Saturday 31 October 2015

Brakes play football to win 6-1

In a complete contrast with Tuesday night, Brakes played football this afternoon to beat Barwell 6-1 in the FA Trophy. A hot line had been set up with air traffic control, but it soon proved unnecessary as Leamington start to play the ball along the ground with neat passing movements. Admittedly, Barwell's defence was not up to the standard of Redditch but, as they say, you have to play whoever is in front of you.

Barwell looked threatening in the opening exchanges. They won an early corner and continued to apply pressure as they sought an early goal. Brakes were forced back and some resolute defending was called for. It was Ben Mackey who showed what Leamington were capable of with a run which put him one on one with the keeper, but Barwell's experienced Liam Castle was able to claim the ball.

Then a good pass set up my sponsored player Lee Chilton in the left and he was able to provide the cross for Jack Edwards who scored a good goal to make it 1-0. Some more defending was then called for from Leamington. Barwell suffered a setback when injured Eddie Niscevic had to be replaced by Liam Kay.

On 29 minutes the keeper punched the ball out under pressure but Lee Chilton was there to pounce and make it 2-0. Then on 35 minutes Big Ben made it 3-0 for the Brakes. One time Leamington player Jamie Towers got a yellow card for a foul on James Fry.

Immediately after half time Barwell withdrew Cameron Powell and brought on one time Sky Blues bright hope Iyseden Christie, who also played at Mansfield. Brakes took off the returning Connor Gudger and brought on Rob Ogleby.

In the second half Brakes seemed to step off the gas a little and calls for the 'old five' sounded a little forlorn. Barwell suffered another blow when Alex Tomlinson was injured and Brady Hickey had to be brought on.

Ben Mackey made it 4-0 with a brilliant goal from a tight angle. Joe Magunda came off and was replaced by Jamie Tank. This gave Barwell captain and charm merchant Richard Lavery to have a go at the linesman on the stand side who wore shades throughout.

On 75 minutes Barwell scored their consolation through Anthony Carney after good work on the wing. Ben Mackey was taken off to warm applause and chanting and replaced by Will Green. A good run by Jack Edwards then enabled Lee Chilton to score and provide the old five. Will Green burst through to make it 6-1. Let's hope we can continue to play football on Tuesday.

I was pleased to see two visiting dogs and a very witty interview from our very own Jack the Dog in the programme. Attendance was 291. For once, Leamington decided to play to win a cup.

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Hoof and hope

Midweek games under the lights sometimes determine the outcome of a season. Tonight 471 fans plus a dog wearing a black and gold scarf saw Leamington go down 0-1 at home to a petulant but effective Redditch. The visitors played with ten men for much of the second half.

Redditch had pace, they were faster to the ball and they moved well off the ball. They created space for themselves. We were invariably second to the ball. Brakes relied hoof and hope football, the relentless long ball forward all evening. I don't know how many shots on goal we had exactly, but it wasn't more than five.

All evening Redditch where whingeing and surrounding the referee. A dive led to a concerted shout for a penalty. However, they were soon ahead with a well-taken goal on 17 minutes which involved playing the ball along the ground. Throughout the game they showed an ability to carve through our defence. Tony Breeden stopped it becoming 0-2 with a great save.

Redditch's No.2 was given a well deserved red card in the second half after bringing down Chilton, but Brakes were unable to take advantage of playing against ten men. We did hit the post and Redditch keeper Jose Veiga made a great save from Big Ben to prevent the equaliser.

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Chilli con carne!

Brakes won a cup game at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium tonight, beating Bishops Cleeve 2-0. Lee Chilton was impressive, provoking a cry of 'Chilli Con Carne' from the crowd. (Another view was that his runs went nowhere, but I think that they unsettled the opposition). However, on a chilly evening, only 143 and one dog were there to witness the triumph.

The Villagers were no push over and were lively in attack, particularly down the wings from where some good crosses came. Right winger Ed Major, an acquisition from Winchcombe Town, was particularly impressive. Breeden, for his part, had to make some good saves.

Bishops Cleeve did not use keeper Matt Wieczorek with his experience of 1st division Polish football, but stand in Sam Gilder was well up to the job, having been the youth goalkeeper and then gone on to Cinderford Town.

