Brakes Feeling Shirty After Stunning Display

Three goals in the first five minutes had the fans reeling and those who always leave the bar late unbelieving. Brakes then equalised a second time for 2-2 before the 1/4 hour was up, Cromwell and Leaver the early scorers. Defensive frailties saw young Brakes 4-2 down after 1/2 hour and then holding on until Kitchen made it 4-3 in time added on to the first half. In the second half McKinley moved to central defence and Brakes turned the game round with goals through a twice-taken McKinley penalty and then, incredibly, through McGarvey in the 73rd which gave them the lead. But euphoria quickly turned to despair when he was shown a second yellow, then a red, for putting his shirt over his head in celebration. The 10 men fought valiantly but conceded an equaliser in an astonishing game where young Brakes showed tremendous spirit and an ability to score goals both of which were not so apparent in earlier games.

A little early Autumn chill was creeping in with the first blankets across knees of the season. The outrageous cost of a cup of tea, £1 last season, had risen to an obscene £1.20, but, other than that, it's always a pleasure to visit Aggborough, a neat, well-appointed stadium with a good playing surface.

In the 2nd minute Brakes were 1-0 down after a swift break down the left but within a minute McKinley slotted a ball through for Lewis who was robbed as he turned to shoot, the ball breaking free to Cromwell who smashed it in the net, 1-1 in the 3rd. With the appreciable crowd still settling Morgan was second to a ball through the middle and a Kidderminster forward stroked home into the empty net, 2-1 in the 5th.

This was fast and furious stuff with both attacks seeming to have the measure of uncertain defences. Morgan saved well with his feet in the 6th and Kitchen drove just over the bar after some good approach play by Brakes in the 11th. In the 14th Brakes were level again when Leaver drove home a free kick from 25yds, 2-2. With Lewis on at the start linking well wih Leaver and McGarvey, and the powerful Cromwell looking dangerous, this was a much better performance up front. But the defence was looking unusually vulnerable and gave away another goal when a cross whipped in from the right was missed by everyone except a Kiddie forward who slid home for 3-2 in the 17th.

McGarvey received a yellow in the 19th for not retreating quick enough at a free kick, a nothing caution that was to prove costly later on. Brakes' attack continued to threaten and they forced three corners and a throw-in before, perhaps inevitably, a swift break caught the defence in two minds and Kidderminster made it 4-2 in the 27th. Brakes could well have conceded the game as Kidderminster applied relentless pressure for the rest of the half but perseverance brings rewards and in time added after the 45th, Kitchen made it 4-3 smashing the ball into the net as it came out to him after yet another corner.

Brakes brought on Thiara and moved McKinley to the heart of the defence for the second half to snuff out the Kidderminster threat as Brakes fought for the equaliser. The influential Leaver set up Cromwell, who was just robbed, in the 49th and Lewis and Leaver combined well to put pressure on the Kiddie defence before Lewis earnt a penalty when he was brought down after driving at goal. McKinley drove low and hard into the net then hit the ball high into the roof of the net when the referee ordered it to be retaken, 4-4 in the 64th.

Young Brakes deserved all credit for turning round this game and got what seemed the winner in the 73rd when McGarvey made it 4-5 hurtling in from nowhere to force the ball over the line after Cromwell had crossed powerfully from the right. The team mobbed the ecstatic youngster who put his shirt over his head in the, until recently, time-honoured fashion. But euphoria turned to despair as the referee reached for a yellow, then a red for McGarvey's second yellow, at the outlawed display.

For a time it seemed as if the 10 men would hold on but Kidderminster slotted an equaliser, 5-5 in the 77th, and though both teams had further chances, there were no more goals. Manager Stacey was disappointed but refused to condemn the referee as there was a poster in the changing room warning that pulling a shirt over the head would bring a yellow card, and though some referees may have turned a blind eye the presence of a referee's assessor meant that that would not happen.

But this was a much-improved display by young Brakes and, with a little fine adjustment to the defensive strategy, there's no reason why this shouldn't be the springboard to some improved results, starting next Monday night at the NWG against high-flying Hinckley United.

Leamington Youth: Richard Morgan; Paz Bhangal; Jamie Coleman; Ashley Kitchen; James Lockyer (Vinny Thiara 46); Dave Ward; Tom Leaver [Capt]; Andy McKinley; Will Cromwell (Sean Rellis 85); Chris Lewis; Kevin McGarvey
Sub(s) Not Used (2 From 5 Used): Ben Langley; Alex Harri; Luke Warby