Young Brakes At the Double

Gornal were looking for three points to climb out of a relegation position at the expense of Brakes but they were unsettled from the start by Brakes quick forwards and sturdy defending. McCarthy forced a corner in the 9th and Brakes took a deserved lead when the lanky Lockyer headed home a James free kick for 1-0 in the 19th.

Some good goalkeeping and desperate clearances restricted Brakes to the narrowest of half-time leads but soon after the break James, playing a more attacking role, made it 2-0 in the 47th fastening on to a perfect Rellis cross to control the ball superbly and drive it home.

McCarthy was again unlucky in the 61st but Gornal came back with their only period of sustained pressure ending with an excellent shot into the top, right corner for 2-1 in the 71st. Now Brakes really turned on the magic with flowing football and passing movements that took them time and again into the danger area.

Rellis deserved better in the 72nd after a great run where he dribbled past two or three defenders before his shot was blocked by the increasingly active Gornal ‘keeper and new signing, Gordon ran brilliantly down the right two minutes later, finishing with a superb chip which would have been the goal of the season if he hadn’t been just thwarted by the busy Wood.

Deas came on for the tiring Rellis and, almost immediately, turned the ball round the prone ‘keeper only to see Wood recover to make one of a string of superb saves as he pulled the trigger. But Gornal never looked like doing other than holding on and the match ended with Brakes striving for the extra goals that would have better reflected a game where they showed no little skill and, most pleasingly, plenty of commitment.

With four Leamington matches in six days (two youth and two senior), and with the seniors at Malvern the next day, an excellent crowd of 96 on a very wet evening is further proof, if any is needed, that this is now a very good Brakes’ side well worth watching.

Leamington Youth: Dylan Russell; James Footman; Tom James [Capt]; Luke Walker; James Lockyer; Barry Hobbins; Mike Ellis; Ashley Powell (Mark Griffin 46); Sean McCarthy; Sean Rellis (Mike Deas 78); Henry Jordan (Andy Gordon 62)
Subs Not Used: Vinny Thiara; Luke Streeter

Gornal Athletic Youth From: Jamie Wood; Bobby Mason; Mike Robertson; Andy Parsons; Joel Wood; Eddie De Saulles; Matt Simmons; Theo Facey; Harry Commander; Ryan Nash; Richard Esp; Craig Stevens; Dave Cartwright; Harris Day Bradley

Players’ News: Tom Heath is likely to miss several games because of a groin strain that has been limiting his movement for some time. Ashley Powell went off with a strain, prognosis unknown, and ‘keeper Russell is playing with a pull, again not sure how bad.

Other News: Some games, postponed earlier in the season, have been rescheduled into March. The “next” match at Hednesford is now postponed because of Hednesford’s cup duties and w/b 30 January is currently free because the Castle Vale game was moved to last week. So the next game is Hinckley United away on 8 February but watch out in case a previously postponed match is rearranged, or a friendly, to avoid a three week hiatus.

Attendance 96