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Saturday 2nd November 2024

Leamington made it seven games unbeaten this season and thirteen stretching back into the previous campaign in home league matches, as they edged out Peterborough Sports in a game that ended up being closer than perhaps it should have been, but with players feeling under the weather and some carrying knocks, it all added up to another impressive afternoon in the National League North as this enjoyable return continues. 

Paul Holleran opted to stick with the same eleven which kicked off at King’s Lynn the previous Saturday, meaning a full home debut for Leamington born Ted Rowe. Meanwhile the visitors had utilised joint manager Luke Steele’s links with one of his former clubs Barnsley, handing debuts to two of the Tykes’ youngsters; Bayley McCann and Jonathan Bland. 

The visitors had arguably been in the ascendancy in the opening quarter of an hour before Brakes stunned them by scoring with their first opportunity of the afternoon. The Turbines defence lined up expecting Rob Evans to launch a long throw in towards goal, but he fed the ball to Dan Meredith, who played in an inviting ball that Cally Stewart attacked powerfully with his head, giving Peter Crook in the Sports’ goal no chance. 

Rowe was sadly forced off injured a few minutes after the goal, a real shame for a player who has waited patiently for his chance. Tim Berridge came on in his place. 

Former Leamington midfielder Kaine Felix saw a powerful low drive whistle past the upright as the visitors attempted to respond positively. 

Brakes carved out two quickfire chances as a Peterborough attack broke down. George Ward lost and won back possession quickly, and the ball was moved upfield. Stewart picked it up a few yards inside the Sports’ half, and slid a perfect ball through for Ant Lynn to run on to. His shot was blocked , but more slick play saw Adam Walker dance into the box before being denied by a brilliant save from Crook. 

Brakes perseverance in attack saw them awarded a penalty seven minutes before half time. Ewan Williams received a clear shove in the back in full view of Referee Jack Hall, who took his time before pointing to the spot. Only one man was going to take the spot kick; Stewart stepping up before firing low down the middle to double Leamington’s lead. 

Berridge came close to increasing it further when he turned well on the edge of the box before lashing a low drive just past the left hand upright. 

Leamington emerged from the dressing room with the same front foot approach, and Meredith forced another save from Crook after a driving run through the centre and a rising strike that was unfortunately straight at the Turbines custodian. 

Stewart was denied his hat trick goal by an offside flag as he followed a low ball into the box from Meredith to net from close range after Crook failed to hold on to the ball. Meredith then sent in a cross-cum-shot that landed on the roof of the net. 

Berridge saw a shot blocked after a strong run forward; Lynn was also blocked on the follow up before Walker saw a third shot deflected behind for a corner. 

Peterborough Sports introduced Dion Semie-Ferris, a star of their rise up the divisions who had previously been at Scunthorpe United last season with former Turbines boss Jimmy Dean, and he showed his quality by making an immediate impact with a surging run up the right, finding Jonathan Bland, who in turn played the ball back for Felix to rifle in a ferocious strike that the previously redundant Callum Hawkins met with a fantastic one handed save at the expense of a corner, which was headed over.

Landers fed Berridge from the right to allow the substitute to drive at goal again, but his low strike was held by Crook.

The visitors certainly looked to have more thrust in attack now, but Brakes were, as always, defending solidly and restricting their sight of goal. Sembie-Ferris did get a view from the edge of the box, following a corner, and it looked like Leamington might regret allowing him the space, but his powerful low drive was well held by Hawkins, who fielded another effort quickly afterwards. 

McCann finally managed to beat Meredith with an incisive run in from the left, but saw his curling effort just pass the far post. 

Leamington really were putting everything into defending their two goal cushion, stretching every sinew to prevent Peterborough putting attacks together, but they were beaten on the stroke of 90 minutes when Felix was left unmarked at the back post to slot home a low ball in from the left. 

‘We’ve had a little bit of a bug going round the club this week,’ said the manager after the game. ‘We’ve had to patch a couple up - they (Peterborough) have probably been similar. It’s not ideal with the schedule coming up. 

‘They’re very adventurous, with the wing backs going really high and the two up top and the breaking midfield players. They’re very brave, and it took us a while to get used to it. The key thing was that in our good spell, from 15 to 45, we found those passes into players in those space; we got Cally on it, we got the wide men coming from out to in and getting in on it, and it caused them a lot of problems, and in that spell we were really really good. I thought we started the second half really brightly as well - we had a couple of chances to get the third, but you’ve got to give them a lot of credit. In a lot of games this season we’ve kicked on and gone again, but we didn’t to be fair today. It was them that kicked on. I thought their subs made an impact. 

‘For the first time this season here I think we lost our way a little bit, but there will be days like that, and there’s probably reasons for it as well. With four of five players not 100 percent today. Ewan and Walks were struggling a bit so you could see the legs went out of us a little bit in the middle of the park. We tried to change it a bit and it didn’t work, and then sometimes in those spells you’ve just got to get through it. To concede right at the death was disappointing. I think we can do better on our right hand side to stop it, and when it’s come across the box it’s gone past three or four bodies, so we’ve got to do better there. But that’s credit to them. This is a side that when we’ve played them before, they’ve beaten us and beaten us comfortably. They’ve got some good players and they’ve settled well into this league and got some experience and some youth - so on the whole, I thought we were good for an hour - I was pleased with our combinations, I was pleased with how the wide men came in and got the overload. We looked a threat in that hour - we’ve scored two, created another three or four really good chances, but you’d have to say that in the last half an hour it was theirs, and if they had been more clinical they might have nicked a point. 

‘Did we deserve to win the game? Yes, because we’ve scored two and probably could have got more in that period, and it’s probably the first time we’ve had to get over the line ugly a little bit. I probably do half know the reasons for it, but it’s another great three points in this division, and we move on to the next one.’ 

On the unfortunate injury to Rowe, he said: ‘It was just that first little explosive run he did, when he chopped past one and came inside. He just accelerated from a standing position to a sprint, and he just said he felt his hamstring. He was able to get treatment on it straight away though. I do think Tim Berridge did really well when he came on though. It’s an area where we’ve thought about using him from time to time - we’ve done the same with Cally - and I thought during our good period he was really bright. He’s an intelligent player, Tim, and he was probably unlucky not to score in the first half.’

Attendance: 724

Leamington: 1 Callum Hawkins, 2 Dan Meredith, 3 Josh Quaynor, 6 Rob Evans, 14 George Ward, 18 Ted Rowe (11 Tim Berridge, 18), 8 Adam Walker ©, 17 Ewan Williams, 7 Henry Landers (10 Jack Edwards, 72), 19 Ant Lynn (16 Jiah Medrano, 82), 9 Cally Stewart. 

Subs not used: 5 Theo Streete, 20 Jacob Humphries. 

Peterborough Sports: 1 Peter Crook, 3 Eliot Putman, 4 Ryan Fryatt, 6 Dan Lawlor ©, 10 Dan Jarvis, 11 Kaine Felix, 12 Bayley McCann, 14 Hugh Alban-Jones, 16 Osin Gallagher, 19 Jonathan Bland (8 Will Van Lier, 72), 22 Michael Gyasi (7 Dion Sembie-Ferris, 60). 

Subs not used: 21 Jack Goodman, 13 Lewis Elsom, 15 Luke Steele,. 

Referee: Mr Jack Hall

Assistant Referees: Mr Craig Thompson & Mr Thomas Green

Fourth Official: Mr Neal Templey

Brakes Man of the Match: Adam Walker.

Photo: © Chris Simpson. To view more images from the game, go to our Facebook page