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Saturday 16th March 2024

Leamington returned to winning ways as Paul Holleran celebrated another milestone at the club. 

This was another landmark day for the long-serving Brakes manager, who took charge of his 700th game since arriving in November 2009. He has always been reluctant to take any plaudits for the job he has done, but they are all fully deserved for a man who is one of the most respected and well liked managers in Midlands Non League football.  

As an added bonus, thanks to the hard work of BrakesLive FM co-commentator Craig Barnes, the BBC cameras were at the stadium for the afternoon along with presenter Mark Clemmit to record a piece on what is a remarkable achievement in modern day football, for their Football Focus programme, to be aired next Saturday on Non League Day. 

The teams were preceded onto the pitch by Leamington boxer Danny Quartermaine, who recently became IBF European Featherweight Champion, and both he and director Kevin Watson presented the manager with a momento to mark his latest milestone. 

The manager made one change from the side which started at Long Eaton 11 days earlier; Joe Clarke coming in with Henry Landers dropping to the bench. 

The first half was a very scrappy affair at times, with both sides struggling to get hold of the ball for any length of time on a bobbly surface. Having said that, Hitchin did not look like a side that had not won a game since the middle of December, and worked hard to ask questions of the Leamington defence without ever troubling Callum Hawkins. 

Dan Meredith came within inches of a spectacular opener with 9 minutes gone, as his cross-cum-shot forced Canaries keeper Charlie Horlock to push the ball over his crossbar.  

Finley Wilkinson saw his shot blocked for Hitchin, while Rob Evans provided a useful long throw into the visitors penalty area which was flicked on by Barnett for Cally Stewart, who had little time to react, and lifted his shot over the bar. 

The malaise was broken six minutes before half time when Meredith’s cross found the head of Tyrone Barnett, who confidently headed home his ninth goal of the season before celebrating in front of the watching BBC cameras. 

Right on half time skipper Adam Walker took a hefty clearance full in the face, but kept his feet to lift the ball back in to Stewart, whose shot hit the side netting. 

Brakes began the second half in sprightly fashion, and believed they had a shout for a a spot kick when Will Shorrock looked to have been shoved in the back as he attempted to latch on to Stewart’s little knock round the back into the penalty area, but the officials were unmoved. The Brakes players questioned why their team mate would have gone down when he would have been in on goal, but to no avail. 

Meredith then received the ball in space on the right inside the box, turned inside his man and curled a strike just over the far post. 

Stewart was almost played in on goal, but his shot deflected out to Barnett, who unleashed a thunderbolt of a strike that was bravely blocked by Ciaren Jones, who was temporarily winded. From the resulting corner, Walker curled a shot just wide of the far post. Ewan Williams was then played in but was denied by a fantastic challenge from Jones. 

The Hitchin centre back was impressing the watching Jack Edwards, on co-comms duty for the afternoon alongside Shaun Cashmore, and the youngster came within inches of a spectacular equaliser with a very well struck free kick that whistled inches over the crossbar, with Hawkins scrambling across his goal to cover. 

The Canaries were not prepared to lie down and accept another defeat, and were unfortunate when Lewis Barker’s header at the far post from Stephen Gleeson’s delivery hit team mate Kavan Cotter and bounced out of play. 

Henry Landers was introduced for Shorrock in the closing stages as Leamington attempted to close out the game, and his right wing corner was headed into the Harbury Lane End by Theo Streete. 

Hitchin engineered another good opportunity when a low ball was driven across the box from the right, but it somehow missed three incoming purple shirts, allowing Leamington to get it away from danger. 

Another Brakes corner saw the ball fall to Evans at the far post, but he was unable to dig the ball out from under his feet in time to get a decent shot away. 

Devon Kelly-Evans made his return as the clock ticked down, but Hitchin really should have been level as they worked the ball into the area well again from the right, but Wilkinson swept his shot agonisingly over the bar from close range. 

Landers was denied by the quick thinking of keeper Horlock as he attempted to run in on goal, the Hitchin custodian playing the ball against the Leamington substitute and away. 

Meredith’s marauding runs down the right were causing more problems for the Hitchin defence, and he won a penalty for his team with the game into added time, drawing a foul from Stanley Georgiou. Barnett stepped up and with a stuttering run up, took his tally into double figures for the season from the penalty spot. 

There was time for a third as the beleaguered Hitchin defence were tied in knots by Meredith once more, as the outstanding right wing back got his head down and drove into the box, sending the ball low into the centre for Ewan Williams to crash into the net. The final scoreline was a little harsh on the visitors, who had made Leamington work hard for the win. 

Attendance: 625

Leamington: Callum Hawkins, Dan Meredith, Josh Quaynor, Joe Clarke, Theo Streete, Rob Evans, Ewan Williams, Adam Walker ©, Callum Stewart (15 Devon Kelly-Evans, 84), Tyrone Barnett (14 Jiah Medrano, 90), Will Shorrock (12 Henry Landers, 76). 

Subs not used: 16 Connor Taylor, 17 Zach Taylor.  

Hitchin Town: Charlie Horlock, Kye Tearle (17 Bradley Bell, 61 ), Layne Eadie, Toby Syme, Jack Bateson (14 Lewis Barker, 46), Ciaren Jones, Stanley Georgiou, Stephen Gleeson (15 Isaac Galliford, 79), Jack Snelus, Kavan Cotter, Finley Wilkinson. 

Subs not used: 12 Daniel Emovon, 16 Oliver Lynch.

Referee: Mr Richard Walker

Assistant Referees: Mr Matthew Joyce & Mr Ben Wilkinson

Brakes Man of the Match: Dan Meredith.

*Photos by Cameron Murray ©