Young Brakes Slip to Defeat

Two slips in the second minute cost Brakes a soft goal and seven minutes later they were 2-0 down, this time from a well-worked Vale strike. But young Brakes buckled down and dominated the rest of the game territorially though only managing a late strike, a superb goal from Sean Rellis.

With the constant roar of traffic doing its best to drown out the noise of fireworks and a soggy, uneven pitch on which the ball bounced like a sock filled with custard the travelling fans needed a lift. But Brakes self-destructed in the 2nd minute when Crossling poked the ball goalwards after a slip by James and Heath, in the Brakes’ goal, also slipped as the ball crept, apologetically, into the net, 1-0.

Jordan hit the post after good work by Harri as Brakes fought back but a minute later, in the 9th, Crossling made it 2-0, this time it was a well-worked goal lobbed expertly over the advancing Heath.

But, apart from unsuccessful attempts by Brakes to gift Vale some more soft goals, territorially at least it was Brakes game thereafter. McCarthy headed just over in the 19th and James, who had an excellent match and was influential throughout, was close with two long-range drives and a delicate chip before half-time.

However there is a collective disbelief in the side that a win or two will dispel. They play good football but don’t look as if they believe scoring is for them. Rellis changed that to some extent when he came off the bench, returning from injury, in the 67th. His constant running showed a tenacity that could well be adopted by some others.

It cost him a yellow card in the 75th but he was instrumental in setting up chances for Powell and McCarthy who both could have scored before Rellis got his reward in the 84th making it 2-1 after he picked up a through ball from McCarthy and beat a defender and the ‘keeper before crashing the ball home from a tight angle.

Brakes sought an equaliser, and possible winner, as time ran down with even Lockyer finding space and time to move upfield but were thwarted by an increasingly desperate Vale defence and that missing ounce of self-belief that could tip the scales in their favour.

Leamington Youth: Tom Heath; James Footman; Tom James [Capt]; Mike Ellis; James Lockyer; Anvinder Thiara; Ashley Powell; Henry Jordan; Sean McCarthy; Alex Harri (Sean Rellis 67); Luke Hobbins (Mark Griffin 88)
Subs Not Used: Chris King; Dylan Russell; Adam Sutton

Other News: Brakes' Youth player, Tom "TJ" James, had a very good game, we’re told, for the Birmingham County FA squad in the FA County Youth Cup round 2 match against Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA on Saturday 22 October at Worksop Town FC; his team won 1-0 so congratulations from us all.