Brakes Pay the Penalty

This was a good performance by a Brakes side needing a tonic after their FA Cup exit on Saturday and the result against a team two steps higher could so easily have gone the other way. Husband scored what was undoubtedly the goal of the game but Brakes missed a penalty and rattled the Banbury woodwork twice whilst the Oxfordshire outfit converted their two spot kicks and scrambled another goal to earn the right to go to Alvechurch in the next round.

Brakes made all the early running forcing two corners and earning a free kick in front of goal in the first five minutes. With Banbury pressed back in defence Husband unleashed a superb 25yd drive that rattled a Banbury post with the ‘keeper well beaten. Pearcey made a reflex save in the 14th, in a rare Banbury attack, but Brakes swept forward once more and a Towers cross was handled in the area in the 29th but Pearson’s spot kick was saved.

Then Brakes got the goal that all their pressure deserved when Husband unleashed another 25yd drive for 1-0 in the 32nd. But Banbury were gradually getting back into the game and equalised in the 39th through Fuller when the captain scored from the spot after James was penalised, 1-1.

Gregory limped off in the 47th with an ankle injury that may well sideline him on Saturday and Banbury took the lead in the 52nd when Baird forced home for 1-2 in a goalmouth melee after a corner. But Brakes went close five minutes later when Banbury’s Bridges and Blossom played off each other and the ball spun off to rattle the Banbury post for a second time.

In the 67th Banbury were 1-3 up when Fuller despatched his second penalty after Cooper was adjudged to have fouled in the area and Brakes were left ruing their miss as Banbury sought to kill the game.

But it was by no means all over as Brakes pressed for a second that may have forced Banbury back on attack and opened up more opportunities, and dominated the last 20 minutes. Husband showed great skill in rounding the Banbury defence in the 75th and whipping in a low cross that just eluded the industrious Pearson and Pearson, in turn, saw two chances blocked in the 81st and 86th.

With Towers going past defenders and whipping in dangerous crosses Brakes used their wings to great effect and looked far more dangerous than they had playing the more direct route at Rocester. It was no disgrace to lose to a team doing well two steps ahead of Brakes and although this was Brakes second defeat this week a result in the match at Romulus on Saturday will put those two defeats in perspective for the season as a whole.

Leamington: James Pearcey; Andy Gregory (Jon Adams 47); Tom James; Adam Cooper; Martin Hier; Morton Titterton [Capt]; Stuart Herlihy (Craig Dutton 80); Jamie Towers; Dave Pearson; Martin Thompson (Josh Blake 72); James Husband
Subs Not Used: Tom Cudworth; Richard Morris

Banbury United: Alan Judge; Stuart Bridges; Daniel Szczukiewicz; Ady Fuller [Capt]; Wayne Blossom; Murray Nicholls (Darren Pond 58); Ollie Stanbridge; George Redknap; Howard Forinton; Andy Baird (Kieran Sullivan 81); Jon Gardner (Tommy Kinch 77)
Subs Not Used: Milan Barisic

Attendance: 476