By Roger Vincent

Racing Away at the Top

Young Brakes ran out as champions and were applauded onto the pitch by the lined-up Racing players with congratulations by Racing's Pat Murphy over the PA, a nice touch and very much appreciated.

Brakes went 2-0 up after half an hour, both from Howell who was denied a first half hat-trick when another effort was ruled offside. Racing scored instead to narrow the gap at the break but Stacey made it 3-1 soon after the restart. When Kyriacou added a fourth in the 72nd Brakes loked like running away with the game but Racing battled back to 2-4 and, though Green notched the fifth soon after, Kyriacou hobbled off injured leaving Brakes with 10 men as all the subs had been used. A third Racing goal set up Racing with a late chance to come back into the game but Brakes were too strong and held out for a victory that increases their lead at the top.

Brakes beat Racing 7-3 at the NWG but those who were there thought that that scoreline flattered Brakes and were expecting a hard tussle at Hampton Road. Indeed, for half an hour there was little headway made by either side against two, uncompromising defences apart from a mazy run by Stacey in the 18th whose shot was blocked. Then Racing's defence imploded twice within 90 seconds when Howell drove home in the 32nd to make it 0-1 after a strong run by Stacey then got a second in the 33rd to make it 0-2 when he picked up a misplaced back-pass and ran 40 yards through the defence to put himself on top of Brakes' goals scored table.

Racing were in disarray at this point and Stacey shot just wide in the 34th then ran through the defence in the 37th showing brilliant control only to be denied at the last. Howell had the ball in the net again in the 43rd for his first-half "hat-trick" but was denied by the offside flag. But with rampant Brakes threatening to take complete control Racing broke away in the 43rd to make it 1-2 at half-time with a header over the advancing Van der Heyden.

However, Brakes' superiority was re-established soon after the break when Stacey slotted home in the 48th to make it 1-3. Wilkinson ran at the defence and was unlucky not to score in the 55th before Brakes brought on Kyriacou and Collen for Beezley and Collen in the 57th and 64th. The livewire Kyriacou was soon on the scoresheet when, in the 72nd he made it 1-4 with a delightful goal. Stacey threaded a superb through-ball to feet and Kyriacou looked to have taken it too wide but he skipped round the goalkeeper and drove it in the corner from an acute angle.

But Racing were looking stronger and proving worthy opponents. In the 74th they pulled one back to 2-4, smashing home from a corner, before captain Green, who doesn't seem able to stop scoring at the moment, restored the difference at 2-5 smashing the ball into the roof of the net from a corner in the 79th. Brakes brought on Lewis for the lively Lewis Scott, who improves with every game, and within a minute must have been regretting that all the subs had been used. Kyriacou battled back to win the ball as if the team was 1-0 down with seconds remaining. But this time his magnificent endeavour proved his undoing and he was helped off to sit out the remaining 10 minutes of normal time with Brakes reduced to 10 men having used all their subs.

Brakes had looked too strong for Racing but, nevertheless, this was an anxious 10 minutes. In the 84th Van der Heyden made an astonishing save when a Racing forward cut through the defence and shot from point-blank range in front of goal. Then a rare defensive aberration let Racing through for a good strike in the 87th to complete the scoring at 3-5.

This was another very cold night for the Brakes' stalwart fans, especially after the false promise of Saturday's sun-bathed, seniors' match. The crowd was "not bad" but disappointing compared with the promise of some to make this the biggest gate at Hampton Road this season. Brakes' Youth are an entertaining side to watch but only have one more league game together, at Sphinx on Wednesday 16th, before many of them will be too old to play again at this level.

Leamington Youth: Lee van der Heyden; Seb Rockcliff; Martin Groves; Mark Beezley (Nick Kyriacou 57); Lee Scott; Tim Green [Capt.]; Lewis Scott (Chris Lewis 79); Paul Wilkinson; Ryan Howell; Neil Stacey; Josh Tolley (Nick Collen 64)
Sub(s) Not Used: Alex Shaw; Stuart Poole