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Saturday 17th August 2024

Brakes made a victorious start to life back in the National League North on home turf as they defeated a Spennymoor Town side who had enjoyed a very strong opening day victory over Chester.  

Paul Holleran made no changes to his starting eleven from the opener at Buxton, but Ant Lynn replaced Jiah Medrano on the substitutes bench. 

There was no incident at either end of any note until the quarter hour mark. Under no pressure whatsoever a Moors defender rolled the ball out of play for a corner, and was left to rue that decision, as from the left wing flag kick Leamington took the lead, Cally Stewart sweeping home his second goal of the season at the far post. 

George Ward’s backward header from a Rob Evans throw on the right was held by Moors keeper Brad James at his near post, while Adam Walker was shown the first yellow card of the afternoon for a late challenge. 

Spennymoor fashioned their first chance of the afternoon when the ball was flashed across goal from the left, recycled by Olly Dyson for Corey McKeown, whose shot was straight at Callum Hawkins. 

Callum Ross and Rob Ramshaw were both cautioned after a poor challenge from the latter on Ward, before the visitors levelled things up eight minutes before half time. Inevitably their goal poacher supreme Glen Taylor was involved, deflecting the ball inside the penalty area for Isaac Fletcher to slot home. 

From looking comfortable, Leamington now edged towards half time looking shaky as Taylor looped a header onto the roof of the net from Dyson’s cross. 

A hopeful cross-cum-shot from Dan Meredith dropped inches past the angle of crossbar and post for Brakes, while Moors goalscorer Fletcher fired wide from a good position as the two sides went in level at the interval; a fair scoreline given how the game had panned out. 

Leamington won an early second half corner through Meredith; Evans going over the back of a defender in his attempts to win the ball before it ran loose for Walker to thrash a first time strike wildly over the bar.  

Ward made a crucial block inside the box as Isaac Fletcher threatened to pull the trigger, and moments later he curled a low effort into Hawkins’ arms as McKeown set him up. 

McKeown skewed a volley wide as the ball was headed into his path inside the box as Spennymoor turned up the heat, but the offside flag was raised to spare his blushes. A couple of minutes later he was well off target with another effort, but his side were well top at this point. 

Hawkins kept his side on level terms with a fantastic save as Matty Dolan powered in a header from Fletcher’s left wing cross; the Leamington number one sprawling backwards to fingertip the ball over his crossbar. 

Ultimately, the game swung on another loose piece of defensive play from the visitors, who would have been hugely frustrated as they were dominating until this point. 

Play switched immediately to the opposite end; and James was left under huge pressure as a back pass from debutant Derby County loanee Ryan Bartley was hit at a little too much pace for him to control quickly enough, and Tim Berridge nipped in to steal the ball from him, only for the keeper to bring him down. Stewart stepped up and confidently slammed the penalty home to restore Leamington’s lead, very much against the run of play, and place himself up with the top goalscorers in the division after two rounds of games. 

Berridge was then inches away from meeting Henry Landers’ low right wing centre after good work from Stewart on the edge of the box to spread the play. 

Brakes bagged themselves a third goal with twenty minutes to play. James rose above a packed penalty area to meet a long throw from Evans with both fists, but it only reached the edge of the box, where it was worked back out to Evans, whose hoisted ball back into the box was met by a classy header from Ward, who scored on his home debut to give Leamington a two goal cushion. 

Debutant substitute Zanda Siziba came very close to immediately pulling one back for Spennymoor, but his fierce drive through a crowded penalty area was well held by Hawkins on his line. 

Walker fired wide with a volley on the half turn on the edge of the box, and several Moors players were incandescent as they were adamant that Taylor’s header down towards goal had struck a Leamington arm, but Referee Harry Warner was unmoved. 

The see-saw nature of the contest continued, Stewart laying off for Landers to thump a well struck half volley straight at James. 

Teddy Rowe was introduced in place of Will Shorrock, and within seconds had set off on a winding pacy run from his own half, beating three defenders before being dispossessed just outside the penalty area. Evans then decided he would have a go himself, and strode out of central defence, reaching the same area before unfortunately being dispossessed on the edge of the box. 

Michael Ledger powered a header well over the bar from Dolan’s left wing corner, before Anthony Lynn replaced Landers for his debut. 

Staunton allowed himself to get wound up by Jack Edwards, and subsequently went into the Referee’s notebook for a late challenge on Caine Elliott. Leamington kept the free kick in the corner, and the final whistle sounded seconds later to signal Brakes’ first win back in the National League North. 

The manager was understandably pleased with the afternoon’s endeavours: ‘It was a wonderful day for us. I thought we started really well in the first 20-25 minutes. Spennymoor are  a hardened National League North side; always in and around the play offs. They’re a good yardstick for us really. They started to ask a few questions of us and the goal probably came at a time when we needed to get through that period, but we didn’t. I thought they got on top then, and finished the first half strongly. Then they probably started the second half better than us, and they did to us in that period what we were doing to them early doors. We got some quick sets and good spin rounds and got them running back towards their own goal, landed on a lot of second balls, and then they started to do that to us. The timing of the second goal was probably slightly against the run of play. But when you sign players like Berridge the goals look after themselves. It was great pressure - we’ve forced a mistake from them , and lovely for Cally then, another goal. 

‘I thought we were good then. The momentum just swung a bit, and we scored another goal from a set play, which is really pleasing. Just the little bits of movement. I look at the team today, and there’s players who haven’t been anywhere near this level before; whether it’s George Ward or Ewan or Cally Stewart. I thought they were phenomenal today. The young boys coming off the bench as well; Teddy Rowe and Ant Lynn. It was a really good day. I thought we had lots of energy about us. I don’t think we made as many mistakes this week. Structurally we were better possibly, and I think at the end you’d say we deserved to win the game. I think we’ll look back at the three goals, and there were bits of good play in all three.’ 

Attendance: 571

Leamington: 1 Callum Hawkins, 2 Dan Meredith, 3 Josh Quaynor, 6 Rob Evans, 14 George Ward, 17 Ewan Williams, 7 Henry Landers (19 Anthony Lynn, 87), 12 Will Shorrock (18 Teddy Rowe, 82), 8 Adam Walker ©, 9 Callum Stewart (15 Caine Elliott, 90+4) 11 Tim Berridge (10 Jack Edwards, 65). 

Subs not used: 5 Theo Streete, 

Spennymoor Town: 1 Brad James, 3 Reece Staunton, 4 Callum Ross, 8 Isaac Fletcher (9 Will Harris, 87), 9 Glen Taylor ©, 10 Rob Ramshaw, 14 Olly Dyson, 22 Ryan Bartley, 24 Michael Ledger, 28 Corey McKeown (20 Zanda Siziba, 65), 29 Matty Dolan. 

Subs not used: 13 Ryan Johnson, 15 Dan Myers, 18 John Howard.

Referee: Mr Harry Warner

Assistant Referees: Mr Lewis Smith & Mr Thomas Durno

Brakes Man of the Match: George Ward.