Vanarama National League North
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Tuesday 24th September 2024
Brakes welcomed Oxford City to Harbury Lane for the first time in almost a decade. Paul Holleran made just one change to his starting eleven from Saturday, restoring Farsley match winner Ant Lynn in place of Tim Berridge.
Brakes started brightly, and had the ball in the net inside nine minutes when George Ward headed a right wing corner back across goal, but the whistle had gone for some kind of infringement before Lynn nodded it into the net.
Oxford, still adjusting to life back in the National League North having been relegated last season, moved the ball around quickly when in possession, and registered their first effort on goal on the quarter hour mark. Theo Streete did not get enough purchase on his clearance, and Zac McEachran, one of three players in the two squads to have played in past fixtures between the two clubs, pounced on the loose ball to crash in a fierce half volley that was parried well by Callum Hawkins.
Dan Meredith won one of a number of corners earned in the opening quarter of an hour or so. Henry Landers delivered the ball in from the right and it was initially dealt with by the Oxford defence, but Landers fizzed the ball back in, and it somehow evaded a crowd of players inside the six yard box and flashed past the far post.
Referee Ben Robinson left the home support perplexed as he ignored a clear clip on George Ward as he attempted to clear his lines. Leamington pushed forward despite this, Adam Walker winning the ball on half way and steaming forward, feeding Cally Stewart on the edge of the box, who went down too easily in the opinion of the man in charge, and he was promptly booked.
Walker crashed a shot well wide of the target before Stewart pounced on a slip by Andre Burley on the left touchline and hared off towards the penalty area, but opted to feed Walker rather than try a shot. The ball was then played out towards Meredith, and the momentum was lost.
Josh Parker fired an Oxford free kick onto the roof of the clubhouse, but the deadlock was broken just past the half hour, and the goal was a thing of beauty.
The source was a fine challenge from Ward in the left back position, winning the ball cleanly, and it was moved into the centre by Joe Doyle Charles before Landers and Meredith took over exchanging passes twice as they charged up the right with the Hoops defence in full retreat. Landers delivered the ball low to the near post, where Lynn backheeled neatly into the path of Meredith, who poked the ball past keeper Rylee Mitchell into the net. A truly fine team goal.
Just before half time Parker tried his luck from well inside his own half as he spotted Hawkins off his line, but the Leamington keeper was well aware of his positioning, and watched the ball all the way into his arms. Reece Fleet then sent another effort wide of the target.
The visitors looked lively in the opening moments following the restart. McEachran glanced a header across the penalty area without anyone in a green shirt anticipating the movement, before Alfie Potter fed his long serving team mate on the edge of the box for a fierce first time drive that didn’t miss the left hand post by much at all.
Play switched, and Walker bulldozed his way into the area on an impressive run, but his shot was blocked. Stewart followed up but was off beam with his attempt.
Oxford substitute Chi Ezennolim looked to have breathed new life into his side’s challenge as he was played in up the left, but he blazed his strike into the field behind the North Bank.
Just before the hour mark, Leamington countered, to devastating effect. Doyle Charles almost lost possession in his own penalty area, but recovered to feed Landers. The ball was played away from the penalty area but knocked back into the Leamington half. Doyle Chalres met it with a powerful header that sent Stewart scampering clear towards goal. He was shadowed by Jacob Roddy, who clipped the Leamington striker as he turned inside him for a clear penalty. Roddy was booked, and Stewart stepped up to confidently slam the ball into the net and double Leamington’s advantage.
The hosts continued to press. Landers picked up the ball on the right edge of the Oxford penalty area, taking on his man but curling his shot over the bar. The visitors broke upfield swiftly, Ezennolim thrashing a rising drive towards the near post that was well kept out by Hawkins.
On 66 minutes the visitors, and Roddy in particular, committed defensive suicide; handing Leamington and Stewart a third goal on a plate. A high ball forward was met by the head of the defender, who hadn’t realised that his goalkeeper had rushed from his area, and the ball sailed over him into no man's land. Stewart was on to it in a flash, rolling the ball into an empty net to score possibly the easiest goal of his career.
Cole Kpekawa looped a header wide of the target as the visitors, now with what looked like a mountain to climb, attempted to claw a goal back. After Meredith had fired just wide on the half volley, Oxford finally did break through the stubborn Leamington backline when McEachran’s deflected shot following a right wing corner left Hawkins helpless, setting up a nervy final ten minutes or so.
Despite the late pressure from Sam Cox’s side, Stewart had the chance to complete his hat trick as Leamington countered again, but blazed over from a good position. However, when he was presented with one more chance before the final whistle, he was not about to pass it up. Brakes countered at pace once more, with Berridge leading the charge. He unselfishly squared to Stewart, who took aim and found the far corner with a low strike.
The home crowd were purring at what they had witnessed, and with Brakes now on a six game unbeaten streak they will head into Leicestershire to take on Harborough Town in the FA Cup on Saturday full of belief.
The manager was understandably pleased with his team’s performance. ‘It was a really good game. Did we deserve to score four goals? I think we did. You could argue with some of their play that they deserved to score more. The result could have been anything really.
‘It’s probably not the type of game we’re used to here. It was quite open. I think over the last couple of months we’ve been trying to get the lads to play through, and just come out and switch play a bit more. We were brave enough to do it tonight.
‘It was nip and tuck at times. You could see their strengths - always looking to play through you, always looking to break the lines; brave passes into the nine; runners off it, but we always looked a threat on the counter during that period, and if you analyse the game, probably our play down the right hand side during the first half - the link up between Dan and Henry was phenomenal at times. That goal - I thought Dan was going to go round the goalie at one point! It was super play. I thought they were electric down that right hand side first half, and that was the difference between the two sides in that first half.
In the second half… I can’t say we’ve been clinical because we missed a few chances, but we were at the end. Our counter attacking and the pace we had - we scored some good goals tonight as well. Scored goals at the right times. And after watching Oxford play on Saturday, when they dismantled Needham Market, who we know are a really good side - I can see why they won heavily in the FA Cup and why they dismantled Needham, but probably where we are at the moment - we’ve scored four and missed a few other good chances as well, so from our point of view that was really pleasing.
*Hear more from Paul Holleran on the game in our highlights package on Leamington FCTV…
Attendance: 527
Leamington: 1 Callum Hawkins, 2 Dan Meredith, 3 Josh Quaynor, 5 Theo Streete, 14 George Ward, 4 Joe Doyle-Charles, 8 Adam Walker © (10 Jack Edwards, 75), 17 Ewan Williams, 19 Ant Lynn (11 Tim Berridge, 75), 9 Cally Stewart, 7 Henry Landers (18 Teddy Rowe, 64).
Subs not used: 13 Jake Humphries (GK), 12 Will Shorrock.
Oxford City: 13 Rylee Mitchell, 2 Andre Burley, 4 Josh Ashby, 5 Jalen Jones (3 Chi Ezennolim, 50), 23 Jacob Roddy (9 Corie Andrews, 77), 6 Cole Kpekawa, 7 Lewis Coyle ( 22 Jayden Carbon, 80), 8 Reece Fleet ©, 10 Zac McEachran, 14 Josh Parker, 16 Alfie Potter (11 Brad Stretton, 64).
Subs not used: 15 Tom Scott.
Referee: Mr Ben Robinson
Assistant Referees: Mr Lewis Smith & Mr Jason Porter
Fourth Official: Mr Ryan Price
Brakes Man of the Match: Cally Stewart.
