Wright Stuff at the Finish

Leamington Youth completed their season with a comprehensive win at Gornal. A Joe Wright hat-trick made it 5 wins and a draw in young Brakes' last seven games. And it could well prove enough to escape the drop that seemed inevitable at the end of January. Gornal Athletic and Boldmere St Michaels will finish below Brakes with the one remaining relegation slot between Brakes and three others. Those other three have matches in hand but it is unlikely that all will climb clear so leaving Brakes above the drop zone.

The Brakes players and fans toured the Black Country with directions that included a non-existent Chinese restaurant, inevitably arriving late at Lower Gornal to find access roads unsuited to coaches and much else wider than a bicycle.

The ground seemed to be from another time with sloping, uneven, weed-strewn terracing that would earn a "disabled-unfriendly" accolade if one existed. From behind rusting fences, on a hill outside the ground, a group of youths pelted the teams at warm-up with stones, then targeted an assistant referee during the game. As this seemed to be the norm (we were told we'd make it worse if we did something about it), they continued throughout much of the match throwing House for Sale signs as a diversion when, presumably, they got bored with stones. The pitch, despite puddles in fields en route, was dry and hard with the players kicking up dust clouds, except for the far-side where it was soggy with holes.

15-year old Tom Heath made his starting debut in goal, having previously played for 10 minutes off the bench, with Morgan missing his first game of the season. In a must-win situation Brakes got the ideal start scoring in under 40 seconds for the second match running. Kitchen crossed from the right and Powell threaded a first-time pass through to Wright who placed the ball expertly in the top, right corner, 0-1 in the 1st minute.

Within minutes Heath was in action as a Gornal forward ran past everyone but lashed his shot against the left post with Heath covering his goal well and forcing the striker wide. Gradually Brakes imposed themselves on the game and could have increased their lead in the 6th from a Coleman free-kick after the dangerous Lewis was upended and the lanky Lockyer climbed high to head a Coleman cross just wide minutes later. But Gornal were not done and a goal-saving tackle by Powell denied them. With Powell going past his defender at will it seemed a major blow when an achilles problem forced him off but Attwood proved an adequate replacement. With Brakes clearly in the ascendancy Lewis, Kitchen and Wright combined well to set up further chances but two saves by Heath served as a reminder that there was still only one goal in it.

A brilliant Heath save in the 47th may well have been a turning point as Gornal never really threatened after that. But the fans were increasingly uneasy, as well as wet in the strengthening drizzle, knowing that one piece of misfortune could yet undo Brakes' season. But it was all Brakes and three succesive corners in the 52nd saw a "certain goal" from Lewis cleared off the line. But then came that little bit of fortune that favours the brave. Lewis bustled and hassled in the goalmouth and the Gornal 'keeper dropped the ball for Wright to slot home for 0-2 in the 62nd.

This seemed to wake up Gornal who pressurised the defence but Ward and Lockyer were in superb form with Coleman, probably the man-of-the-match, pulling the strings. But Heath had to make two saves in the 73rd turning the first around the post for a corner then pulling off another magnificent save from a shot at point-blank range after the corner.

But Gornal were a spent force and Kitchen and Lewis ran riot forcing successive mistakes from a troubled Gornal defence. Though a Gornal forward scooped over the bar when it seemed easier to score in the 86th Brakes were well on top. Then in the 89th minute Wright scored his hat-trick goal to put Brakes 0-3 up when Kitchen ran through the defence and picked him out with an inch-perfect through ball. Wright delicately slid the ball wide of the advancing 'keeper and in off the far post.

This was a superb display from a Brakes team that could have been in contention for a top 3 spot if the first half of the season had matched the second. It was made better with news from the club-house bar afterwards that, seemingly, Gornal had drawn 0-0 at Quorn "a couple of weeks ago", a result not on the Youth League website which means that they finished their programme with tonight's match a point behind Brakes instead of two points behind with a match to play as we'd thought. And the players well deserved their chips bought by some appreciative fans on the way home.

Leamington Youth: Tom Heath; Paramdeep Bhangal (Anvinder Thiara 75); Jamie Coleman; David Ward; James Lockyer; Ashley Kitchen (Sean Rellis 90); Andy McKinley [Capt]; Kevin McGarvey; Joe Wright; Chris Lewis; Ashley Powell (Dale Attwood 23)
Sub(s) Not Used (3 From 4 Used): Richard Morgan