Adders Bite Too Strong For Sleepy Brakes at Sheepy Road

So, that's this season's night"Meir" out of the way then. The good news is that Brakes, surely, won't play another first half like this one when it's "for real".

The Adders were certainly not taking things lightly but the first goal was entirely down to a bit of posing at the back. Morris conceded a corner by miskicking a simple back-pass and watched while Dunkley nodded home the corner for 1-0 in the 3rd. Another static display led to Partridge nodding home for 2-0 in the 14th and when Dunkley made it 3-0 with his second, another header from a set piece, in the 45th on the stroke of half-time Brakes were dead and buried.

The second half was a vast improvement. It's always difficult to know, in games like these, if that's because of the change of players by Brakes or if the Adders' changes relieved the pressure. But Brakes were on top for much of the second 45 without really looking like hitting the net despite excellent strikes by Kelsall, probably Brakes most influential player on the day, and Martin Thompson.

A superb move by Brakes in the 67th brought a buzz from the crowd of 150, much lower than the 400 hoped for by the Adders, but another set piece, this time a free-kick, ended any prospects of a fighting come-back when the ball hit Morris and spun into the net for 4-0 in the 69th.

So what to make of it. As more than one Brakes fan said that this was this season's "Meir Moment" and all the better for being a friendly this time. Atherstone certainly wanted this win more than Brakes and had several injuries to show for their fight and determination; when the season starts for real they may regret that they weren't a little more casual. They've also played a couple more games than Brakes and are sharper for it. Friendlies are a time for experimenting and defeats are only a problem if they become a habit that extends into the season and depletes confidence.

Paul Shepherd picked up an injury against Evesham, a knock in the back when he jumped high for a catch, and it ruled him out of this game. He has seen the Physio. but I have no prognosis yet. Tom Sidwell also has a niggle and couldn't play.

Leamington: Richard Morris; Rob Hipkiss (Kristian Kelsall 46); Darran Tank (Ryan Parisi 46); Steve Smith; Andy Gregory; Steve Rule (Jon Adams 46); Josh Blake (Jonny Burgess 68); Leon Morgan [Capt] (Ryan Howell 56); Paul Nicholls (Martin Thompson 61); Richard Adams (Ben Usher 61); Steve Thompson (Jamie Coleman 73)