Harri Shines as Brakes Dim Star's Light

This was a rip-roaring contest, a treat for neutrals and nail-biting agony for the fans. There was much good football played at a fast and furious pace that belied the teams' amateur statuses, a game that neither deserved to lose and either could have won.

Blake put Brakes ahead in the 11th, against the run of play, but Star equalised in the 21st when Brakes were on top. Nicholls restored the lead with a superb goal in the 29th but Star levelled it within minutes for 2-2 at the break. Star seized the initiative in the 51st to go 3-2 up with Brakes floundering but Sleem equalised on 61. Brakes started to impose themselves and, after chances that could have turned the game either way, Hanrahan put Brakes in front on 86 with a low drive before Harri made it safe in the 4th minute of 6 added minutes after the 90 when he sprinted from the half-way line to notch his first of the season with one of the best goals from anyone in a Brakes' shirt.

A cold, drizzly Tuesday evening, with Brakes on the back of a non-winning run in the league of two matches, and the huddled fans thinking of joining in the pre-match warm-up, conspired to keep the crowd down to 75. But everyone seemed in good heart though an early scare on the coach, which I thought was an injury problem, turned out to be a bad case of hair gel getting in the ear-piece of a Walkman. Ah, the trials and tribulations of the modern footballer!

Within seven minutes Care had gone close for Brakes and Star had netted though offside was given. The pace was fast and furious but an early pattern was taking shape; both defences looked hesitant with two, fast, free-flowing attacks threatening those vulnerabilities. Star looked the more threatening so it was with some relief that Brakes went ahead 0-1 in the 11th minute through Blake who slotted home a Sleem through ball set up by Timms who found himself in space from a throw-in.

Brakes now looked to be in charge. Nicholls cross in the 15th was just behind Sleem in a good position and Shearsby nearly netted minutes later. But in the 21st a quick break from Star was not picked up by a ragged defence and it was 1-1. Brakes came back and retook the lead with a quite superb, individual effort from Nicholls who made it 1-2 in the 29th through sheer perseverance as he lost the ball, regained it and, finally, finding space in a melee of four defenders, smashed in an unstoppable shot from 20 yds.

Now Brakes threatened to take Star apart. Sleem's headed flicks were creating all sorts of chances but he was foiled when a ball from Nicholls sent him goal-bound. Just as it seemed he must score, the ball stopped dead on the uneven pitch and, as he turned and tumbled, Star picked up the loose ball and ran upfield for an unlikely equaliser, 2-2 in the 32nd. Continental's star was now in the ascendancy and the half ended with them forcing several corners and the match slipping away from Brakes.

The second half started where the first had finished with Star well on top. In the 49th Care limped off, replaced by Burgess, and in the 51st Star were ahead, 3-2, for the first time after a free kick from the right was nodded back and then headed home. A celebration followed fit for the winning goal and, indeed, at that moment that and worse seemed the likely outcome. But Brakes rallied in adversity. Sleem sent one of his trademark, headed flicks into the path of Hanrahan for a shot that was beaten out and Dhesi, Blake and Shearsby combined well to panic a faltering Star defence. With Dhesi superbly marshalling the defence and prompting events it was, perhaps inevitable that Brakes should come back again and, in the 61st, they did just that when Blake released Shearsby who crossed for Sleem to head home, 3-3.

This was pulsating stuff. Nicholls was booked after a Timms foul (?) but was looking dangerous every time he got the ball. In the 69th Hanrahan hit the bar after Blake and Nicholls had set him up, perhaps in a rehearsal for what was to come and Brakes, as a whole were playing some good football. Yet in the 74th Star could, and maybe should, have won it, first hitting a post and then, as the ball came out to an attacker right in front of goal, bringing a point-blank save from the excellent Gettings that must, on its own, make it worth buying the video.

Steve Thompson came on for Shearsby and Harri for Sleem as the frenetic pace took its toll. Hanrahan lined up his sights with a shot that was just wide in the 77th before hitting the winner in the 86th when he made it 3-4. Thompson and Nicholls worked the ball down the left and Thompsons cross was pushed out to Hanrahan who drove home through a ruck of players. Would Star come back yet again? The crowd stood on seats, nerves jangled, expectations buzzed and the match went past the 90, three minutes, then four. Then James "Shearer" Harri emerged just over the half-way line on the right touch-line and did what those of us who watch the youth games know he can do. He sped in on goal at break-neck speed slotting the ball past a 'keeper seemingly petrified by, or unable to grasp, what he was seeing, 90th minute, 3-5. Two more minutes of euphoria and the game was over, a magnificent end but Brakes will have to stiffen their defence for the return at the New Windmill in a couple of weeks.

Leamington: James Gettings; David Care (Jonny Burgess 49); Harj Dhesi; Tom Sidwell; Andy Gregory; Darren Timms; Barry Shearsby [Capt.] (Steve Thompson 75); Chris Hanrahan; Vernor Sleem (James Harri 79); Paul Nicholls; Josh Blake

Team News: Rich Morris out for "up to 4 weeks" after falling over his dog on the stairs, no prognosis on the dog; David Care went off with hamstring twinge but should be OK for Saturday as should the returning Martin Thompson; Simon Walker injured playing for Westlea; Stuart Hepburn, finally, has signed.