By David Hucker

Brakes Lose Bite as Marconi Go Top

Brakes suffered a crushing blow to their championship hopes as Coventry Marconi inflicted a comprehensive defeat that took them to the coveted top spot. Co-manager Barry Proctor's summing up of "not enough desire" said it all and the team simply did not give value for money for the Brakes travelling fans who made up the majority of the 250 strong crowd.

On a blustery and damp afternoon, Marconi signalled their intentions from the kick-off being quicker to the ball and never allowing Brakes to settle. Despite this, Leamington did have an early chance when Andy Ellis burst through into the penalty area in the seventh minute but Paul Nicholls was not able to capitalise. Three minutes later, Marconi's Matthew O'Rourke cut in from the left but Simon Walker, back in the side after a lengthy absence, cleared the danger.

Brakes started to get into the game and push forward and Brian Agar sprung the Marconi offside trap on eleven minutes, but there was nobody in the goal area to pick up his cross. Then, an Ellis free-kick was headed over by Nicholls before Marconi danger man Nick Martin showed good skill to create an opening only to put his shot wide of the left-hand post. Brakes looked lucky to escape a penalty award against them in the twenty-sixth minute and immediately Ben Adams, back in his best position on the right-hand side, swept upfield to have a shot.

Brakes were now having more of the game and enjoying their best spell of the half. Paul Eden's shot from an acute angle on thirty-four minutes was palmed away by Marconi 'keeper Christopher Daffern and then Carl Nolan was booked for a foul on Agar. Defensively, Walker, Sidwell and Saunders were solid and a goal-less first half looked very much on the cards. However, it took a good save from James Gettings in the Brakes goal and a clearance off the line by Sidwell right on the stroke of half-time to enable the visitors to stay in the match on level terms.

The second half was a repeat of the first with Marconi pressing from the outset. It was the turn of Adams to clear off the line on 49 minutes and six minutes later a brilliant stop from Gettings denied Marconi's Anthony Bent. It now looked only a matter of time before the defence cracked and in the sixty-second minute, Saunders and Gettings failed to clear and Nick Martin stole in to lob the ball into the top corner. Before Brakes could recover, Martin had doubled the lead within two minutes and the match and top spot slipped from Brakes' grasp.

The nearest Brakes came to scoring was on 71 minutes when a header from the hardworking Darren Timms was pushed clear by Daffern and, in a final attack, Sidwell headed over from a cross by substitute Chris Hanrahan. In the dying minutes, Marconi's Marc Smith had a golden chance to rub salt into the wounds but shot wide with only Gettings to beat.

Marconi were good value for their win as Jason Cadden acknowledged saying "We've had a good run and have been knocked off the top by a good side. We didn't compete enough and were below par. It's back to the training ground on Tuesday".

Leamington: James Gettings, Ben Adams, Tom Saunders, Tom Sidwell, Simon Walker (Harj Dhesi 63), Andy Ellis (Nick Mort 78), Darren Timms (Chris Hanrahan 78), Paul Eden, Brian Agar, Paul Nicholls, Steve Thompson [Capt.]

Team News: Josh Blake back from suspension after today; Andy Gregory declared unfit during pre-match work-out; Baz Shearsby shoulder injury; Ryan Parisi toe injury; Jonny Burgess hamstring problem "OK" and now available"; Ian Clarkson has signed for Forest Green (!); two Northampton Town scouts were at the game "watching a Leamington player" or so they told a Sphinx official.