By Roger Vincent

Hat Trick for Nick and a Brace for Stace as Brakes Score Seven

A crowd of 119 on a cold, wet night at the New Windmill saw Brakes overcome a battling Racing side. Stacey, who played for England U18s Schools yesterday, put Brakes ahead and Tolley added another for a 2-0 interval lead. Howell, and another from Stacey, put Brakes 4-0 up before Racing replied. Stacey gave way in the 65th to Nick Kyriacou who scored a hat-trick in 15 minutes with Luke Williams also completing a hat-trick for Racing.

Billed as the first game between old rivals for many years a sizeable crowd of 119, including a vocal, Racing contingent, turned up at the New Windmill on a drizzly, cold and windy night. Initially the game was tentative with both sides, possibly, having a sense of occasion. Young Brakes' game was not flowing as well as in recent matches and the first real threat on Racing's goal didn't come until the 17th minute when Thompson powered down the wing but the swirling wind took his cross over the goal line.

Then Stacey blasted home his first to make it 1-0 in the 29th after a perfect through ball from Howell. The inside trio of Stacey, Howell and Iain Groves with Tolley and Thompson breaking down the wings and Wilkinson a constant threat, were starting to get on top of a Racing side who were clearly fired-up for this one. In the 43rd minute Tolley made it 2-0, and maintained his position as leading goal scorer, when he sprinted in from the right and smashed home from a Thompson cross, kissing his badge to the delight of the large crowd.

With a first half lead of two goals Brakes looked comfortable but not safe. Shaw, Scott and Martin Groves were sound in defence with Tim Green as commanding as always. When the ball did reach him Van der Heyden showed his growing confidence in goal. A scrappy start to the half gave no promise of a further eight goals to come. Then, in the 52nd minute Tolley sprinted down the left past three defenders to pull back an inch-perfect pass for Howell to stroke home, 3-0. Within minutes Stacey turned beautifully on goal and brought a good save from the Racing 'keeper and Howell was also denied after another good strike.

Racing, to their credit, never stopped trying but the constant pressure was telling on them and Stacey made it 4-0 in the 58th minute when he ran through and slotted the ball in the corner past the advancing 'keeper. Then, in the 60th, Racing got the goal that their perseverance deserved when Luke Williams smacked an unstoppable shot in the corner, 4-1. Stacey, who had played, and scored, for England U18s Schools the previous day, came off in the 65th to be replaced by Kyriacou who had scored twice in the last game.

Kyriacou is probably the most-improved player this season. His energy and enthusiasm are palpable as soon as he sprints onto the field and his never-say-die play has older fans muttering into their greying stubble about Denis Law (ask your Granddad but note that Denis Bergkamp was also named in Law's honour). In the 70th minute he ran at a ball, one on one with the advancing 'keeper and lifted it over him into the net, 5-1. Racing pulled another goal back in the 74th through Luke Williams to make it 5-2 before Kyriacou again, in the 77th, made it 6-2 when he won a race with the goalkeeper and jinxed round flailing arms to stroke the ball home. In the 84th minute Kyriacou made it 7-2, and his hat-trick, when he turned and slotted home from a Scott cross from the right.

Some uncharacteristic frailty from a Brakes' defence, underused in the later stages, let in Racing for a third goal in the 90th minute to make it 7-3 on the night with a well-deserved hat-trick from Luke Williams. Racing Club, and their fans, are to be applauded for maintaining the game as a spectacle against a Brakes Youth side that is surely heading for the championship of the Eastern Division.

Leamington Youth: Lee van der Heyden; Alex Shaw (Seb Rockcliff 71); Martin Groves (Nick Collen 82); Iain Groves; Lee Scott; Tim Green; Philip Thompson; Paul Wilkinson; Ryan Howell; Neil Stacey (Nick Kyriacou 65); Josh Tolley
Sub(s) Not Used: Mark Beezley; James Coleman

Team News: Some bad news: James Taylor has broken his ankle in training and will be out for the rest of the season, but he was at the match and looking quite cheerful all things considered; James Harri was working; Neil Stacey played (and scored) for England yesterday so didn't play a full match; two new signings are James Coleman (on the bench today) and Kyle Crowley who has already played in friendlies.