legs. 

Stewart came inches from heading Leamington back in front with a looping effort from a cross, but Brakes were struggling to deal with the pace and direct running of the Long Eaton attack, and as Rogers powered through the middle his powerful low drive was parried by Hawkins, but struck the post, and with Evans unable to dig it out in time the ball ran loose for Kanga to drive into an empty net from little more than a yard out to complete the turnaround. 

Cocks’ free kick was bent into the arms of Hawkins after Evans was incredibly penalised for one of the cleanest challenges to win the ball you are likely to see. 

Play switched to the opposite end, Landers forcing a superb save from Durrant with a glancing header. The second half was providing everything that the first had not, but Brakes had been struggling to get a foothold in the game since the equaliser, and despite the introductions of Joe Clarke and Jiah Medrano they were running out of time to turn this game around. 

They looked to be in with a chance when Barnett’s attempt to control saw the ball run through for Meredith. The angle was tight, but unfortunately he skewed his attempt horribly wide. 

Salvation appeared on the horizon with two minutes of normal time remaining, when Quaynor was sent tumbling inside the box, and Stewart stepped up to banish the memory of his miss in the previous game, sending Durrant the wrong way from 12 yards before collecting the ball and hurrying back to his own half to restart the game. 

The hosts were incensed when Andy Wright went down inside the Leamington box, but was booked for simulation, something which the home supporters were angrily debating long after the final whistle. 

Brakes will now have 11 days to stew over this game before their next fixture, at home to Hitchin Town on the 16th, which will mark Paul Holleran’s 700th game in charge.  

Attendance: 144

Long Eaton United: Ross Durrant ©, Owen Betts, Callum Cocks, George Atwai, Riece Bertram, Jamie Hanson (16 Luke Martin 81), Jack Rogers, Andrew Wright, Nathan Tyson (14 Andy Kanga, 48), Joseph Nyakwema, Liam Loughlan.  

Subs not used: 12 James Spruce, 15 Prestyn Moore,. 

Leamington: Callum Hawkins, Dan Meredith, Josh Quaynor, Ewan Williams, Theo Streete, Rob Evans, Henry Landers (12 Joe Clarke, 71), Adam Walker ©, Cally Stewart, Tyrone Barnett, Will Shorrock (14 Jiah Medrano, 71). 

Subs not used: 15 Dom Brown-Hill, 16 Dan Baldwin, 17 Connor Taylor. 

Referee: Mr Dean Wesson

Assistant Referees: Mr Stefan Cairasv & Mr Callum Lockley

Brakes Man of the Match: Cally Stewart.