Brakes fight back to keep hope alive

I didn't write a report after Tuesday's defeat against Chorley because I was so downhearted. They weren't very good, but we were worse. It looked like the same story again after the first half today. We were poor and so were Stalybridge Celtic, but they saw their opportunity and scored.

For the opening period we were pinned back. The strong wind didn't help good football, but were hoofing the ball out in panic mode. Their goal came when the keeper spilled the ball and Sim seized his chance.

It looked as if they were going to win until the second part of the second half when we started to battle, although we did get the ball on the roof of the net earlier on in the second half in our best effort up to then. The difference was made by taking off the haples Liam Truslove and bringing on Richard Taundry who was on fire and looked like a footballer. Hicks then replaced Edwards and a further substitutions saw Magunda replaced by Bilal Yafai. It was good work by him and Goddard that enabled Hicks to find the back of the net.

We kept under the pressure in the closing minutes to raise the spirits of most of the crowd of 595, but could not find the back of the net.

Next week's opponents Gloucester City won 2-0 at Solihull Moors, but Brackley lost 1-0 at Colwyn Bay so that puts us one point ahead of them, just out of the relegation places.

Cheaters from the coast

Referee Ian Dudley was asked in the programme how he unwinds when he gets home. He replied, 'I sit and look at what went well and not so good with a pint.' He will have a lot to reflect about over his ale tonight. A controversial sending off of Danny Newton in the first half effectively ended the game as a competitive fixture, handing AFC Fylde a 4-1 victory.

Although it was a sunny afternoon, with the temperature well into double figures, there was a strong wind and the ball often hung in the air. Leamington started well and on eight minutes Newton burst through, and with two defenders in attendance, put the ball convincingly in the back of the net.

The visitors fought back and Atkins had to come out of his goal to make a good save. Then, with a move that started with a throw in, Rowe turned well in the box on eleven minutes and put the ball along the ground into the net to make it 1-1. It was a good goal and made some of the later behaviour by Fylde inexplicable.

Both keepers were called on to make some good saves in the next phase of the game, while a Fylde header was fractionally wide from a corner. Delroy Gordon received a yellow card from the referee.

I thought that we might get into half time on 1-1, but then a free kick led to a Fylde goal from Rowe, although the players all seemed to freeze because of an apparent handball. The referee was, however, not interested in a Specsavers voucher, indeed one wag cruelly suggested that he was looking for a holiday in Blackpool.

I was then astonished to see Newton given a red card for what seemed very little with the referee apparently swayed by the appeals of the opposition players. All he seems to have done is clipped the player's heel or at most pushed him in the back and he then went down. Fylde players apparently claimed that Newton stamped on him.

I've now looked at the video: Stamp? As far as I can see, Newton tried to leap over the prone player, although he may have made contact. The referee was well positioned and had no hesitation in making his decision. In any event, there is no possibility of an appeal. I just think that it spoilt the game as a competitive contest which Fylde would have probably won anyway.

After the break, even Fylde seemed to be unsettled and lost the rhythm of the game. It looked as if the Brakes might be able to keep to a score to a respectable 1-2 or even get an equaliser to satisfy most of the crowd of 545 (plus one dog who seemed to have become separated from his owner). Holleran became agitated and the referee went over to tell him off. Fylde whinger Tom Hannigan at last got a yellow card, as did Caspher Hughes. Then, on 83 minutes Sumner delivered a well struck free kick to make it 1-3, although possibly the keeper could have done more to stop it creeping into the top corner. Brakes then seemed to lose heart, allowing Fylde to make it 1-4 two minutes later.

I never thought this would be an easy match, but the loss of Newton makes the result hard to bear.

The teams below us did us a favour by losing (Hyde drew, but that is almost irrelevant). Only Lowestoft improved their position relative to us.