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Tuesday 22nd October 2024

Leamington provided the perfect response to seeing their six game unbeaten run ended at South Shields on Saturday as they bounced back emphatically against a visiting Southport side who had enjoyed some eye-catching recent results themselves.

The Sandgrounders made the long trip down to Warwickshire having won at Scarborough on Saturday, but despite an even first half in which they looked more than capable of getting back into the game following Rob Evans’ 24th minute goal; but they were simply not given the chance as Brakes steamed out of the dressing room to forge a commanding lead within 15 minutes of the restart.  

With Will Shorrock’s suspension not due to start until Saturday the midfielder kept his place in the starting eleven. Evans replaced Theo Streete, and Ant Lynn stepped in for Tim Berridge. 

Chris Renshaw was forced into a save in the opening minutes as the ball was played into the box from the right, but the visitors went close themselves before five minutes had been played; Marcus Carver glancing a header just over the bar from Danny Lloyd’s right wing corner. Sam Minihan then poked a shot straight at Callum Hawkins after intercepting a pass out of defence and exchanging passes with Dior Angus, who had a brief spell with Leamington thirteen years ago at the beginning of his career. 

Danny Philliskirk was shown the first yellow card of the evening after clipping Lynn, who had been set free through the centre following good work by Cally Stewart to win the ball back inside the Southport half. 

Adam Walker crashed a first time drive over the crossbar from a Leamington corner, while Evans was afforded plenty of practice launching his trademark long throws into the Southport penalty area, but the Sandgrounders defence stood firm. 

Lloyd dragged a long range shot along the ground and wide as the visitors hit back, but they had a second player in the Referee’s notebook, Keenan Quansah somewhat harshly cautioned for catching Stewart as he stole in on the defender’s blind side to nick the ball away from him before he was able to clear. 

Brakes were building up a head of steam however, and powered in front when Evans met Henry Landers’ left wing corner at the far post with a thumping close range header that gave Renshaw no chance to score his first goal of the season. 

The recalled centre back had the bit between his teeth, and was at the centre of everything as Leamington kept up the pressure following the goal.

Southport broke clear from another Brakes attack through Angus, who looked for David Morgan as he approached the penalty area, but the midfielder’s attempted curling shot was blocked. 

Ewan Williams was booked after receiving treatment for a challenge some 20 yards from goal. Lloyd curled the resulting free kick against the roof of the Harbury Lane End. 

The game became a little scrappy towards half time, but despite this there was no lack of effort and endeavour from either side. 

Stewart came agonisingly close to sending his side into the dressing room with a two goal cushion as Leamington attacked menacingly. Receiving the ball mid-way through the Southport half, the striker took advantage of the fact that nobody moved to close him down and unleashed a piledriver from distance that clipped the top of the crossbar, with Renshaw seemingly beaten. 

Southport came again; Morgan winning a rather soft free kick at the expense of Williams. Jack Doyle’s dead ball was curled in with precision, but met by two strong hands from the diving Hawkins to keep it out. 

Any notion the visitors had of turning this game round was swept away inside the opening minutes of the second half, as Leamington were in no mood to relinquish their advantage, and they doubled it three minutes in as Landers drove a low right wing corner into the box, Evans letting the ball run for Stewart to steal in at the far post and gleefully slam home. 

To their credit, Southport retaliated, and were inches from grabbing a goal back after a tussle in the Leamington penalty area saw a shot cleared away from the goalline, and a second effort on the half volley kept out by a fantastic reaction save from Hawkins. 

George Ward met a recycled ball into the box from Evans with a curling header towards goal as he fell backwards that was met by an equally fine save from Renshaw. However, the offside flag had been raised. 

The game appeared to be up for the visitors just past the hour mark as they conceded a penalty and were reduced to ten men. It was difficult not to have some sympathy with their frustration at some of the decisions that went against them during the game, as Brakes had experienced similar on Saturday, but Quansah was shown a second yellow for pulling Stewart back inside the box after the striker had wriggled goal side of the defender and  Morgan following a fantastic surging run down the left from halfway. The Sandgrounders defender protested, but the decision had been made, and Stewart stepped up to send Renshaw the wrong way and stroke home the spot kick that takes him to 9 goals for the season, and 31 in 60 since joining his home town club last summer. The only concerning thing for Brakes fans is that his goal scoring prowess is going to make bigger clubs sit up and take notice, but they are currently enjoying every moment of seeing one of their own doing so well. 

The visitors will probably still be wondering how they did not pull a goal back after another almighty scramble inside the Leamington box which saw  shots blocked fantastically by Hawkins and Evans. 

Dan Meredith saw a thunderous swerving effort deflected inches over the bar after Stewart had another shot blocked, while Brakes were frustrated in their attempts to add more gloss to the scoreline; Renshaw spilling substitute Tim Berridge’s shot, while the same player was unable to get enough purchase on a backheel to trouble the Southport keeper. Brakes had done more than enough to merit the three points and continue their encouraging start on their return to the National League North. 

‘I possibly think that was our most complete performance of the season,’ said Paul Holleran after the game, speaking to BBC CWR’s Brian Halford. ‘Over our first twelve games or so, our home form, the home performances have certainly been consistent. I thought tonight was even a notch up from Oxford. It was more complete. Southport are a good outfit. I was pleased with the way we responded from Saturday. I’m pleased with the quality and the legs tonight. It’s been a good night’s work. 

‘It was a good first half performance. We’ve scored the one, we’ve had a couple of half chances, we’ve hit the bar, and then you think they are going to have a spell in the game but we’ve gone again haven’t we, and it was a real aggressive pressing performance; it was a real aggressive system with Cally going in the second striker role. I just want to try and be as positive as we can when we’re here, get plenty of legs in the team, lots of quality from set plays. As I said, I’m struggling to think of a more complete National League North performance for a long long time, so I’m delighted with that one.

‘We’ve had to defend our box well on more than one occasion, but I think on the strength of our attacking performance we more than deserved to win the game, and I’m so pleased for the players. You can’t dwell on things too much… We had a tough day Saturday, all round - the whole day was difficult, and then when we had a good spell in the game we had a player sent off. You have to take your medicine in this league and move on quickly, because there’s another battle round the corner, and it’s brilliant the way we’ve responded tonight. It’s a young group, playing against some ex football league players who know their way around the pitch, so yeah, it’s probably our most pleasing performance so far without a shadow of a doubt.’

Attendance: 507

Leamington: 1 Callum Hawkins, 2 Dan Meredith, 3 Josh Quaynor, 14 George Ward, 6 Rob Evans, 17 Ewan Williams (10 Jack Edwards, 66), 8 Adam Walker ©, 12 Will Shorrock (11 Tim Berridge, 80), 7 Henry Landers (18 Teddy Rowe, 75), 9 Cally Stewart, 19 Ant Lynn (16 Jiah Medrano, 88) . 

Subs not used: 5 Theo Streete. 

Southport: 1 Chris Renshaw, 3 Jack Doyle, 6 Nathaniel Knight-Percival, 7 Danny Lloyd (18 Sonny Hilton, 69), 8 David Morgan, 10 Marcus Carver (23 Jack Stafford, 86), 11 Dior Angus, 14 Keenan Quansah, 22 Sam Minihan, 25 Danny Philliskirk © (20 Luke Carroll Burgess, 69), 26 Festus Arthur. 

Subs not used: 17 Finlay Heath, 21 Renato DeOliveira Gomes. 

Referee: Mr Liam Corbett

Assistant Referees: Mr Richard Fullicks & Mr Mitch Cartwright

Fourth Official: Mr Ryan Price

Brakes Man of the Match: Cally Stewart.