More Mackey magic brings the Wembley arch into sight

In a season that just gets better and better, Brakes set another club record, advancing to the fifth round of the FA Carlsberg Vase for the first time with a convincing win over their Wiltshire visitors.

The recent wet weather had left its mark on the pitch, but it was the wind that caused the most problems for the players, gusting from end to end. However, this is did not stop a massive crowd of 1,045 making the trip to the New Windmill Ground, the third highest since Brakes came back from the dead in the 2000/01 season.

Brakes have now welcomed 11,039 people to their Harbury Lane ground for league and cup matches this season and, as is now the custom, presented a memento to the 10,000th spectator through the gates. Birmingham County FA Chairman, Roger Wood, greeted Graham Thompson from Bexleyheath who has now added this piece of rural Warwickshire to his collection of over 600 non-league grounds visited.

Hero of the hour was striker Ben Mackey, whose goals either side of half-time had set up the victory, before being substituted in favour of Dave Pearson. However, Brakes had done their best to give Bemerton hope when Jamie Towers bundled over Matt Baker on the stroke of half-time to concede a penalty, converted at the second attempt. It wasn't until Martin Thompson stretched the lead to 3-1 in the 78th minute, that Brakes stamped their authority on a match that could have gone either way and Pearson put the result beyond doubt with five minutes remaining to send everyone home happy and looking forward to the draw which will see the Leamington side only three matches from the final at the new Wembley.

Brakes had started well enough with Bemerton looking wide open to the through ball down the middle. Thompson was proving a handful for defender Paul Lucas and Mackey was using his pace to run at goal. Jamie Towers was at the heart of all the Brakes attacks down the right and the former Coventry Sphinx and Marconi player is slowly, but surely, winning over the New Windmill faithful.

It was Ben Mackey who gave Brakes the lead when collecting a poor goal kick from Darren Crowfoot in the 22nd minute and rounding two defenders to rifle an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner of the net (1-0). Mackey almost made it two in the 36th when latching onto a Tom Bates pass and beating three defenders this time before seeing his shot blocked.

With half-time approaching, Bemerton striker Paul Palmer went off with a head injury to be replaced by Joe Sanger. Then, in a rare attack by the visitors, Towers brought down Matt Baker and Jack Slade stepped up to take the resultant penalty. The experienced Jason Pearcey, preferred as in the last round to Richard Morris in goal, read the kick perfectly blocking Slade's strike but, with his first kick of the game, Sanger was quickest to the rebound to level the scores at 1-1.

The pendulum swung back Brakes way on 52 minutes when Bates fed Mackey down the left and he cut in to send an unstoppable shot in off the left-hand post to make it 2-1. Any hopes of a comeback by Bemerton were dashed in the 78th minute when Martin Thompson latched onto a good through ball to put his shot under Crowfoot's body for Brakes' third.

The dependable Adam Knight denied the visitors what seemed a certain goal when clearing off the line with nine minutes remaining. However, the excellent Pearson drove the final nail into Bemerton's coffin, finishing off a move that involved Bates and the industrious Josh Blake to put the ball past Crowfoot to seal victory at 4-1.

Prior to the match, cheques were presented to the Side by Side Theatre and the Young Housing Project, earnt from the FA Community Shield which Brakes shared in through reaching the First Round Proper in the FA Cup last season.

Assistant Manager, Darran Tank was pleased with the result, but admitted that it was not a classic Brakes performance. He said "we didn't do well in the first half, conceding a sloppy goal just before half-time. Whilst Jason (Pearcey) did well to save the penalty, everyone else just stood around and watched the rebound go in. There were some harsh words said in the interval and the team came out after the break determined to have a go and win the game. All four finishes were top notch and we are just happy to be in the next round. However, we know that we need to do more to go even further in the competition."

Leamington Jason Pearcey; Jamie Towers; Adrian Fuller; Adam Knight; Adam Cooper; Craig Dutton [Capt.]; Stuart Herlihy; Tom Bates (Andy Gregory 90); Ben Mackey (Dave Pearson 78); Martin Thompson (Tom James 87); Josh Blake
Subs Not Used Tom Cudworth; Richard Morris

Bemerton Heath Harlequins Darren Crowfoot; Mark Keogh; Paul Copping (Matt Burke 68); Paul Lucas; Darren Harding; Graham Mankin; Nathan Renyard; Carl Jones [Capt.]; Paul Palmer (Joe Sanger 42); Jack Slade (Matt Smith 52); Matt Baker
Subs Not Used Nick Turpin; Sam Parker

Author's Man of the Match Ben Mackey

Photographs from the match here»

Match Sponsor:	2 bods
Match Ball Sponsor:	Cubbington General Store
Mascots:	Canavan Byrne, 9 years old and plays for Leamington Brakes U10s, and Connor Byrne, 6 and plays for Leamington Brakes U8s, they both attend St Peters school in Leamington.