Sat, 21 Mar 2009 @ The New Windmill Ground. vs Woodford United (7-1). British Gas Business Southern League Midland Division. By P Edwards.
On a near perfect spring afternoon at the New Windmill Ground, Brakes cruised past a Woodford United side that contained seven of our former players. Neil Stacey was also present, but did not play, and again there was no sign of Leon Morgan. There had been suggestions that Darran Tank was no longer in charge, but with Ady Fuller on the pitch, he took his place in the away dug out. The only change to the Leamington side that had started at Barton the previous week was Liam Reynolds returning in place of Chris Murphy, who dropped to the bench.
The visitors were first to show up in attack, but Martin Crawford hooked a shot well wide following a free kick by Fuller. There were no clear cut efforts for either side before Brakes took the lead in bizarre circumstances on 9 minutes. Jai Stanley lifted a free kick into the penalty area from way out on the left touchline. The ball bypassed everyone, and dropped over the head of keeper Joe Pursell and into the net. The same player so nearly made it two moments later, when he stole into the area unnoticed, to head a cross from Luke Corbett narrowly over the bar.
Former favourite Richard Adams was substituted after 22 minutes having taken a knock, but he was also apparently suffering from the effects of flu. Arron Parkinson was making his return to the NWG after leaving at the end of last season, and it was clear early on that he he was becoming frustrated with the amount of defending he was having to do. When Luke Corbett exchanged passes with Mark Bellingham and charged towards the area, he was checked by a late lunge from Parkinson, but kept his footing before shooting wide. Play was bought back for a free kick, however, and the Woodford skipper was booked. He almost channelled his frustration into something positive for his team when he collected a half cleared cross on the right hand side, firing the ball back in for another ex Brakes player, Tom Fountain, to head wide.
Woodford were seeing a lot of the ball at this stage, and Chris Kiely produced a fine save to keep his team in front, reacting well to a close range header from Crawford to push the ball over the bar. He got down well to claim a shot from Fountain, shortly afterwards, and then claimed a free kick that was played in from the right by Fuller. He was also forced to punch clear a corner kick, as the visitors enjoyed what was probably their best spell of the game. Leamington had not created any real chances on goal up to this point, but were playing the better football, and with Marcus Jackson and James Husband buzzing around on the wings, and Stuart Herlihy as industrious as ever in midfield, they were always likely to create something. Husband had shot wide after swapping passes with Mark Bellingham, but a minute before half time he finally found his range, to devastating effect. He linked up well with Corbett just outside the penalty area, before lashing a fierce shot through the ever decreasing gap between the diving Joe Pursell and his near post. The goal would have been missed by all those who had decided that nothing else was going to happen before half time, and retired to the clubhouse. They missed a cracker.
The first chance of the second half fell to Stuart Herlihy, and he was unfortunate not to score as his powerful header from Jai Stanley's cross zipped just over. Woodford were almost gifted a route back into the game when Chris Kiely appeared to come off his line to claim a cross, but for some reason he did not get to the ball, and Jason Ramsey took possession, turned, and cracked his shot against the underside of the crossbar. There were no protests from those in red, so the ball must have bounced away from goal.
Karl Fellows was bought down 25 yards or so from goal, and curled in a good free kick that was held well by Kiely, before James Husband had another sight of goal, but his shot was saved by Pursell.
Three substitutions mid-way through the second half reaped dividends for Leamington, as they began to pile more pressure on the beleaguered Woodford defence. Mykel Beckley was first to appear, and he finally put in the kind of performance that we know he can. He has been eased back into the action after suffering with injury for much of the season, but he played a big part in the last half an hour of this game, and grabbed the third goal on 64 minutes, which will do his confidence the world of good. Bellingham laid the ball off to Husband on the left, and his pinpoint cross was met by the head of Beckley inside the six yard box, and he nodded it back past Pursell before wheeling away in delight. Moments after this he was unlucky not to grab a second, and his shot from another pass by Husband struck the top of the crossbar.
Josh Blake had taken a bit of light hearted stick from the supporters at Barton the previous week, when he took to the field in an eye catching pair of lime green boots, but they were applauding after he capped off a fine move with a finish reminiscent of his goal grabbing days back in the Midland Combination. Mark Bellingham went to ground as took on a pass just outside the penalty area on the right, but Marcus Jackson showed great perseverance to win back possession and cross to the far side. James Husband lifted the ball back across, and there was Blake to hook a super effort over his head and past the despairing Pursell into the net.
Guy Sanders saw a shot blocked following a Martin Hier free kick out of defence, as Brakes went in search of more goals, but it was Woodford who threatened next. David Care forced Kiely into another fine diving save as he lifted a header towards goal, and from the resulting corner the ball was somehow forced over the line by Josh Urqhuart. Kiely was then forced to punch the ball clear again, but that was as much as we saw of the visitors as an attacking force, as Brakes made them pay, in an astonishing final ten minutes.
Arron Parkinson's torrid afternoon nearly came to an embarrassing conclusion when his header back to his own keeper nearly ended up in the net, but he was to suffer the worst possible fate against his old team before the afternoon was over. Josh Blake played Mykel Beckley in as he was challenged, but Pursell was down smartly to block.
Mark Bellingham had been having a quiet afternoon in terms of goal scoring chances, but it is a measure of just how good a player this man is, that he somehow managed to bag yet another hat trick, in the final six minutes of this game. The first was a trademark predator's goal, pouncing on a loose ball on the edge of the area to slam it past Pursell. Brakes were rampant now, and four minutes later, they were awarded a penalty. Parkinson handled as he fell to the ground, and despite the protestations from the player and the crowd, he was sent off. Bellingham stepped up to confidently dispatch the spot kick.
Incredibly, there was still time for the Midland Division's top scorer to grab another goal. Adam Cooper picked up a clearance, and lofted the ball back towards the penalty area. Mykel Beckley was on hand at the back post to nod the ball down, and Bellingham was almost grounded as he slammed the ball into the net. With this hat trick he has broken the record set by Richard Adams back in 2004/05 for the most goals scored in a season by a Brakes player (38). At a higher level, and with seven games still to play, this is not a feat to be sniffed at. Well done that man.
There was so nearly an eighth goal for the ecstatic fans on the North Bank to cheer, as Beckley played Blake in for a shot inside the box, but he was challenged at the last. To expect another goal was perhaps a little greedy, but those who witnessed today's performance will certainly take great heart from it, and hopefully it will fill the team with the confidence to travel to Sheepy Road next Saturday and take the points which would represent another step towards promotion. Make sure you get up to Atherstone. It's going to be a cracker!
Leamington: Chris Kiely, Marcus Jackson, Martin Hier, Adam Cooper, Guy Sanders [C], Liam Reynolds (Josh Blake, 72), Stuart Herlihy, Jai Stanley (Chris Murphy, 61), Luke Corbett (Mykel Beckley, 56), Mark Bellingham, James Husband.
Subs not used: Ryan Parisi, Richard Anstiss.
Woodford United: Joe Pursell, Josh Urqhuart, Jamie Coleman, David Care, Ady Fuller (Andy Baker, 88), Tom Fountain, Arron Parkinson, Karl Fellows, Richard Adams (Ellis Alleyne, 22), Jason Ramsey, Martin Crawford.