By The Malverner

Away Day Cruise

After seeing the Malvern game and hearing of the poor performance at West Midland Police Reserves I was not confident of Brakes retaining their unbeaten league record. Although Archdale were having an average season, this could have proved a tricky game against some dogged mid-table opposition!

After finding the ground about 15 minutes before kick off we eventually got parked (what a problem that was, 60 cars and a coach trying to get into space for 40 cars!). The ground is opposite a retail park with a clubhouse the other side of the pitch! The programmes sold out within a matter of minutes as they only made 20 (surely Leamington told Archdale we would bring a lot more than 20?). As for the pitch it was wet and muddy, but playable.

The game was very even up until Brakes taking the lead with Josh Blake volleying home from about 8 yards. Before the goal Blake had got through the defence of Archdale through the expedient of the ball being launched over the top, but his nerve failed him on both occasions! Then Leamington came to life and got a weird penalty when a Leamington player was taken out inside the area, but on the other side to the play (What was the Archdale player thinking of?). After much fussing by the Archdale player, Darren Timms stepped up and fired home confidently! The last chance of the half fell to Thompson when he hit a volley from 30 yards, which was brilliantly stopped by the Archdale's keeper.

The second period saw Leamington going into cruise mode, creating a couple of chances but really just controlling rather than pressing home their two-goal advantage. Then about 20 minutes into the 2nd half Archdale gave Leamington a warning when one of their players headed over from a corner, being totally unmarked. It took Archdale only another 5 minutes to get a goal, when a shot was pushed into the air by the Leamington keeper and it went over him and into the net, despite his best efforts to stop it crossing the line. Brakes then started to look nervy, yet held out for the points which should have been a sown up with Agar and Blake missing when well placed. The referee was simply rubbish and somehow added 10 minutes extra time! Again the Brakes where well supported, having the vast majority of support in the crowd.

Leamington Paul O'Keeffe; Ian Billington (Barry Shearsby 45m); Guy Rippon (Jon Burgess 45m); Will Payne; Kevin Ariss; Adam Ball (Simon Wickson 75m); Stuart Hepburn; Darren Timms; Josh Blake; Brian Agar (captain); Steve Thompson