Awesome!

Brakes produced a first-half display of attacking football that was truly awesome. Richard Adams scored in the 7th and 24th with Steve Smith getting his first goal for the club in between. There was a lull before Blake netted in the 41st for a 4-0 half-time lead but a strangled cry from a Massey defender, just beforehand, asking for more effort and complaining "we're getting nowhere near these blokes" probably summed up events. Massey came into the game more in the second half as Brakes relaxed a little but the defence was also superb. A Massey goal in the 90th salvaged some pride but Daly moved upfield a minute later in added time and crashed in his first goal to make it 5-1. The referee afterwards said that he thought Brakes on that form would hold their own in matches that he'd refereed in the Southern League. The delighted crowd was given as 127 though looked considerably more.

Playing down the slope with a brisk wind Brakes set off at a pace that seemed to stun Massey who were chasing shadows. Blake went close in the 3rd before Richard Adams smashed an unstoppable shot into the net from 20yds from a Blake pass, 0-1 in the 7th minute. Care chipped over the bar a minute later as the free-flowing Brakes swept forward in waves with scintillating one-touch football. After one of several corners the ball was fired home from close range by Smith after a goalmouth melee in the 13th minute, 0-2.

Massey were in disarray with players going down, looking exhausted, which was breaking up Brakes' momentum. But they couldn't stop Brakes third when Richard Adams picked up a ball on the half-way line, bringing it under control superbly with his head, and ran past two defenders before slipping the ball past the 'keeper in the 22nd minute for his second on the night and ninth in six starts, 0-3.

The hard-running Care was forced off by injury in the 25th but if Massey thought that would bring respite they were very much mistaken because young Mark Anderson, last year's youth captain, came on and, though invidious to single out anyone in a good all-round team performance, was, for me, Brakes most complete player on the night. Brakes swept forward relentlessly creating chance after chance. Blake set up Adams, then Adams set up Blake and Thompson swept down the wing more than once to zip in teasing crosses, before Anderson sent across an inch-perfect cross that Hanrahan met with a powerful header in the 33rd that was saved by the 'keeper's feet.

Again Anderson crossed into the area. A despairing cry rang out from a Massey defender: "... we're getting nowhere near these blokes". The crowd, given as 127 but looking nearer 180-200, sang happily. Yet another Massey player went down and asked to be taken off but his bench refused. Blake just failed to convert in the 40th but then the same player in the 41st minute met another perfect cross from the right by Anderson to nod home, 0-4.

The wind seem to become brisker in the second half and with Brakes playing uphill into the wind this was a different game. But now the defence showed its true worth. Morris turned over the bar in the 46th and Massey won what I believe was only their second corner in the 58th. If Massey were relieved at Richard Adams leaving the field their hearts must have sunk again when he was replaced by the ebullient Howell. Tank had won everything in the air but he was replaced by Daly in the 69th as Brakes rang the changes. With Smith also in commanding form and two or three other players, including Ben Adams and Anderson, mopping up any slight errors the defence looked omnipotent.

Massey had their first real chance in the 70th when a forward found himself in front of goal with only Morris to beat but he hit it straight at the Brakes' 'keeper and that appeared to be that. Massey had had a spell in attack but the threat had now receded and they didn't look like scoring. Brakes came back into the game again with McBain and Timms now running the midfield. Inevitably, therefore, just as a welcome clean sheet beckoned, Massey pulled one back in the 90th when a cross from the right was knocked in, 1-4.

But Brakes seemed to have decided that a four goal margin was only fair and a minute later Daly ran through the middle from defence, defenders followed attackers to either side anticipating the pass, Daly looked up, seemed to hesitate momentarily over his options as the sea of bodies ahead parted then, almost with a shrug, lashed the ball into the net from 30yds, 1-5. This was his first goal for Brakes after a period getting match-fit at Daventry Town who chose him as their player of the month for August, and it crowned an excellent Brakes' performance even without the influential Herlihy, Walker and Morgan. Awesome.

Leamington: Richard Morris; David Care (Mark Anderson 25); Ben Adams; Steve Smith; Darran Tank (Phil Daly 69); Darren Timms; Chris Hanrahan; Lee McBain; Josh Blake; Richard Adams (Ryan Howell 59); Steve Thompson [Capt]
Subs Not Used: None

Team News: Leon Morgan works in mid-week; Delaney has gone back to WMP; Lee Lavery, Martin Thompson and Niels Kristensen still injured and Tom Friend still suspended but available from Monday (26 Sep); Stuart Herlihy has a bit of a knock but nothing serious; Simon Walker had missed training through wedding and holiday but is fit as are Simon Wickson, Baz Shearsby, Harj Dhesi, Jonny Burgess, Jonathan Adams, Harj Dhesi, Uncle Tom Cobbley, et al.