By Roger Vincent

Brakes Robbed at the Death Before 1,204

1204 people, plus kids who were let in free, packed the New Windmill for this top of the table clash with live commentary from Spa FM. A Webb header in the 28th put Brakes 1 up at the break after a similar "goal" in the 11th was disallowed. Brakes were 2 up in the 64th through Blake but conceded in the 68th as Rugby fought back. A Blake "goal" in the 87th seemed to have clinched a deserved win but it was, unaccountably, given offside and Rugby scored the equaliser in stoppage time

A gloomy, blustery day didn't stop another huge crowd at the New Windmill for this derby clash of the 2 top teams. New, Leamington-based radio station, Spa FM, broadcast live from the ground with club Media Officer, Craig Barnes, helping with the commentary from the portakabin roof.

After 2 defeats by Brakes this season Rugby clearly had something to prove but it was Leamington who forced the play with Webb and Mort powerful in midfield and Blake's speed causing problems. In the 11th minute Webb rose superbly to head home a Thompson corner which was disallowed for no clear reason but Webb repeated the feat in the 28th, this time from a Mort free kick to put Brakes 1-0 up. This was a hard, uncompromising tussle and there were no further goals before the break though Webb and Blake both went close.

An interchange between Blake and Timms nearly came off just before Brakes went further ahead after good work from Agar whose drive on target was turned against the post by goalkeeper Leech and Blake drove in the rebound in the 64th to make it 2-0. But Rugby Town pulled one back in the 68th with a good header from a corner to make it 2-1, their first real strike on target.

Nicholls came on for Agar in the 75th as Brakes battled to restore the comfort zone and went close through Mort and the battling Webb though Morris had to make a brilliant save in the 85th before Blake "scored" in the 87th after a Webb shot was beaten out by Leech. As the players and an ecstatic North Bank celebrated an offside decision was given for no accountable reason as Webb had run through and the ball came back to Blake, who had also come from deep. In stoppage time, seconds before the whistle blew, Rugby Town then compounded the misery and the mystery by slotting an equaliser past the diving Morris, 2-2.

Leamington: Richard Morris, Glen Webb, Liam McGovern, Tom Sidwell, Andy Gregory, Daz Timms, Nick Mort, Barry Shearsby, Josh Blake, Brian Agar [Capt.] (Paul Nicholls 75), Steve Thompson
Subs Not Used: Jonny Burgess, Andy Dix

Team News: Benson Miyoba injured.