Vanarama National League North
Tarmac Silverlands Stadium
Saturday 10th August 2024

Brakes made their return to the National League North with a trip to the picturesque Derbyshire town of Buxton, but they suffered late heartbreak to go down to their first opening day defeat for ten years. 

Both sides featured a couple of debutants in their starting eleven, while Caine Elliott and Teddy Rowe stood by on the substitutes bench. There were familiar faces in new Buxton boss John McGrath’s squad; the likes of Ethan Mann and Ben Sault having also made the move from Mickleover. 

Rain greeted the team’s arrival at Silverlands, but the clouds shrouding the surrounding hills had cleared by kick off, despite another brief shower as the teams lined up for kick off. 

Buxton looked to take the game to Brakes in the opening stages. Josh Popoola was denied the perfect through ball to Sault only to be denied by the outstretched boot of Rob Evans. Brakes were quickly on the attack up the right; Berridge doing well to dig out a cross which arrived at Will Shorrock, whose half volley bounced at a nice height for Bucks keeper True Grant. 

The home side opened the scoring with a frustratingly simple goal on the quarter hour. Sault wrong footed the Brakes defence as he pulled the ball back from the right to find Tommy Elliott, who had stolen into the box completely unnoticed, and he gave Callum Hawkins little chance with a firm first time finish. 

Leamington hadn’t started the game particularly badly, so to concede was a little disappointing. Cally Stewart headed straight at Grant from Evans’ left wing cross as they searched for a leveller. 

Sault got in down the right again for Buxton, who were looking threatening every time they went forward, but his cross rolled behind his teammates and the retreating Brakes defenders. 

Ethan Fitzhugh almost took advantage of Josh Quaynor’s slip, charging in from the right to the penalty area before crashing in a low drive that was parried by Hawkins. 

Ward, admittedly with nowhere else to go, played a risky back pass towards Hawkins, who confidently  turned away from Sault before clearing his lines. 

Sault was prevented from having another pop at goal inside the box by a timely intervention from Adam Walker, who then was then dispossessed himself, but the cross came to nothing. 

Buxton had been frustrated by several offside calls as they continued to press, but they were stunned moments before the half time whistle when Leamington hauled themselves level thanks to a piece of wizardry from Stewart. The young striker had been snapping at the heels of anyone who had possession for the entire first half, and when he received the ball inside the box on the left, but he wriggled his way out of a tight spot and rammed his shot through Grant at his near post to the delight of the travelling support. 

There was still time for Buxton to threaten again, but Quaynor was on hand to cut out a cross that was heading for Fitzhugh. 

Brakes opened the second half in bullish fashion, pressing forward far more and full of confidence from the last first half equaliser. 

There were no chances for either side in the opening 20 minutes or so however, with both sides' defences on top in what was a full blooded clash which never overstepped the mark. Evans' timely foot in prevented Sault from having another shot at goal for Buxton. 

Berridge came mightily close to opening his account for his new club when he picked up the ball on the left and cut in, drifting past two or three defenders before finding himself with only Grant to beat, but the keeper saved his low shot with his legs. 

Sault drove high and wide after nicking the ball on the edge of the box, while Popoola saw another effort blocked. 

Dan Meredith went down in the box attempting to try and keep the ball in play after a flowing Leamington attack which stemmed from some great battling by substitute Teddy Rowe in defence. 

Ward’s superb clearing header from a right wing cross prevented a potential Buxton chance as the hosts pushed for a winner in the closing minutes, but Leamington, with Jack Edwards and Jiah Medrano also on from the bench, were resolute. 

However, they saw a well earned point ripped from their grasp two minutes into added time when Buxton substitute Josh Ayres bundled his way into the penalty area to take advantage of hesitancy in the Brakes defence and round Hawkins to slot home the winner. 

It was a sickening way for the first game of the season to end, and the players surrounded the officials, distraught at what they thought had been a handball in the build up to the goal. With the ball ricocheting around it was difficult to tell, and the referee may have been unsighted, but it was a desperately cruel way for Leamington to lose a game in which they had competed well. 

Martyn Naylor spoke to the media after the game. ‘It’s a tough one to take when you’ve been in the game as we have done, and created numerous chances against a good Buxton side who keep the ball really really well. The lads have stuck to the game plan, they’ve worked tirelessly throughout the game; created, probably second half I’m going to say, the better chances during the game. A couple of decisions didn’t go our way which happens, we have to deal with it. 

‘I think to lose a game in the last few seconds when we were in control of the game - we had a throw in deep in their half - the ball shouldn’t be going in their box, it should be going down the line and we should fight and scrap for it down there and run the clock down. We have a lot of players who are stepping up to this level now who have done fantastic for us, and it’s a realisation that you have to know when to run the clock down and do better in those situations. The lads will learn from it. We have to take the positives from today. We stayed in the game for long periods against a very good side. 

‘We always base our teams around a fantastic work ethic and a great structure and to be fair to us we have created the better chances during the game. They might have kept the ball better than us, but we’ve kept our shape, kept our discipline and the lads have been fantastic. It’s just that naivety in the last seconds of the game that’s cost us. 

Attendance: 711

Buxton: 1 True Grant, 2 Dermi Lusala, 3 Josh Williams, 6 Ethan Mann, 8 Connor Kirby, 10 Tommy Elliott, 14 Ben Sault, 15 William Trueman (24 Josh Ayres, 74), 17 Ethan Fitzhugh (22 Liam Ravenhill, 63), 23 Josh Popoola, 27 Kieran Burton. 

Subs not used: 4 Callum Leigh, 5 Josh Granite, 7 Jack Stobbs,. 

Leamington: 1 Callum Hawkins, 2 Dan Meredith, 3 Josh Quaynor, 6 Rob Evans, 14 George Ward,  17 Ewan Williams,7 Henry Landers, 8 Adam Walker ©, 9 Cally Stewart (16 Jiah Medrano, 86), 11 Tim Berridge (10 Jack Edwards, 80), 12 Will Shorrock (18 Ted Rowe 80). 

Subs not used: 5 Theo Streete, 15 Caine Elliott. 

Referee: Mr Gareth Thomas

Assistant Referees: Mr Joe Cunningham & Mr Jordan Tindall 

Brakes Man of the Match: Cally Stewart.

Photos: Chris Simpson  ©