Brakes unbeaten in two games 50 years ago

In March 1974 ‘AP Leamington’s defeat of bottom-of-the-table Dunstable was one of the less impressive of their 14 Southern League victories this season.   Enjoying overwhelming midfield mastery, Brakes spent the greater part of the game in their opponents’ half, but on a lively pitch their forwards seemed strangely out of touch.     Few really testing shots were directed at the Dunstable goal and in the end it took goals from a couple of defenders to settle the issue. 

Brakes’ centre half Tony Bowden opened the scoring with a header from an opener in the 43^rd minute, but five minutes into the second half Dunstable broke away  to equalise through Alan Davies who was unmarked in the penalty area.   AP kept pushing forward but they were condemned to a frustrating 20 minutes as they sought to break through a packed Dunstable defence, whose spoiling tactics included the frequent exploitation of the offside trap.

Adrian Stewart finally broke the deadlock in the 72^nd minute when he sprinted away on the left and centred the ball to Norman Foster, who back-headed into the net.  Five minutes from the end, Stewart was again in the picture when he slipped the Dunstable defence and passed inside to Ernie Wilkinson, a back four defender who had raced upfield.  Wilkinson found himself with no one to beat but the goalkeeper and took full advantage of the opportunity to score with a well-placed 15-yard drive.

Brakes were next away to Bury Town: AP were fifth in the table and their opponent s fifth from bottom.  ‘King’s Road on Saturday was no place for goalkeepers.  Right from the start, Bury’s Davies – so impressive for most of the season – showed that, for him, it was going to be one of those days.  He jumped about like a cat on hot bricks, scarcely gathered a shot cleanly, mistimed numerous dashes from his goal line, and altogether conveyed an air of impending disaster. 

 Leamington almost grabbed the lead after nine minutes.   Davies came out from a cross to Lee and completely missed his punch.  Luckily for him, Turner was on hand to charge down a shot from Talbot.   Generally Leamington looked the more impressive side.  Stewart was the live wire in the Leamington attack and he had a number of intriguing tussles with Bury’s big centre half Tony Smith.   It was no surprise when Leamington finally went ahead after 30 minutes.   From a right wing cross by Goodfellow, centre half Bowden headed the ball to the far post and Talbot pushed it home from close range.’

‘Strangely enough it was Davies’ opposite number Dave Jones who made the most serious error of the afternoon.   With 20 minutes left, Jones advanced from his goal to cut off David Smith’s cross from the right, missed the ball completely, and Barry Gray coolly took advantage to score.   Until then Leamington had been the more impressive of two ordinary looking sides. 

Now it was Bury’s turn to pile on the pressure and they had a couple of chances to record their first win since January 5^th.   But overall a draw was a fair result.   Leamington surprisingly relegated 27-goal striker Norman Foster to substitute.   Lee missed three good chances and had his name taken for a foul on Tony Smith.’ 

Holleran Milestone Fuels Fire for More

Following his appearance on Football Focus there is a featured interview in The Non-League Paper with Paul Holleran this morning.

Here a few excerpts.  'Being honest, it is a tough job - I am getting older and the players are getting younger.  I am 53.  You do have moments when you think "Can I keep doing this?" but the players and the fans keep me driving on at the moment.'

'Even at this level you don't stop.  Regardless of whether you are Jurgen Klopp or Paul Holleran, it is relentless, and I do 50 hours per week on top of that as well which I imagine is a bit different to Jurgen.'

'You keep ticking along and maybe become part of the furniture - it is a bit like with your wife, you begin to like them, they begin to like you.   [Not sure what Mrs. H would say about that].  The fans have always been good with me, as the years have gone by, the bond has certainly grown.'

'It does cross your mind as to whether you can do it any more, there is no doubt about that.  When we got relegated last season I felt I was the best person to stabilise the club and get it back on track.  It has been a real challenge in a tough league this season, we have had to rebuild and I am looking forward to the last few games.'

Brakes battle to win away point against Burton

AP Leamington faced table topping Burton Albion, now a League One side, away in mid-March 1974 in a match in which the inactions of the referee were a focus of attention for media commentators (note that the report quoted is written from a Burton perspective).  ‘Burton Albion dropped another away point in their quest for the championship of the Southern League First Division North when they were unable to break through a tough uncompromising AP Leamington on defence.’

‘Phil Annable starts a week’s suspension today following his dismissal from the field towards the end of a Southern League game at Wellingborough earlier in the season, and after an amazing scene in the Leamington penalty area just before the interval he, and the Brake’s Foster, could count themselves very lucky not to be sent off again. 

