Sat, 14 Feb 2009 @ The New Windmill Ground. vs Sutton Coldfield Town (0-3). British Gas Business Southern League Midland Division. By P Edwards. After a two week weather enforced break, this was not the return to action that had been hoped for. The wait to get the first defeat of the season out of the system had been a long one, but this game only served to make things worse, leaving most of the 530 present wondering what had happened to the confident Brakes team that had been on such an excellent run. Pessimists may point out that we were due to hit a bad patch sooner or later. It is a test of character to overcome such setbacks, and every ounce will be needed to bounce back from another demoralising home reverse.
Brakes certainly kicked off this fixture looking determined to banish the memory of the Sudbury defeat, and were camped inside the visitors half for the first five minutes or so. Mark Bellingham was almost played in on the left, as the ball was worked up field well from a defensive position by the touchline on the Sheepside, but he couldn't quite work himself into a good enough position to get a shot in. Another shot landed on the roof of the net, and Bellingham sent out another warning, as he lifted a shot over Chris Gemmell that dropped just wide of the left hand upright. Luke Corbett also saw a shot blocked, after James Husband fed the ball through following a corner.
The Royals broke dangerously after Jamie Towers and Adam Cooper were unable to get the ball clear between them, and Sam Wilson stole possession, crossing well for James Quiggin on the far side. Fortunately for Leamington, Guy Sanders was in the way to block the shot at source. Richard Anstiss was then forced to save a low shot, and Jamile Matt hit a shot against his own player when in a good position. The tall front man put himself about well every time his side moved forward, and he turned well to fire a shot into the far corner of the net to put Sutton in front on 17 minutes.
For the remainder of the half, the majority of chances fell to Leamington, but more often than not they were off target. Luke Corbett shot over after making space for himself well on the right hand side, and he was presented with a fine opportunity to level things up when James Husband took on Michael Batchelor on the left and delivered a fine cross on to the head of his team mate, who could only direct it wide from a promising position. Marcus Jackson put in a typically hard working performance, and he got the crowd going when he launched into a couple of challenges, emerging with the ball after losing possession. Jamie Lenton and James Husband combined well to force a corner from this move, from which Jackson picked up the ball just outside the penalty area, and saw his shot just clear the angle of post and bar.
There was a controversial moment before half time, when Mark Bellingham was clearly given a shove in the back to ensure that he did not get on the end of a good cross from Jamie Towers. It was Bellingham who ended up in the back of the net, rather than the ball, and this angered the player and the crowd. It was not the first or the last time that the officials would seemingly miss incidents during the afternoon.
Sutton went close on a couple of occasions towards the end of the first half. A corner from the left whistled past the far post, and Jamile Matt did superbly to rob Adam Cooper on the left, out pace him into the penalty area, and forced Anstiss to save well with his legs. Play switched straight to the other end, and Corbett, inadvertently set up James Husband as the ball flicked off his heel. The left winger advanced, and smashed a swerving shot inches over the bar.
Any remaining hope that Brakes could produce a second half performance to rival that of the Sudbury game was wiped out in the first fifteen minutes or so of the restart. An early warning was not heeded when Jake Murrall scooped a shot over the bar from inside the area, and on 49 minutes Junior Brown weaved his way through a static defence and slipped a pass through for James Quiggin, who flicked his shot over Anstiss to put Sutton two goals to the good.
Leamington looked to have good reason to question another decision, or lack of one, from the officials, shortly after the second goal, when a corner from the right looked to have crossed the goal line at the far post. Certainly the cries of disbelief from those closest to the goal, indicated that the ball had gone over, but this was a further sign that it was not going to be our day, and there were more to come. Martin Hier was unfortunately credited with the third goal, which arrived on 61 minutes, so he must have got something on a shot from way out on the left, after Anstiss had tried unsuccessfully to clear a through ball, and was left stranded as it was sent back towards his goal.
Mykel Beckley had been introduced to try and help Brakes get a foothold in the game, but he could not help break his former team mates down. Phil Male was booked for hacking Beckley down, outside the area, but Gemmell watched the resulting free kick from Guy Sanders go harmlessly wide. Richard Anstiss then saved his side from further embarrassment, coming off his line well to steal the ball from the feet of Quiggin as he bore in on goal after being sent clear, with Sanders desparately chasing back to cover.
It was evident that Leamington were going to get nothing from this game, when Mark Bellingham was played through, Beckley to his right, with only Chris Gemmell to beat, and the keeper did brilliantly to get down to his shot. Usually Bello puts away these sort of chances with ease, but he was well marshalled during this game, and looked as frustrated as everybody else as Josh Blake was thrown on in his place to try and salvage something. Sutton were content to sit and wait to take the ball away from Leamington as they tried to find a way through. Liam Reynolds shot was not far wide following a corner, but this was about as close as Brakes got to getting a consolation goal. Virtually every ball that was played in was claimed by Gemmell, who dominated his penalty area. He was perhaps a little fortunate not to be sent off for clattering into Beckley just outside the box, but it would have had little effect on the result, as the points were already safe. Leamington looked a shadow of the side that had built up such a commanding advantage at the top of the Midland Division, and it is to be hoped that the alarming results of the past two games can be reversed when Aylesbury United visit the NWG on Tuesday night, with the gap to the chasing pack beginning to narrow.
Leamington: Richard Anstiss, Jamie Towers, Adam Cooper, Guy Sanders [C], Marcus Jackson (Stuart Herlihy, 76), Liam Reynolds, Jamie Lenton (Mykel Beckley, 55), Luke Corbett, Mark Bellingham (Josh Blake, 78), James Husband.
Subs not used: Ryan Parisi, Richard Softley.
Sutton Coldfield Town: Chris Gemmell, Michael Batchelor, Sam Wilson, Phillip Male [C], Edward Booth, Adam Hughes (Chris Milner, 37), Craig Owen, Jake Murrall, Jamile Matt (Neil Davis, 65), Junior Brown, James Quiggin.
Subs not used: Aaron Farrell, Alexander Roolf, Andrew Ling.