Vanarama National League North
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Saturday 1st February 2025

Brakes slipped to a third defeat in a row as they began a run of games against the teams in and around them in the National League North.

There was one personnel change from the defeat at Rushall; Will Shorrock coming in to replace Tim Berridge, while positional changes saw Rob Evans switch to right back, George Ward back to central defence, and Dan Turner into the lone centre forward’s position. 

The visitors, backed by a noisy travelling support, were in need of the points to haul themselves out of the bottom four, and engineered the opening opportunities of a tight, scrappy start to proceedings on the 12 minute mark. Andy Scarisbrick’s shot thudded against the chest of Theo Streete inisde the box; the follow up from Enock Luisiama was wide. 

The game exploded just before the twenty minute mark, when Adam Walker and Chris Doyle both went in hard for a challenge midway inside the visitors half. There was a brief meleé, with some wildly differing opinions of what occurred on both sides, but the upshot was a red card for the Brakes skipper, leaving Leamington with an uphill battle for the remaining 80 plus minutes. There would have been no intention of any malice from Walker as he is simply not that kind of player, but he appeared to go in a little higher with his boot than he should have done despite looking to have won the ball, and accepted his punishment, handing the armband to Edwards. 

Shorrock had the first opportunity of the afternoon for Brakes after 28 minutes, his fierce strike cannoning off a defender and going behind for a corner, from which George Ward volleyed into the net after a brief scramble, but Referee Ben Robinson had already blown for a foul. 

Trevon Bryan’s low strike was held by Callum Hawkins, but Brakes were clearly up for the scrap; Landers leaving two Marine players in a heap as he won the ball on the touchline in front of the main stand. 

There were screams for a penalty from the Harbury Lane End as Landers’ right wing cross saw a man go down inside the box as Edwards headed towards goal, Adam Thomas clearing off the line.

Dan Turner had a brief sight of goal as he was played in down the right, but Doyle was well placed to get a timely boot in to deny him. 

Just before half time the visitors moved in front with a superb goal from Luisiama, who made the most of a through ball from Andy Scarisbrick by clipping a measured effort over Hawkins into the net, before celebrating with an acrobatic somersault in front of the travelling support. 

Ewan Williams volleyed into the ground and just over the bar from a free kick out on the right as the game entered added time at the end of the first half. 

Turner tested Marine keeper Andrew Wogan in the early minutes of the second half with a skidding low drive after receiving the ball from a flick on by Edwards on the left. 

Turner came within inches of an equaliser when he got his boot to the ball inside the six yard box in a crowd of four players to stab past Wogan towards goal, but Thomas was in the right place once more to stop the ball on the line before clearing. 

Turner and Landers both saw shots blocked at close range as Leamington probed for an opening.  

Jiah Medrano’s introduction bizarrely saw Joe Clarke become the fourth player to wear the captain’s armband during the afternoon, after Edwards and then Theo Streete had taken it. 

The game was up for Leamington with five minutes remaining when substitute Fin Sinclair-Smith outpaced the retreating home defence to slip the ball past Hawkins for a second goal for the visitors. 

Attendance: 548

Leamington: 1 Callum Hawkins, 3 Josh Quaynor, 5 Theo Streete (16 Jiah Medrano, 77), 6 Rob Evans, 7 Henry Landers, 8 Adam Walker ©, Jack Edwards (24 Owen Farmer, 70), 12 Will Shorrock (21 Joe Clarke, 70), 14 George Ward, 17 Ewan Williams (19 Ant Lynn, 86), Dan Turner (11 Tim Berridge, 86). 

Marine: 26 Andrew Wogan, 4 Leigh Whelan, 5 Chris Doyle, 7 Adam Thomas, 8 Harvey Gregson (25 Charley Doyle, 55), 15 Enock Luisiama (3 Matty Waters, 87), 17 Jack Hazlehurst ( 20 Fin Sinclair-Smith, 76), 19 Andy Scarisbrick, 21 Josh Wardle ©, 22 Joe Mattock, 24 Trevon Bryan (11 Kallan Murphy, 54). 

Subs not used: 6 James Butler. 

Referee: Mr Ben Robinson

Assistant Referees: Mr Daniel Clenton & Mr Minesh Gupta

Fourth Official: Mr Benjamin Schofield

Brakes Man of the Match: Dan Turner.

Photos: Mitch Davidson ©