The incident came after tempers frayed following several niggling fouls from both sides.  Buckley broke down the left and centred.   Former Albion keeper Dave Jones, who gave an impressive display, failed to collect the cross and both Naylor and Annable at the far post raced in to grab the loose ball.  Annable just got to it, Naylor left the race falling to the ground with a leg injury and Foster tangled with Annable.  

The first blow came from the Leamington player but he came out on the worst side of the deal.  He recovered after treatment.  Incredibly, the referee took no action against Foster or Annable and started the game with a free kick to Leamington. Naylor, who had taken a lot of stick from the opposition, gamely soldiered on in search of the elusive goal.   

Fortunately, before and after this brief period, play had been more constructive with Burton always in command and pushing forward relentlessly against a Leamington side prepared to pull everyone back and to give away a free kick if threatened, but Albion usually so creative from these set piece situations could not capitalise on them.

Right on half time, Wilkinson blocked a goal bound header from the diving Naylor after a hard low centre from Buckley.   Buckley continued to give the Leamington defence a lot of trouble and in the 70^th minute Lee was booked for a foul on him.   Just before this, Buckley slotted the ball to Brown, but the advancing Jones dived heavily at his feet to collect.   Then from another Corrigan centre the visiting keeper was deceived by the flight of the ball and Buckley was able to get in a header but Bowden managed to hook it clear. 

Albion now had the crowd right behind them.  A loudspeaker message had announced that Stourbridge were trailing 3-1 at Tamworth.   Albion battled on but in the packed Leamington area had all of their efforts blocked. 

 Then at the other end Leamington almost snatched both points when they were gifted a great chance by a dreadful back pass.  Foster nipped in, but Robinson dived to save.   Burton had held a special training session in the morning before the game and this was the first time they failed to score all season.’   Burton remained four points clear at the top of the table with Brakes twelve points behind in seventh place.

Leamington: Jones, Taylor, Brady, Bowden, Wilkinson, Shrimpton, Armstrong, Lee, Talbot. Foster, Goodfellow.   Sub: Stewart.

Cup success for Brakes

Southern League Cup action was at the forefront for AP Leamington fifty years ago. Facing Waterlooville at home ‘Brakes won this hard-fought Southern League Cup tie more easily than the score [1-0] suggests.  They were much the better side and with more finishing luck could have quite eaxily reached the last four with several goals in hand.  

Waterlooville, leaders of the southern section, opened strongly and for a time presented their hosts with considerable problems.  But Jimmy Goodfellow effectively killed their resistance with his 30^th minute with his headed goal and Brakes gained almost total control.  The Hampshire side did come back during a furious late assault.

 But the home defence stood firm and Dave Avery’s header wide of the near post was the closest Waterlooville came to forcing a replay.  With Steve Lee, Keith Shrimpton and Goodfellow gaining a hold in midfield, AP spent most of the game going forward and they should have added to their lead.  Norman Foster saw a terrific right foot shot cannon from the bar; Neal Armstrong headed across the face of an open goal; and Lee was slow to react to a clear chance when the ball bounded loose in the penalty area.’

Brakes then went to Nuneaton Borough for the semi-final.   ‘Delighted Jimmy Knox summed up AP Leamington’s humbling of Nuneaton Borough yesterday “We wanted to win – they expected to.”  And that’s not a bad assessment from the AP manager, who takes the club into the final of the Southern League Cup for the first time in their history.

  For AP ran, and fought, and harassed their Premier Division opponents into total submission in a colourless semi-final at Manor Park.  And after wearing down Borough with sheer determination, they struck a three goal blast in the last seven minutes.

  Goal No.1 came in the 84^th minute when Ivor Talbot was given the freedom of the pitch to slam in a 35-yarder while Borough’s defence stood and watched.  Goal No.2 came five minutes later when Talbot again did the damage.  He robbed Kirk Stephens on the halfway line, ran on to have his effort half-saved by goalkeeper Keith Ball and Neil Armstrong tapped in a simple goal.  Goal No.3 came a minute into injury time. And what a shocker for Borough!  Ray Bridgett brought Armstrong down a few yards from the by-line over 20 yards out.   And Steve Lee cheekily scored direct from the kick!’

‘It was no less than AP deserved, for they gave Borough’s tame attack little scope; snuffed out the midfield and looked sharper in attack.   My man of the match was Steve Lee, whose promptings from the middle of the park proved too much for Borough.  But AP also had in Ernie Wilkinson, Dennis Taylor, Tony Bowden and John Brady four defenders who were in control of their job.’

Shell shocked Nuneaton supremo Geoff Coleman said ‘there will be no drastic steps taken.  Coleman’s words will comfort his players who cannot be other than shocked by their own performance.  For without taking anything away from A.P., who played exactly to manager Jimmy Knox’s plan, Borough were tragically under par.   They showed none of the fight and tenacity that took them through a run of nine games without defeat.’