Morgan strikes twice to keep Brakes FA Vase bid on track

The bumpy pitch was slippery on top from the recent rain and not ideally suited to Brakes' passing game. Holbeach play in the Eagle Bitter United Counties League and seemed determined to unsettle their visitors with some robust tackling and much verbal commentary aimed at the match officials. However, it was Brakes who started the brightest with Jon Adams involved in two early goal attempts.

This early pressure resulted in Brakes forcing four corners in the first ten minutes and, as Holbeach struggled to contain them, both Tom Gosling (foul play) and Paul Langford (dissent) went into the referee's notebook. Later, player/manager Shaun Keeble was also booked for a foul on Morgan.

On 15 minutes, a foul on the industrious Martin Thompson resulted in a free-kick taken by Alex Rodman, but the ball hit a ruck of players and bounced away to safety. Rodman was then to suffer a nasty cut to the head which necessitated his leaving the field for treatment. With Brakes down to ten men, Holbeach has their first real attack, but Darren Cundy's header from a corner from the right was easily taken by Richard Morris. Almost immediately, Tom Gosling sent a low shot wide of the post, but this flurry of activity was all that Holbeach had to offer in the half until Morris had to get down quickly to thwart Gosling again as the interval approached.

Rodman's injury proved too much for him to carry on and Assistant Manager Keith Orme was despatched to fetch a clean shirt to enable Kristian Kelsall to come on as substitute. There was sufficient concern over possible concussion for the players' coach to return earlier than usual for a precautionary visit to hospital.

Kelsall's runs down the right were proving troublesome and when home 'keeper Kevin Cross failed to deal with a high ball into the centre, Jon Adams could have opened the scoring but his shot was rising as it reached the goal.

Brakes got their just reward not long after the interval. Jon Adams set up his brother Richard who was upended on the edge of the penalty area as he raced for goal. Kelsall again took the free-kick and Leon Morgan rose high to head powerfully home on 52 minutes. Josh Blake and Morgan both had good chances before Andy Gregory was booked for a foul that seemed to this observer to be more innocuous than some of the challenges still being made on the Brakes forwards.

A second goal nearly arrived in the 70th minute when Blake outpaced the defence drawing Cross from his goal. The ball ran loose to Martin Thompson whose shot from outside the penalty area went tantalisingly close. However, it was all over on 78 minutes as Morgan scored at the second attempt after Cross had beaten out his first strike on goal.

Jon Adams had another chance to score right at the end, but Cross was up to the task. As it was, a two-goal margin was a fair reflection of Brakes' superiority and, despite some of the tackles flying in, everyone avoided injury ahead of the trip to Essex.

Captain Morgan was understandably pleased with his own and the team's performance saying "We were the better side over 90 minutes and, although we had to change things a bit when Alex went off, I was always confident that we would win". Looking forward to next week, he added "If we show the same commitment at Colchester as we did at Ossett, then we have a chance of causing an upset. We know we have to work very hard, but we are going there in a positive mood".

Holbeach United Kevin Cross; Simon Markham (Jake Grogan 74); Adam Jackson; Martin Cundy; Dean Elston [Capt.]; Darren Cundy; Paul Langford (Ashley Godfrey 74); Phillip Barnes; Shaun Keeble; Tom Gosling; Danny Cairns
Sub Not Used: Neil Mitchell

Leamington Richard Morris; Alex Rodman (Kristian Kelsall 32); Darran Tank; Ryan Parisi; Andy Gregory; Morton Titterton (Neil Stacey 75); Jon Adams; Leon Morgan [Capt.]; Richard Adams; Martin Thompson; (Paul Eden 72); Josh Blake
Subs Not Used: Andy Stidder; Paul Shepherd

Players' News Ryan Howell missed through a slight groin strain as a precautionary measure and is expected to be fit for Saturday; Stuart Herlihy also missed through injury but, sadly has time to recover as his suspension kicks in tomorrow until 4 December. Please note that there is no mid-week senior match next week as Tuesday's game against Stourbridge is postponed.

TIGERS SHOW THEIR CLAWS

On 52 minutes, United’s tough tackling saw the referee award a free kick on the penalty area bye line as Richard Adams pace was too much for 16 year old Adam Jackson and Kelsall floated the perfect free kick to skipper Leon Morgan who climbed like a swallow to head home from eight yards then two minutes later Keeble was booked for a foul and Kelsall found Andy Gregory whose drive cannoned off a defender for another corner from which Josh Blake blasted in a rising shot that cleared the bar. On 65 minutes Gregory was booked for a foul that was powder puff in comparison to the stuff dished out to the Leamington players then Richard Adams speed again caused havoc as Cross raced out of his penalty area to block tackle the striker and the ball squirted away for Thompson to thump goalwards as the ball agonisingly curved just past the angle in his last piece of action as he was replaced by Paul Eden on 72 minutes. United made a double substitution to try to wrest control back from the Brakes who made their final change of the day with Morton Titterton coming off to a huge round of applause and Neil Stacey slotted in his position before Leamington made the game safe with Cross denying Morgan who collected the rebound to knock in from close range on 78 minutes and there was still time for Stacey to hook a shot just the wrong side of the post as the Brakes continued on their cup runs to set the side up for next week’s engrossing counter at Colchester who sent their chief scout to view the match making copious notes. The only worry is if Alex Rodwell has suffered long lasting damage as he was still clearly distressed an hour after the game had finished and the players coach left early to get him to hospital. The attendance was 269 and although United played the match hard, Shaun Keeble would like to bring his Holbeach side across to Leamington for a pre-season friendly.