Vanarama National League North
Your Co-op Community Stadium
Tuesday 11th March 2025
Brakes welcomed old adversaries Kidderminster Harriers to Harbury Lane as they looked to edge closer to their best points total in the National League North, and put paid to the spectre of relegation with over a month of the season remaining.
There is always an edge to these fixtures from a Leamington perspective due to the history and links between the clubs. The two are now poles apart in terms of resources and support, but Brakes fans of a certain vintage will never forget that special team that manager Graham Allner assembled at the Windmill Ground, and his subsequent fifteen year tenure at Aggborough and the unprecedented success Harriers enjoyed during that time, was down in no small part to the beginning of what would be a painful decline over the following five years for Leamington. They were refused promotion back to the Alliance Premier League after winning the Southern League Premier Division title in 1983, and runners up Kidderminster were promoted in their place. With parent company Automotive Products announcing on the day the title was won that they were to sell the Windmill Ground, Allner eventually departed for the Worcestershire club the following season, with many of the squad later following him.
Much of what Leamington have achieved in the 25 years since awakening from their 12 year hiatus has meant that the scars from that terrible five year period have faded, and the fact that they are now able to rub shoulders with the likes of Kidderminster is testament to the tremendous work done by many over that time.
There was a single change to the starting line up from the trip to Scunthorpe, with Joe Clarke replacing Jack Edwards. Meanwhile there were returns to the squad for West Bromwich Albion loan man Matt Richards, who had missed five games through injury, and also Will Shorrock, who had missed the last three.
Brakes started brightly, forcing a couple of early corners and getting a low cross into the box that was well defended by the visitors.
Callum Hawkins was called into action for the first time just before the quarter hour mark, dropping down sharply to his left to make a smart save from Ashley Hemmings’ low first time close range strike after a left wing cross was nodded on to him.
Barely a minute had passed before the Leamington keeper was forced into another save, and this time it was an even better one to deny former Hereford man Maz Kouhyar, as he flung himself full length to push a rising drive over his crossbar.
Brakes retaliated, with Tim Berridge dragging a shot well wide from the edge of the box, but Harriers were the dominant force going forward now, and Josh Quaynor executed a fine sliding tackle to deny the experienced David Worrall a strike at goal inside the box.
Kouhyar drove another effort wide of the target, but Kidderminster were forcing Leamington to defend solidly to prevent them from getting clean strikes on goal.
Brakes put together a good move from their own half, started by Farmer, who was doing his fair share of helping out with defending. He found captain Adam Walker, who in turn spread the play to Ewan Williams, who lifted in a cross-shot that Kiddy keeper Christian Dibble was forced to chest down before clearing.
However, the visitors were ahead with their next attack. They were causing the Leamington defence plenty of problems holding up play just inside the penalty area with their backs to goal and getting shots off, and it was through another of these that Hemmings turned sharply on the edge of the box and found the bottom corner with a powerful low drive.
Zak Brown came very close to quickly doubling the lead with a ferocious half volley from just outside the box that whistled inches over the crossbar.
Hemmings almost beat the Leamington defence on his own as the first half entered added time, pirouetting his way into the box from the right with the aid of a fortunate ricochet before driving straight at Hawkins at his near post.
Although Brakes had stuck to their task and defended doggedly, they could have few complaints at going into the dressing room behind as the visitors had been a powerful force going forward, and had dominated large parts of the opening 45 minutes, keeping their front men high up the pitch and hitting them with accurate long balls, meaning their hosts penned in for spells. However, with only one goal in it, Leamington were still well in this contest.
Kouhyar sent a wild effort over the Harbury Lane End as the visitors picked up where they left off, while Brown sent another effort bouncing into the arms of Hawkins.
Two more headers went just wide of goal for the visitors, and Hawkins was forced to twist and palm a left wing cross behind for a corner, which was floated right across the goalmouth, with Kam Kandola just unable to get a touch.
Leamington were refusing to buckle however, and stunned their promotion chasing visitors with a 67th minute leveller. Henry Landers won a free kick on the right just outside the box, and although the initial delivery was dealt with by the Harriers defence, it was picked up by the tireless Farmer on the far side, and he took his time before floating a great ball back into the centre, where it was powerfully guided home by the head of George Ward.
The travelling support, who had been in full voice throughout, fell silent, and it was the Brakes fans’ turn to burst into song. They needed to keep their composure however; with Reece Davies allowed to drive at goal before placing his shot well wide. Kouhyar came far closer with Harriers’ next effort - crashing a swerving drive against the crossbar after Meredith and Landers struggled to get the ball clear on the Leamington right.
Ward thumped another header over the bar as Paul Holleran’s side enjoyed their best spell of the second half, with the visitors no doubt frustrated at having spurned what looked to be a fairly comfortable advantage.
Meredith looked to be in with a great chance to fire Leamington in front when a low ball in from the left somehow found its way to him on the far side, but his shot was superbly blocked behind for a corner, from which Ward almost smuggled the ball in at the far post.
There was another opportunity for a potential winner inside the remaining five minutes as Landers drove the ball low into the centre; substitute Jack Edwards drove first time over the bar.
Caleb Richards’ saw a decent effort fly wide after a neat Kidderminster move around the edge of the penalty area, but the visitors had lost the drive they had displayed for much of the game, and it was a far more even contest now.
The four additional minutes ended with a Leamington corner flashing past the far post from the left, but this was a tremendously hard earned point to take them to 50 for the season, while the visitors probably headed back to Worcestershire scratching their heads as to how they had not taken all three.
Attendance: 802
Leamington: 1 Callum Hawkins, 2 Dan Meredith, 3 Josh Quaynor, 6 Rob Evans, 14 George Ward, 17 Ewan Williams, 8 Adam Walker ©, 7 Henry Landers, 21 Joe Clarke (10 Jack Edwards, 66), 24 Owen Farmer, 11 Tim Berridge (19 Ant Lynn, 90).
Subs not used: 4 Matt Richards, 5 Theo Streete, 12 Will Shorrock.
Kidderminster Harriers: 21 Christian Dibble, 3 Caleb Richards, 5 Reece Devine, 6 Reiss McNally, 7 David Worrall (4 Paul Downing, 83), 9 Amari Morgan-Smith ©, 10 Ash Hemmings (30 Ryley Reynolds. 83), 14 Zak Brown (11 Charlie Lutz, 86), 19 Maz Kouhyar, 20 Kyle Morrison, 27 Kam Kandola.
Subs not used: 1 Tom Palmer, 26 David Davis
Referee: Mr Benjamin Tomlinson
Assistant Referees: Mr Edgar Brown & Mr M Thomas Durno
Fourth Official: Mr Gareth Davis
Brakes Man of the Match: George Ward.
