McKay and Husband Partnership Pays Dividends

With the season of “good will” (thankfully) fading into the past Brakes knuckled down to the grind ahead, with two matches a week until the end of February, and probably beyond, with a highly creditable draw against a high-flying Barwell side in 4th place who are also the league’s leading goalscorers.

And, in a strong wind sweeping from Harbury Lane to the North Bank Brakes had far the better of the game playing their best football in the second half against the wind with Husband, making his first start, and McKay the pick of the front runners in a partnership that looks good for the future.

A minute’s silence was observed impeccably for young Jack McCleod whose body had been found in the river Leam after he went missing in early December, and Jackie Eales who was very active with Leamington in the AP days and also with fundraising and inspiration for the club’s renaissance in 2000-01.

The strong wind favoured neither side. Brakes, attacking the North Bank goal with the wind in the first half, found the ball running away from them and Barwell were struggling to make any headway with ‘keeper Sharpe unable to clear the ball to the half-way line. McKay and Husband seemed determined to make their mark and had the home crowd applauding a good McKay drive that was just wide in the 5th then a Husband shot two minutes later that was well smothered by Sharpe in the Barwell goal.

And the partnership paid dividends soon after when a raking Husband cross from the left was met with a looping header from McKay for 1-0 in the 10th, his first goal for Brakes. The speed and strength of Husband complements the more sturdy McKay well, and in McKay Brakes have a type of player they’ve needed for a while, a proven goalscorer who can hold up the ball and has the confidence to try for goal when a half-chance beckons. And he can only get better with increasing match fitness.

But Barwell showed why they are in such a high position with some good football, particularly up the left flank, bringing a good save from Morris in the 19th and hitting the post three minutes later with Morris lucky to grab the rebound. But Husband nearly added a second in the 27th when a he hit the front stanchion with an inswinging corner from the right.

Jon Adams was yellow-carded for dissent, kicking the ball away when Barwell had a free-kick in the 30th, but Barwell couldn’t make it count and the next shot on goal was McKay at the other end, driving just wide with his left foot as Brakes sought that important second goal. The half ended with Brakes well on top and Blake and Richard Adams both going close during a succession of corners, which also saw Barwell’s Turner booked for dissent.

The first chance of the second half fell to Barwell with a glancing header from Spencer just wide of the post, and the wrong-footed Morris, in the 50th. But fears that Brakes would falter playing into the strong wind were soon allayed as they started to dominate the game with good football along the ground and a succession of players bringing the ball at speed into the heart of an increasingly panicky Barwell defence.

Husband was on song down the left showing speed and control and whipping in crosses that had the Barwell defence in disarray. Sidwell was close from one cross then Blake’s overhead kick in the 57th brought a superb save from Sharpe that led to a succession of corners. This was a purple patch for Brakes, playing flowing football into the wind and creating chances, but with 20 minutes to go the mood changed.

Richard Adams became the second Adams brother to go in the book for dissent and Barwell made it four Adamses on the pitch when Carl came on in the 73rd. A minute later, in the 74th, Barwell made it 1-1 when Clamp snatched a rare chance and equalised after a Brakes’ defender failed to clear. This was a cruel blow for Brakes and confidence visibly wilted with Barwell now scenting possible victory after being on the back foot for much of the game.

Rodman came on late in the game returning after illness and Brakes continued to put heart and soul into the game but without that extra touch of verve that comes to teams on a successful run who always believe that they can score. Brakes need a couple of wins to get that feeling back, and there was enough that was good about this game to suggest that that will happen sooner rather than later. But it was Barwell who nearly snatched an unlikely victory in added time after the 90 with a shot that skimmed the post; and that would have been cruel indeed.

The weather, and “Tuesday night” kept the crowd down to 309. A Brakes’ fan who declared at the end that “we should be beating teams like this by 5 or 6-0” was led gently home to a land of cuckoos beyond the clouds.

Manager, Jason Cadden, said after the match that he was disappointed with the way that the equaliser was conceded. “There was never going to be many goals in it but the defence had looked good enough to, at least keep the one goal lead and we were playing better into the wind than they had done. It was a match we could have won as we had the best of it but the wind played a big part.”

Leamington: Richard Morris; Richard Adams; Ben Adams; Tom Sidwell; Ryan Parisi; Morton Titterton [Capt]; Stuart Herlihy; Jon Adams; Josh Blake; Jody McKay; James Husband (Alex Rodman 87)
Subs Not Used: Ryan Howell; Kristian Kelsall; Steve Thompson; Paul Shepherd

Barwell: Dave Sharpe; Dale Turner; Richard Masters; Dave Hart; Dean Sergeant (Carl Adams 73); Karl Noble; Scott Clamp; Steve White (Michael Skubala 83); Danny Spencer; Craig Noble [Capt]; Reece Lester
Subs Not Used: Nick Pollard; Danny Kitching; Len Aston

Attendance: 309