By Roger Vincent

Brakes Fail to Sparkle but Another 3 Points on the Championship Trail

Not a champagne performance from Brakes in their 3rd game in 5 days but goals from Sidwell in the 19th and a Mort penalty in the 25th put them in the driving seat. Cadbury pulled back one in the 30th to end Brakes 5 game run of clean sheets and there were no more goals though Mort hit the bar in the 33rd and a post in the second half. Morris made some good saves but Brakes won more comfortably than the score suggests for their 8th win in a row and another 3 points.

A perfect pitch with a chocolate-box pavilion, and that damn clock chiming the 1/4 hour, was the setting in the hot sun for a large, travelling contingent in another early (6:15), midweek match. Cadbury had most of the early play but Brakes stepped up a gear and went ahead 1-0 in the 19th when Sidwell met a Mort cross from the right to head home.

Blake could have doubled the score a minute later when his final touch was awry from a superb Thompson cross. Then Timms battled for the ball on the line and pulled it back for Blake who was felled. Mort drove home the perfect penalty to put Brakes 2-0 up in the 26th.

Nicholls went close from a Burgess cross soon after but the defence let in their first goal in 5 matches when Cadbury's no. 8 drove through the middle and cracked home a superb goal in the 30th to make it 2-1. Brakes nearly restored their 2 goal advantage in the 33rd when Mort struck a sublime drive from 30yds onto the bar.

A quiet start to the 2nd half was enlivened when Morris made a good save from a rare Cadbury attack but passes were going astray and neither side looked like scoring though Mort hit the woodwork for a 2nd time in the match with a thunderous free-kick from just outside the box that thumped against a post in the 56th.

Now Brakes were on top and the ball bobbed around the Cadbury goal with nobody capable of providing the final touch but they received another wake-up call in the 65th when good Cadbury approach work ended with Morris making another critical save.

Shearsby replaced Burgess in the 71st. Soon after, Nicholls was cynically brought down as he rounded the last man just over the half-way line. Surprisingly the referee only showed a yellow. Cadbury, briefly, threatened late in the game as Brakes settled for 2-1 but good approach work was spoilt by poor finishing though Morris rose high to save well in the 87th and preserve Brakes lead for another 3 points.

Leamington: Richard Morris, Jonny Burgess (Barry Shearsby 71), Simon Walker, Tom Sidwell, Liam McGovern, Darren Timms, Nick Mort, Jamie Barr, Josh Blake, Paul Nicholls, Steve Thompson (Capt.]
Subs Not Used: Andy Gregory, Neil Stacey

Team News: Glen Webb injured out rest of the season; Benson Miyoba out injured; Andy Dix misses rest of the season with knee ligament problems.