Nicholls Nicks Three at Police

The "team" coach left the Windmill without a single player aboard as they'd all gone by car for a quick getaway to see the England game. As we crawled through the busy Birmingham streets I wondered who shoppers, peering into the coach, would identify as our star players: the nippy winger Mick Brady, evergreen Vic Shepherd in goal, a latter-day Sam Bartram, and midfield dynamo, Brian Knibb, were some of the more obvious.

A beautiful, hot, late summer's day and the serene setting of the Tally Ho!, with its usual excellent hospitality, greeted us as we basked on the lawns beside a pitch in perfect condition. With memories of our last league visit we were pleasantly surprised (though we tried not to show it) to hear that the Police's top-scorer Piearce was "stuck in London" and that Bellingham, hat-trick hero in the league representative game, was playing but not fully fit. Then, along came Chris Burton, a player with a pedigree of top goal-scorer in the Alliance, now a policeman in Toronto, Canada paying a surprise visit; he was signed on to play. Then Steve Piearce made it after all - suddenly it was game on.

For 20 minutes Brakes were on the rack as an impressive Police forward line pulled them apart. A spectator remarked that "it's like Christmas out there" as, time and again, Brakes gave away the ball to reassert the Police pressure. Yet the defence was coping; Gregory robbed Piearce in the 17th with a saving tackle and, although play was mostly in the Brakes half, Police were not getting in many dangerous shots on target. When they did Gettings made a brilliant save, from a free kick in the 21st, and then gathered a dangerous, rising shot from Burton four minutes later.

The impressive Sira was showing well for Police but, even this early in the game, there were promising signs that the Police defence didn't match its attack for when Brakes did get into the Police half there were, clearly, weaknesses that could be exploited. And so it proved when Brakes went ahead, against the run of play, in the 27th minute when Nicholls made it 0-1 meeting a cross by no. 7, Steve Thompson, from the left to head home. There was an element of fortune about this goal as Thompson was clearly offside when the ball was put through to him but the break had been so quick that the linesman hadn't got upfield in time. 150 (mostly) Leamington fans kept their counsel. Now Brakes were more threatening and Dhesi (from a free-kick), Steve Thompson and Gregory could all have scored before Blake made it 0-2 in the 37th when he headed home a headed cross from Hanrahan after a superb defence-splitting cross from Dhesi.

The half-time summary was cautious; Police were clearly dangerous on the attack and could well get back into the game, especially if they scored early in the second-half. The conclusion was that "the next goal could decide the game". And so it proved. With some fans still wending their way back from the bar the indomitable Nicholls made it 0-3 in the 48th minute when he met a back header from Hanrahan to place another header, perfectly, just beyond the 'keepers reach into the top, right corner. The game, as a contest, was, effectively, killed when only six minutes later Hanrahan dived to head home from a Steve Thompson corner to make it 0-4 in the 54th.

It almost seemed an incongruity that, on a perfect pitch, all the goals had come from headers. But now Brakes started to play the football we know they can. Hanrahan, Blake and Steve Thompson stroked the ball around, Nicholls nearly lobbed the 'keeper and Sleem went close as Brakes turned it on with the Police threat snuffed. In the 66th the Police 'keeper, who had been struggling for some time, went off proclaiming that he couldn't remember much about the game. This may prove an advantage though I would not fault him for any of the goals. He was replaced by outfielder, Stephen Patrick, as Police rang the changes. He performed competently but could do nothing about the free-kick, superbly struck by Nicholls in the 71st to make it 0-5 and secure his hat-trick.

The crowd bayed for six and Brakes brought on the substitutes, Martin Thompson returning from injury for the hat-trick man, Care for Steve Thompson and Kristensen for Gregory, a demonstration of the quality in depth of the squad. Understandably, with the game won, Brakes eased off and, in the 82nd Police made it 1-5 when Colley jinxed his way through the defence to drive home low and hard, a well-taken goal made to look so easy that the Brakes' fans were glad he hadn't thought of it earlier. There was still time for a sixth goal and Dhesi struck the post with a trade-mark free-kick from 30yds in the 85th blasting another free-kick just over in added time as Brakes settled for a second, successive five goals away from home.

Leamington: James Gettings; Jonny Burgess; Harj Dhesi; Tom Sidwell; Andy Gregory (Niels Kristensen 79); Darren Timms; Steve Thompson [Capt.] (David Care 72); Chris Hanrahan; Vernor Sleem; Paul Nicholls (Martin Thompson 74); Josh Blake

Team News: Paul Nicholls was voted Friends of Leamington FC "Player of the Month" for September at last Friday's meeting; Paul Holland has left for Central Ajax, Paul Frost for Whitnash; new signings: Andy Biffin (a re-signing after a long injury) and Anthony Episcopo.