By Alastair Bates

Iain Groves' Screamer Keeps Leamington Youth Top

As with all the games so far this season Leamington were slow starters and never got going until thy went a goal down. However, after an inspired performance from Josh Tolley, Leamington kept their unbeaten start to the season, through an impressive debut start goal from Iain Groves and an own goal from a Highgate defender.

After ten minutes of keeping Highgate at bay, Leamington's first opportunity was conjured up by a great diagonal ball played from the solid Stuart Poole. However, the re-signed Paul Wilkinson showed a lack of understanding and the chance was squandered.

On twelve minutes Highgate were warned to the capabilities of Iain Groves' long range shooting. After an unchallenged clearance from a Tolley free kick engineered by himself, he struck the ball well only to see it go over the bar from 25 yards - he later told me he was just getting his sight in.

On twenty-four minutes Highgate opened the scoring. After a cross the Leamington defenders thought had gone clear, the Highgate striker calmly pulled the ball down with his first touch and, with his second touch, struck a mis-hit shot, which took a deflection (Lee Van-Der-Heyden tells me) and the ball ended up in Lee's left hand corner.

This hammer blow seemed to kick start Leamington's performance as they looked like upping a gear on the uneven, hard surface with the temperature dropping by the minute (or that's what it felt like anyway).

In the ensuing six minutes the game was turned on its head. Firstly, on twenty-eight minutes, Philip Thompson unleashed a long-range effort, which again went over the Highgate bar. Nevertheless, just a minute later, a well worked free-kick, conceded after continuous fouling on live-wire Tolley, was only half cleared and Iain Groves struck the ball cleanly and saw it fly into the top corner.

Just a minute later, with the Highgate defenders still wondering how it went in, Tolley was again causing havoc for his opponent. After cutting inside close to the by-line, the resulting cross produced misunderstanding in the centre between the goalkeeper and defenders, especially with the powerful Richard A. Sutton putting himself about, and an own goal was the consequence.

Slowly Highgate came back into it and a long-range effort was turned round the post by the in-form Lee Van-Der-Heyden. Then a good effort was put just wide by the Highgate No 9 after a brief lapse in concentration from Lee Scott who, up until this point, had kept him in his pocket.

The final opportunity in the half fell to Ryan Howell who, after robbing his opposite number in the centre of the pitch, unleashed a good strike that would have been a lot better had the pitch not dealt him a wicked bobble.

Half Time 1-2

With sore hamstrings Philip Thompson was replaced by the more attack minded Jimmy Claridge, as Leamington looked to increase their advantage. However Highgate came out all guns blazing and the majority of the half saw a fine defensive team performance and a 'will' to take the three points and not share them as they did against Rugby Town the week before.

On fifty-seven minutes Highgate worked the ball in behind the now struggling James Taylor but an instant shot was the wrong option as Lee Van-Der-Heyden saw the shot fly wide, when there was an overload in the centre. This was the end of James Taylor as Sebastian Rockliffe replaced him.

After some reorganisation at the back Sebastian Rockliffe was instantly called into action with a goal line clearance as Highgate pushed for the equaliser.

With Leamington resisting everything Highgate threw at them, and with all their substitutes on in forward positions, the final chance fell in the eighty-seventh minute when an offside call went wrong. However, again, Lee Van-Der-Heyden was up to the challenge and beat away the shot.

The final whistle came after a half that lasted 53 minutes, by my watch, as the referee intended to play every second that the ball was out of play, however the lads on the pitch deserved the accolades given to them for their work rate and will to win.

Leamington Youth: Lee van der Heyden; James Taylor (Sebastian Rockcliff 58); Stuart Poole; Iain Groves; Lee Scott [Capt.]; Tim Green; Phil Thompson (Jimmy Claridge 45); Ryan Howell; Richard A Sutton; Paul Wilkinson; Josh Tolley
Sub(s) Not Used: Ben Halstead-Smyth