Awesome Brakes in flawless display

Brakes destroyed their visitors from Nottinghamshire with an impressive performance to comfortably move into round 3 of the FA Carlsberg Vase in front of a New Windmill crowd of 630.

With Tom Bates out with a foot injury picked up in the previous week's match, James Husband returned on the left side of attack and Jamie Towers came in at right wing-back for the rested Jon Adams who had been doing duty with the England Futsal team. The only other change in the starting line-up saw Morton Titterton replace Craig Dutton, although injury was to force the Brakes' skipper to leave the field before half-time.

Brakes attacked from the kick-off, playing towards the North Bank and Andy Gregory's shot rebounded off a defender into the path of Josh Blake who drew a good save from visiting 'keeper, Leigh Walker. Blake was in hand again in the sixth minute to pick up on a James Husband shot that also came back off a defender, but his effort was scrambled clear for a corner. Walker was in the thick of the action on 14 minutes, pushing a Ben Mackey shot away after good work by Scott Darroch and Blake.

However, the Sutton 'keeper was beaten in the 16th minute when Husband's inswinging corner from the right wasn't cleared and Jamie Towers was on hand at the far post to open his account for Brakes (1-0).

Darroch went close to doubling the lead on 22 minutes, firing just over the bar and the Brakes striker could have done better with his effort on 31 minutes, but his shot was easily saved by Walker. Darroch then found himself in the referee's notebook with ten minutes of the half remaining and both sides cancelled each other out in the remaining period with little goalmouth activity to warm the fans' hands as the sun went down.

Blake was again a threat as the second half got underway, coming close to scoring after turning and shooting virtually from the re-start. However. a second goal was not long in coming and the referee waived play on after Darroch was fouled leaving Ben Mackey with a chance on goal in the 47th minute which he converted with aplomb for his tenth goal of the season (2-0).

Towers tried to add to his tally, going close almost immediately after, but it was that man Mackey again who got Brakes third on 59 minutes, picking up a superb pass from Dutton and rifling the ball under Walker (3-0).

The scoring wasn't over just yet and, when Martin Thompson had been fouled just outside the penalty area after picking up and turning on another precision Dutton pass, Jamie Towers thumped the free-kick past Walker for his second and Brakes fourth.

Dave Robinson was sent off in the last minute for a second bookable offence leaving Sutton to finish the match with ten men and Blake almost made it five in injury time, but Walker kept the ball out with his legs.

For Brakes, Andy Gregory was outstanding in defence and Stuart Herlihy commanded the midfield. Ben Mackey showed again just how lethal he is in front of goal but, for scoring twice and proving the doubters wrong, Jamie Towers gets my vote as Man of the Match.

Technical Advisor, Keith Orme, summed it all up, saying "This was one of our best performances of the season so far. It was a real team effort and everyone played their part. We scored some super goals and Ben Mackey's strike just after half-time was the killer blow. All our supporters will have enjoyed the afternoon just as much as the team did."

Leamington Jason Pearcey; Jamie Towers; Tom Cudworth; Adam Knight; Andy Gregory; Morton Titterton [Capt.] (Craig Dutton 42); Stuart Herlihy; Josh Blake; Ben Mackey (Dave Pearson 71); Scott Darroch (Martin Thompson 68); James Husband
Subs Not Used Adam Cooper; Richard Morris

Sutton Town Leigh Walker; Simon Dakin (Darren Grocutt 74); Jamie March; Matt Varley [Capt.]; Dave Robinson; David Davis; Jason Blunt; James Whitehead (Phil Bignall 52); Craig Mitchell; Damian Magee (Richard Smith 63); Matthew Fisher
Subs Not Used Lee Soar; Lee Wilson

Attendance 630

Author's Man of the Match Jamie Towers

Photographs from the match here»