Sat, 20 Oct 2007 @ The New Windmill Ground. vs Banbury United (2-0). FA Carlsberg Trophy First Qualifying Round. By D Hucker. This match gave Brakes the perfect opportunity to show how far they had come since being promoted to the British Gas Business Football League and, whilst the opening 25 minutes were a bit scrappy with neither side really threatening, the longer the match went on, the more they asserted their superiority.
Visiting 'keeper, Andy Wheeler, made a number of good saves to deny the home side, but he was powerless to stop Ben Mackey's strike on 38 minutes. Josh Blake's shot had come back off a defender and Mackey picked up the loose ball to drill a low shot into the corner. With half-time approaching, Wheeler got down well to save from the excellent Russell Dunkley, but Leamington were good value for their interval lead.
Within three minutes of the re-start, Blake, Dunkley and Mackey combined to set up the chance for a second, but former Brakes player, Ady Fuller, cleared the danger with a timely tackle. However, Mackey was not to be denied and, two minutes later doubled the advantage, picking up Dunkley's precision pass and giving Wheeler no chance. Two more shots from Mackey sailed just over the Banbury crossbar as Brakes pressed to add to their tally. Blake found the side netting and then, with fifteen minutes to go, Wheeler thwarted Mackey again with a good save.
Martin Thompson, Liam Reynolds and Richard Adams combined superbly with seven minutes to go, but Thompson's shot flashed across the face of the goal with nobody placed to follow-up.
With the defence again outstanding, Richard Morris in the home goal had little to do throughout the 90 minutes and Leamington were able to play well within themselves to see out time and record a convincing win over their Premier Division neighbours.
Dunkley (picked by Paul Vanes for the Non-League Paper report) and defender Adam Cooper were both candidates for the man of the match award, but former Sky Blue Mackey got my vote for two superb strikes.
Assistant Manager, Darran Tank, was understandably pleased, saying "we were strict at the back and bossed the game. Our one-touch football really flowed, especially in the second half, and was a follow-on from the superb performance at Barton Rovers on Tuesday. We are going well and need to keep up the momentum in the weeks ahead."
Brakes Richard Morris, Marcus Jackson, Arron Parkinson [Capt.], Adam Cooper, Ryan Parisi, Stuart Herlihy, Liam Reynolds, Ben Mackey (Martin Thompson 75), Josh Blake, Russell Dunkley (Richard Adams 79), James Husband
Subs Not Used: Craig Dutton, Avun Jephcott, Chris Gibson (GK)
Banbury United Andy Wheeler, Lewis Travers, Tommy Kinch, Mark Essex, Ben Milner [Capt.], Ady Fuller, Darren Beckett (Mike Feely 63), Stuart Bridges, Troy Bryan (Murray Nicholls 66), Matt Murphy, Sammy Ibrahim (Matt Goodrick 54),
Subs Not Used: Kieran Sullivan, Joe Murell {GK}