Vanarama National League North
St James’ Park
Thursday 26th December 2024

Brakes ended 2024 with defeat at Brackley, but also with great frustration, as the same kind of fine margins that have seen them come out on the wrong end of results several times in the National League North this season came home to roost once more. 

Unsurprisingly Paul Holleran stuck with the eleven that had performed so well in the previous game against Curzon Ashton, but they never fully got going in the first half at a foggy and damp St James Park on a miserable Boxing Day afternoon. 

Rob Evans headed an opening minute free kick from Henry Landers over the Brackley crossbar, while Ewan Williams forced a good save from Jonny Maxted with a powerful drive from the right inside the first ten minutes, but this was the only real sight of goal Leamington had, as they were forced to defend for long spells. 

The hosts threatened on both wings, looking lively and moving the ball around well, and it took a fine block from George Ward to deny Morgan Roberts as Brackley broke from Williams’ effort at the other end. The same player got into the box again after cutting in from the left, but Callum Hawkins did well to force him wide, and his shot only found the side netting. 

What had been a fairly uneventful opening half hour then changed in an instant as the home side were awarded a penalty. Referee Tommy Breen initially pointed to his chest after Ward had a shot blasted at him from close range. The Leamington mans’ arm did not appear to be in any kind of unnatural position, but after consultation with his assistant on the far side he decided a spot kick was the correct outcome. Opinion was divided, and the players remonstrated with the Referee, while the travelling support behind the goal were raging with the decision, and continued to voice their disapproval long after Shane Byrne had stepped up to send Hawkins the wrong way and give Brackley the lead. 

Brackley continued to look dangerous every time they went forward, and only some fantastic last ditch defending from the likes of Evans and Josh Quaynor prevented them from creating more chances. Roberts helped Riccardo Calder’s left wing cross into the box towards goal just before half time, but directed his shot straight at Hawkins. 

Brakes then contrived to concede a second goal at the worst possible time, as Connor Hall thundered home a powerful header two minutes into first half additional time to give the Saints a two goal cushion. 

It was certainly going to be an uphill task, both metaphorically and physically, if Leamington were going to get anything from this game now. The frustration of the players spilled over into the second half for a period, and they seemed to be penalised for anything and everything, but to their credit they rolled up their sleeves and began to have a good go at hauling themselves back into proceedings. 

The flow of attacks from Brackley was far lower than in the opening forty five minutes, and save from a header from captain Gareth Dean from an Alfie Bates corner, and a shot from Hall after he had been played in by former Leamington loanee George Carline, Hawkins did not have a great deal to do other than urge his team mates forward. 

A good spin inside the box from Cally Stewart won Brakes the first in a succession of corners, as the travelling support began to channel their displeasure at what had gone before into long and raucous backing for their team. A neat move saw Adam Walker crash a volley at Maxted, before Leamington pulled a goal back with ten minutes to go. 

Tim Berridge and Jiah Medrano had been introduced five minutes earlier, and it was great persistence from the latter inside the box on the left to chase what looked like it might be a lost cause, turning to dig out a ball into the centre which was expertly guided into the far corner with a looping header from Berridge to halve the deficit and set up an interesting last few minutes. 

Berridge thumped a half volley over the bar from just outside the box, before scooping a first time chance just over the bar after Stewart had been played in on the right to set him up. The momentum was with Leamington, but sadly they ran out of time. 

‘There wasn’t much in the game in the first half, but Brackley certainly had the upper hand,’ said the manager afterwards. ‘The game turned on a decision that was ... .dubious, I think is the word you’d use, but not for the first time this year one or two decisions have gone against us. Having said that Brackley did get on top after that but I do think, mentally and control wise it made it difficult, and then you’re really disappointed that we conceded on 47 minutes, but you would also have to say that Brackley were better in the first half. 

‘Second half I thought we showed a lot of character; spirit; we did better on first and second contacts, we passed the ball better, and if it wasn’t for a bit of poor finishing we maybe could have got something out of the game. You’d have to say there were a couple of decisions in and around their box which haven’t gone our way.

‘I think there’s moments in the game where we’ve got to do better. We’ve certainly come out on the wrong side of some decisions today, but that’s just the way things are at the moment. There’s certainly elements where we’ve got to do better. Second half we had our chances to get something out of the game, if not more. I was pleased with the way we responded, but regardless, we could do better. The boys came out and gave it a real good go; the subs did well when they came on. On another day we could have got something out of the game. We’ll brush ourselves down and go again.’

Attendance: 952 (111 Leamington)

Brackley Town: 1 Jonny Maxted, 2 George Carline, 3 Riccardo Calder (10 Jez Abbey, 70), 5 Jake Griffin, 6 Gareth Dean ©, 8 Alfie Bates, 10 Morgan Roberts, 15 Tyler Lyttle, 11 Matt Lowe, 23 Shane Byrne, 27 Connor Hall. 

Subs not used: 18 Tommy O’Sullivan, 25 Dempsey Arlott-John, 13 Alistair Worby. 

Leamington: 1 Callum Hawkins, 2 Dan Meredith, 3 Josh Quaynor, 6 Rob Evans (5 Theo Streete, 90+3), 7 Henry Landers, 8 Adam Walker ©, 9 Cally Stewart, 10 Jack Edwards (21 Joe Clarke, 78), 17 Ewan Williams (16 Jiah Medrano, 75), 23 Dan Turner (11 Tim Berridge, 75). 

Subs not used: 19 Ant Lynn. 

Referee: Mr Tommy Breen

Assistant Referees: Mr Stuart Latham & Mr Zachary Cunningham

Fourth Official: Mr Oliver Potter

Brakes Man of the Match: Rob Evans.