Brakes stroll to victory on another balmy night at the NWG

Brakes consolidated their position at the top of the Polymac Services MFA with a workmanlike win against a Cradley Town side that has secured only two points so far this season.

From the kick-off, it looked like the visitors would be in for a torrid time as Ben Mackey broke through the defence to create a scoring chance in only the third minute. Cradley cleared the danger, but Mackey threatened again on 7 minutes and, from the resultant corner, Jamie Towers sent the ball deep into the goal area where the returning Andy Gregory was on hand to powerfully head home (1-0).

The lead was soon doubled as, in the 13th minute, the rejuvenated Martin Thompson made a fine solo run to put the ball low into the corner beyond the outstretched hand of 'keeper James Poulton.(2-0).

Towers almost made it three when heading just wide from a Josh Blake cross on 15 minutes and Thompson could have scored his second, but shot straight at Poulton after good work by Jon Adams.

Poulton was again in the thick of the action, pushing a long-range shot from Adams around the post and the excellent Aaron Hamilton cut out a dangerous cross from Towers.

Mackey could have done better on 40 minutes, but his shot from close-in lacked power and, with the interval approaching, Adams just failed to connect with a superb defence-splitting cross from Josh Blake.

The match was effectively all over within two minutes of the restart. Blake put the ball out to Adams on the right and was on hand to meet his cross and head home to make it 3-0.

Stuart Herlihy almost scored after Poulton failed to gather on 57 minutes and Thompson had the best chance of all to add to Brakes tally right at the end, missing from close range after substitutes Dave Pearson and James Husband had combined well.

Thompson's tussles with Hamilton were good entertainment throughout what was a clean match (only Carl Martin was booked for a foul on Husband) and Cradley made sure that they didn't lose possession too much by passing back to Poulton at every opportunity.

Brakes have a rest from league action until the 23rd, but the every-dangerous Romulus will provide sterner opposition than they have met so far.

Technical Advisor, Keith Orme, summed it all up as "comfortable." He added "we did enough to win, but a lot of chances to improve our goal difference which we failed to take. Having said that, Richard (Morris) only had one save to make and we are still picking up points which is the name of the game."

There was a minute's silence before the match in memory of 27-year-old Hinckley United player Matt Gadsby who tragically died during his club's fixture at Harrogate on Saturday

Leamington Richard Morris; Jamie Towers; Tom Cudworth (Martin Hier 73); Adam Cooper; Andy Gregory; Craig Dutton [Capt.]; Stuart Herlihy; Jon Adams; Martin Thompson; Ben Mackey (Dave Pearson 63); Josh Blake (James Husband 57)
Subs Not Used: Adam Knight; Jason Pearcey

Cradley Town James Poulton; Mark Clements (Geoff Clarke 52); Luke Bradley; Aaron Hamilton; Richard Monkton; Daniel Thompson (Tom Jennings 60); Andrew Yapp [Capt.]; Andrew Crowther; Andrew Wright; Lee White; Carl Martin
Sub Not Used: Paul Maynard

Attendance 440

Author's Man of the Match Martin Thompson