Leaver Leaves It Late

A very strong wind did its best to spoil the game as a spectacle but young Brakes played some crowd-pleasing football without being able to put away their many chances. They were punished for this by a Hinckley goal in the 67th that looked likely to win the game but Tom Leaver, on the bench because of a knock, entered the fray for the last 10 minutes and struck a fine equaliser from a free-kick with a minute of normal time left.

Young Brakes kicked off towards the North Bank with a slight advantage from a strong wind that was mostly across the pitch from Chicken Farm to Sheepside. Hinckley were in 4th place after two wins and only one defeat but with a goal record of 5-4 after four games suggesting that their strength lay in their defence.

Bhangal, Lewis and Cromwell worked well to set up Cromwell in the 8th and a Kitchen shot in the 23rd nearly beat the Hinckley 'keeper with pace. Brakes were camping in the Hinckley half and playing some excellent, passing football but a chance was wasted by Lewis in the 25th and nobody could provide the final touch to a strong cross that sped along the Hinckley line a minute later.

Cromwell blasted over after another good move involving Bhangal and Kitchen in the 36th but Brakes went into the break with nothing to show for their efforts and thankful for a good save from Morgan in the 9th and a goal-line clearance from the steady McKinley in the 25th.

But the feared sucker-punch duly came as Brakes continued to play good football but fell to a defensive lapse in the 67th when Robinson made it 0-1 to the visitors. A disappointed, mostly Leamington, crowd of 61 got behind the team and McKinley should have scored from in front of goal shooting too close to the 'keeper.

Brakes put on the pressure forcing a succession of corners but the influential Leaver, coming off the bench in the 80th where he'd been confined because of a knock, set up a snap-shot from the left in the 83rd then smashed home the equaliser, 1-1 in the 89th from a free kick into the bottom corner.

Young Brakes are coming good and just lack a ruthless finisher up-front. They haven't been beaten well, or outplayed, by any side and have always looked capable of winning. The lack of pre-season matches, through nobody's fault, had a greater than feared effect and one can only muse on how different their position might have been if they had started as the team they now are rather than a collection of individuals.

Leamington Youth: Richard Morgan; Paz Bhangal; Jamie Coleman; Ashley Kitchen; Andy McKinley [Capt]; Dave Ward; Sean Rellis (Kyle Crowley 87); Kevin McGarvey; Will Cromwell (Alex Harri 80); Chris Lewis; Vinny Thiara (Tom Leaver 80)
Sub(s) Not Used (3 From 5 Used): James Lockyer; Ben Langley

Team News: Right-sided defender, Simon Goodall, will sign from Highway as soon as we have the forms.