By Roger Vincent

Fabulous Fabrizio and Super Subs Get Brakes Out of Gaol

In windy conditions on an exposed pitch Brakes found it hard to play good football and gave an edgy performance against a spirited Polesworth. 1-0 down at the break through a 34th minute penalty, after a harsh decision against Will Payne, Brakes grew more frustrated and lost their shape. As the rain fell and Polesworth started to win the 50-50 balls only the brilliant goalkeeping of Fabrizio Tosti kept Brakes in the game and gave some comfort to the travelling 150 supporters. In the 59th minute Webb came on for Perry and on 70 Jonny Burgess replaced Billington. As Polesworth tired the rain stopped, the sun came out and Brakes started to pressurise an increasingly panicky defence. On 82 Jonny Burgess drove the equaliser in the corner and on 90 Glen Webb smashed home an unstoppable shot for the winner. Released from the tension of the previous 80 minutes the crowd rejoiced loudly and Fabrizio had to endure unbridled adulation as the cries of "fabulous Fabio" rang round the ground and lifted the rafters of the club-house soon after.

Playing into a strong wind Brakes seemed to find it hard to get going against a spirited Polesworth. Having played so well at Wilmcote last Wednesday after a bad performance before that it was almost as if Brakes were doomed to alternate good displays with bad ones. Although there were a few half chances notably from Agar and Thompson who missed, and a shot from Perry which was tipped over, it was an uneventful first half hour.

Then in the 34th a fairly innocuous recovering tackle from Will Payne was adjudged to be both illegal, and inside the area, and Polesworth scored from the penalty off the underside of the cross-bar. Brakes could have been level within a minute when Agar just failed after being put through by Thompson and, as the half ended, the best move of the match so far saw Mort pass to Agar who delicately back-flicked the ball into the path of Simmonds who drove just over.

The second half started with Polesworth getting on top. Only fabulous work by Tosti in goal and some last-ditch defending, including a goal-line clearance by Payne, kept Brakes in the game. With Polesworth winning all the 50-50s and the rain starting to fall on what had become a chilly day on a very open ground an air of misery enveloped the large, travelling contingent of about 150 souls.

On 59 minutes Webb came on for the tiring Perry with something to prove. Maybe it was simply that a less-fit Polesworth were starting to wilt but Brakes, with the wind in their favour, started to come more into the game. Ariss, who had pl;ayed his heart out, just failed to control the ball in front of goal and Webb, looking strong and fit, powered into the box time after time whipping over crosses from difficult angles. Jonny Burgess came on for Billington on 70 minutes and gave his usual 100% running through defenders like a mouse on speed.

Now the crowd awoke, the sun came out and it was all Brakes. The Polesworth defence slashed at clearances to all corners of the surrounding hedges and cricket pitch. On 75 Burgess was just wide, on 78 the ball was scrambled off the line; Polesworth still had players capable of breaking free for a goal against the run of play, but we had the fabulous Fabrizio, the Italian stallion, let's just call him our hero as he blocked, charged down and leaped from post to post to keep the ball out of his net.

Then in the 82nd, after good work by Agar and the tireless Miyoba, who had worked hard all afternoon for little reward, super-sub 1, Jonny Burgess, latched onto Agar's pass and drove hard and low into the corner for an equaliser, 1-1. With Polesworth time-wasting at every opportunity Tosti pulled off the save of the match after a breakaway and then, in the 90th, super-sub 2 Glen Webb, who had turned the game smashed in a 20 yard shot of such power that the goalie couldn't stop it despite getting his hands to it. There was still enough injury time for Burgess to come close again before the whistle blew and the shouts of "fabulous Fabio" startled the birds and our bemused goalkeeper.

The only black spot of the final 20 minutes was that Brian Agar severely damaged knee ligaments and had to be carried off in the 87th, replaced by Adam Ball, just before the winner. The injury is likely to keep Bagar out for "months not weeks" and we can only hope he makes it back at some time in the season and that it doesn't hasten these daft, pre-season notions of retiring. Our best wishes go out to him and we think he should keep going long enough so that the little Bagar, due in February, can see him play; too much celebrating the championship last May eh Bagar?

Leamington Fabrizio Tosti; Ian Billington (Jon Burgess 70m); Will Payne; Liam McGovern; Kevin Ariss; Nick Mort; Mark Simmonds; Neale Perry (Glen Webb 57m); Benson Miyoba; Brian Agar (captain - sub Adam Ball 83m); Steve Thompson