Young “Old Five”

Young Brakes continued their run of good form with an emphatic win to ease into R3 of the FA Youth Cup. First strikes this season for Mike Ellis and James Lockyer were complemented by a brace from Sean McCarthy and one from Sean Rellis. At least 141 people saw this with some more keeping the bar staff entertained as youth main sponsors, the Graham Fulford Partnership, gave staff and guests a pre-match meal in the clubhouse, entry to the game and presented awards after the match.

A strong wind was a portent of some cold evenings to come at the windy New Windmill, and there was an autumnal chill in the air, but there was almost a festive feel with several senior team players there as well as the senior management team of Jason Cadden and Keith Orme plus a fair sprinkling of Brakes’ fans, some seeing their first youth game.

And young Brakes didn’t put a dampener on the festivities as they made inroads into a nervous Redditch defence from the start, down the wing from the excellent James and everywhere else from Rellis who continues to impress with his speed and commitment.

However the first goal came from neither of these but from Ellis who smashed an unstoppable shot low into the corner for 1-0 in the 33rd minute, his first for the club. Thiara was close minutes later and Heath made a good save in the 38th before McCarthy turned the screw knocking in a cross after a great Rellis run down the right for 2-0 in the 45th and at half-time.

Goal maker Rellis got one of his own in the 50th putting Brakes 3-0 ahead, and out of sight, when he saw the ‘keeper off his line and lashed a stunning strike into the goal from fully 35yds. Brakes rang the changes bringing on young ‘keeper Dylan Russell for his first match and 1st years Urquhart and Sutton.

Another first in the 84th made it 4-0 as lanky defender, Lockyer, moved up field to crash home on the volley following another excellent James’ corner, his first goal of the season and McCarthy completed the 5-0 rout in the 89th with a left foot scorcher, his second on the night, after Rellis, once again, turned provider.

This was an excellent youth performance, again, and after a terrible start to the season they are now playing with confidence and look like they expect to win. The next test will be when, as is inevitable, they suffer a reverse and whether they allow that to unsettle them. On this performance I believe that they will be OK. And it is heartening how very young players such as 15-year olds Sutton and Russell, and just 16 Urquhart, can fit seamlessly into the side without any feeling that “perhaps it’s a bit too soon”.

Leamington Youth: Tom Heath (Dylan Russell 82); Henry Jordan; Tom James [Capt]; James Footman; James Lockyer; Anvinder Thiara (Adam Sutton 65); Mike Ellis; Ashley Powell (James Urquhart 78); Sean McCarthy; Sean Rellis; Luke Hobbins
Subs Not Used: Mark Griffin; Chris King

Redditch United Youth From: Elliot Rodriguez; Luke Donaghie; Ben Cohen; Nick Madden; Nick Martin [Capt]; Andy Cooke; Phil Murphy; Chris McGrath; Jon Brady; Nathan McLaughlin; Lee Mackenzie; Ryan Cornelius; Andy Lowe

Players’ News: Tom James played a full 90 minutes for the Birmingham County FA team in their 4-1 win vs Sheffield & Hallamshire FA on 22 October in R2 of the Youth Cup setting up the first goal; they now meet Suffolk or Guernsey FA in R3. See the full report here»

Other News: Main youth team sponsors, Chartered Accountants, the Graham Fulford Partnership, presented awards after the match to their best player from each team: Nathan McLaughlin from Redditch, and Mike Ellis from Leamington who also took the overall player-of-the-match. Both managers got bottles of wine, as did the officials, a nice touch this, though somebody pointed out to the ref. that he’d got the wine but no glasses; some traditions just have to be observed however inappropriate.