However, after a spell of fluent football, Brakes went ahead on 19 minutes through Rob Ogleby.

The Villagers made a double substitution after the break. Three corners in succession seemed to offer the chance for Leamington to increase the score, but the third one was cleared. Tank came off and Reece Mitchell came on.

A concern was that the visitors might equalise, leading to extra time and even penalties. However, on 69 minutes, Welsh international Owen Goal came to Leamington's aid, although Hood can take much of the credit.

Will Green, who had required prolonged treatment earlier in the game, was replaced by Lee Moore. Bishops Cleeve didn't give up, but Brakes moved a step nearer a trophy that was once theirs. Some evidently thought that it was a dreary game, but I found it more entertaining than Merthyr Town on Saturday.

Bishops Cleeve

As a full programme was not published for this game, I am adding the notes I wrote on Bishops Cleeve:

Turning to tonight’s visitors, in 1903 a dinner was held at the Royal Oak in the village for the combined cricket and football club, although most of the emphasis seemed to be on the cricket. After a toast had been drunk to the ‘Imperial Forces’, Colonel Bennett was asked to address the assembled company on his experiences in the Boer War. However, he had not got long into his speech, before a heckler shouted, ‘What about the flogging in the Guards?’ Colonel Bennett was not put off his stride, however, and replied calmly, ‘I have no information on that matter.’

By 1935 the football club was well established as an independent entity. They had won the Cheltenham League Division 1 cup, the Winchcombe Hospital Cup and the Cheltenham Town Cup. The secretary reported a balance of just under £5. By 1937, when the annual meeting was held at the Old Elm Tree, there was a balance of £12 8s 1d. It was decided to run one team only and to apply for inclusion in the First Division of the Cheltenham League and all cup matches for which team might be eligible. It was also decided to ask Mrs Bellinger to place the ground in Gotherington Lane at the disposal of the club.

In a match against Cheltenham Town Reserves in 1934 in the Gloucestershire Northern Senior Amatuer Cup, they unsettled their opponents with some vigorous tactics. In the first half they were the better side. According to the Gloucestershire Echo, the village side gave their opponents no chance of settling down and ‘playing pretty football. They tackled and shouldered unceremoniously’ in a way that would probably not be allowed today. However, they could not penetrate the Town defence, when they did shoot it was inaccurate, and they got caught by the offside trap. Town went ahead 1-0 from a free kick just before half time and eventually won 3-0.

Saturday 10 October 2015

One is enough

Merthyr Town seemed to be aiming for the same score as the Welsh national team would be happy with in Bosnia tonight, and they nearly succeeded in returning to the principality with a share of the points. Although they were 19th in the table at the beginning of the match, they had only conceded fifteen goals and had a positive goal difference of four.

In the first half, and for much of the second, Brakes found it difficult to penetrate their in depth defence and resorted to long balls in 'hoof and hope' football. We also surrendered possession too easily.

Leamington did have a chance around the quarter hour mark when a free kick was tipped over by the keeper. Following the corner, the ball was cleared off the line.

Brakes did apply some pressure as the half hour mark approached, but to no avail. Tony Breeden then had to make a good save from their No.10. I don't have his name because the speakers sounded as if they were being operated by someone wearing a face mask in a deep sea diving bell. Whoever had got a lucky ticket for the half time crossbar competition wouldn't have found out from that source.

Breeden increasingly tried to provide assists in the second half, but in his frustration screamed 'midfield!' Leamington made a couple of substitutions, one being forced after Gudger was injured. Lee Chilton put in a good ball which was picked up by substitute Ross Oulton, but the ball just flashed across the front of goal.

The visitors were increasingly resorting to time wasting tactics, but the somewhat elderly referee was unwilling to do anything about it. No surprise then that there was an outbreak of handbags during a pause in the game with the referee and his assistants being unable or unwilling to identify any culprits, although I thought that their captain Ashley Evans had something to do with it.

Then on 86 minutes use was made of a throw in flicked on by a header by Jack Edwards allowing Ben Mackey to put the ball in the net. Merthyr now played with a new urgency, but great work by Lee Chilton secured a corner. Merthyr had a late corner but the confident Breeden claimed the ball with authority. Leamington are now top of the table.

Attendance was 623, but I didn't see the usual dog. However, I have now been told that it was there.