Brakes bounce back in impressive style

Brakes returned to winning ways with a vengeance, warming up for the forthcoming clash with Retford United with a four goal blitz at Quorn.

With Martin Thompson out through suspension, Josh Blake partnered Ben Mackey up front and looked much the player of old as he scored a goal in each half to set up this fine Brakes win. The returning James Husband on the left and Jamie Towers on the right gave the team width and attacking options that seemed to have been missing in recent outings. Added to this, the back three of Adrian Fuller, Adam Knight and Martin Hier all put in solid performances to ensure that Quorn never got back into contention after going behind.

It could have been different in the first twenty-five minutes as Nigel Julien and Adam Layfield created good opportunities down the Quorn flanks and former Racing Club Warwick striker Jermaine Gordon gave Knight a testing time. However, for all their possession, Quorn never really threatened and, apart from a save from Adam Wigley on 12 minutes, Jason Pearcey in the Brakes goal was not really called into action.

Quorn's goalkeeper, Daniel Haystead, had shown signs of nervousness in the increasingly difficult conditions, catching an inswinging Towers corner at the second attempt on 22 minutes. However, he was well positioned to hold a Towers header from a Hier free-kick shortly afterwards and raced from his goal to deny Blake who had been put through by a superb Mackey pass that split the Quorn defence.

The breakthrough came on 34 minutes when Towers put a shot onto the crossbar and the ball fell to Craig Dutton whose effort was blocked but Jon Adams pounced at the foot of the post to stab the ball home. This will, hopefully be just the boost that the talented midfielder needs in what has been a bit of a disjointed season compared to last year when he played in every competitive match.

Morton Titterton was booked shortly afterwards and Quorn were forced to make a substitution when Gavin O'Toole went off injured.

Towers was again involved in Brakes second when Haystead dropped his 41st minute inswinging corner from the left and Josh Blake was on hand to put the ball way for a 2-0 lead. Haystead did well to get down and thwart Blake when a third looked very much on the cards and Brakes went in at half-time looking comfortable.

The rain that had started in earnest just before the match continued to come down into the second half and, with Vijinda Sidhu coming on immediately for Ryan North, it was clear that Quorn manager Marcus Law was looking for an early impact. However, it was Brakes that got the vital goal when, on 48 minutes, Mackey received the ball from a throw-in down the left and his flick-on to Blake was put away crisply for the third.

Husband was instrumental in the fourth, sending over a cross from the left in the 57th minute which Haystead palmed away only for the ball to fall to Ben Mackey whose thunderous shot put the seal on a good Brakes performance. Mackey was denied a second by a good tackle from Rory Squire before being replaced by Dave Pearson. As usual, Pearson proved a handful from the start and Squire was booked for a foul in the 75th minute.

Haystead raced out of his penalty area to thwart Blake after good work by Knight and Adams before Paul White had a golden opportunity for a consolation goal right at the end, but put his shot wide of the post with only Pearcey to beat.

Manager Jason Cadden was playing his cards close to the chest over Saturday's line-up although, to this observer, tonight's team had the right balance and blend to do well against any opposition. Understandably, Cadden was pleased with his side's emphatic win describing it as "our best away performance of the season." He added "It was important that we got a positive result here and showed a desire to win. We took our chances well and are back on track and full of confidence for Saturday."

Quorn Daniel Haystead; Nicholas Green; Adam Wigley; Stuart Hamilton [Capt.]; Rory Squire; Gavin O'Toole (Liam Hopkins 38); Nigel Julien; Ryan North (Vijinda Sidhu 46); Jermaine Gordon (Jamie Clarke 67); Paul White; Adam Layfield
Subs Not Used Liam Turner; Craig Jones

Leamington Jason Pearcey; Jamie Towers (Tom James 75); Adrian Fuller; Adam Knight; Martin Hier; Morton Titterton (Stuart Herlihy 51); Craig Dutton [Capt.]; Jon Adams; Ben Mackey (Dave Pearson 62); Josh Blake; James Husband
Subs Not Used Andy Gregory; Adam Cooper

Attendance 217

Author's Man of the Match Josh Blake