Sat, 15 Nov 2008 @ The New Windmill Ground. vs Barton Rovers (4-1). British Gas Business Southern League Midland Division. By P Edwards.
Brakes made a welcome return to action at the New Windmill after a break of six weeks, and it was a very satisfactory homecoming, as Jason Cadden's men bounced back from the disappointment of dropping their first points of the season the previous Saturday to record what turned out to be a comprehensive victory over a dogged Barton Rovers side, thanks in no small part to the predatory instincts of Mark Bellingham. The prolific frontman is now averaging practically a goal a game, and is displaying the sort of form that has made him one of the most feared strikers in the Midlands.
Inevitably there were changes from the starting line up at Chasetown on Tuesday, and in the absence of James Husband, who injured his ankle in training, Jamie Lenton made his league debut.
Leamington started the game strongly, Liam Reynolds finding Mykel Beckley on the right with a lovely ball, and Beckley's low cross saw Bellingham and Dean Buss meet at the near post to challenge for the ball. Bellingham got something on it, and as the ball rolled towards goal, Nathan Liburd got back just in time to smuggle it out for a corner. It was clear that the Brakes number 10 was hungry for goals, and Jai Stanley's curled pass around the chasing defenders looked to have put him in the clear, but Paul Andrews timed his tackle superbly to block the shot. Barton thought that they had opened the scoring, but not for the first time this afternoon, the offside flag was raised to mute their celebrations.
Jamie Lenton had a solid debut, and his cross to Jamie Towers at the back post was a good one, but Towers was unable to get enough purchase on his header to trouble keeper Martyn Patching in the Barton goal. Patching was beaten in the next attack, when Marcus Jackson emerged from a clutch of defenders on the edge of the area with the ball. He struck his shot well enough, across the keeper towards the far corner, but the ball cannoned back off the upright.
Somewhat against the run of play, the visitors took the lead on twenty one minutes. Alex O'Brien's shot from the edge of the box was well struck, and it flashed past Richard Morris at his near post and into the net. Shortly afterwards Stuart Deaton almost doubled the advantage, but was off target with his header at the back post following a corner. This setback rattled Leamington for a short period, but they battled their way back into the game. Jamie Towers did superbly well to get a cross in from the right, despite the attentions of covering defenders, and Jamie Lenton was hurried into his shot at the far post, and put it over the bar. There was another scare when Guy Sanders and Ashley Harewood rose to meet a cross in the Leamington area, as Sanders looked to get the final touch, but Morris was alert, and saved well.
The equalising goal arrived on thirty seven minutes. Adam Cooper chipped the ball towards Bellingham in the area, and the knock down was perfect for Jai Stanley to crack in a fizzing drive that shot past Patching at his near post before he had seen it.
Marcus Jackson was cautioned as Barton went forward, presumably for disagreeing with a decision to award a throw in to the opposition. Some of the decisions for both sides during the afternoon were questionable, and there was a controversial incident before half time. As Brakes attacked, Bellingham skipped past two defenders and smashed in a shot that Patching could only parry out to Mykel Beckley, who had raced in from the wing, and he clipped the ball over the grounded keeper and into the net, only for the linesman to then raise his flag for offside. It was fortunate for Leamington that this decision did not turn out to affect the outcome of the game.
It took just five minutes of the second half for the pressure to tell, as Mark Bellingham wriggled clear of his over zealous marker to loop a fantastic shot over a stranded Patching, into the net. Barton responded, and Harewood perhaps should have drawn his side level, but somehow stabbed his close range effort narrowly past the left hand post, with Morris quick to narrow his angles. They were made to pay for that miss on fifty six miuntes, when Bellingham pounced on a poor ball back towards the Barton goal, raced clear, took the ball past Patching and slotted home.
At this stage, Leamington were carving their visitors open at will, and Luke Corbett was unfortunate not to mark his appearance from the bench with a goal or two, firing agonisingly wide of both posts within a couple of minutes, thanks to some good build up play with fellow sub Josh Blake, and Bellingham.
'Bello' grabbed his hat trick goal with nine minutes remaining, steering home a Jamie Towers cross from close range, and he could have added to his tally, forcing Patching to get down well at his near post to save another shot, and only just being beaten to a cross from Corbett by the Barton stopper.
With the chasing pack all picking up victories, it was imperative for Leamington to get back to winning ways, and they certainly did that. Atherstone Town have the chance to overhaul Brakes at the top of the table on Tuesday night, as while we are hosting Bromsgrove Rovers in the Birmingham Senior Cup, the Adders are at home to Rothwell Town, and can go a point clear with a victory. The top of the table clash at the New Windmill in two weeks time is shaping up to be a tasty one.
Leamington: Richard Morris, Jamie Towers, Martin Hier, Adam Cooper, Guy Sanders [C], Marcus Jackson, Liam Reynolds, Jai Stanley (Luke Corbett, 61), Mykel Beckley (Josh Blake, 67), Mark Bellingham, Jamie Lenton (Ryan Parisi, 73).
Subs not used: Stuart Herlihy, Richard Anstiss.
Barton Rovers: Martyn Patching [C], Nathan Liburd, Stuart Deaton, Stuart Beevor, Dean Buss, Paul Andrews, Ryan Robb, Ross Hanley, Alex O'Brien, Josh Sozzo, Ashley Harewood (Ben Hiney, 72).
Subs not used: Matt Edge, Phil Feakes, Michael Caldwell, Michael Parkin.