Brakes defeat promotion rivals

In February 1975 ‘Brakes shortened their promotion odds with a tireless display which earned them a vital 3-1 verdict over co-hopefuls Cheltenham at the Windmill on Tuesday evening.  And they did it in real style – stunning the visitors with one of the best goals seen by their home crowd all season after ten minutes, and following it up two minutes later with a superb opportunist effort that completely knocked Town out of step. 

 Cheltenham – unbeaten in their last seven league outings – never recovered during the first half, and although they staged something of a revival later on, they rarely shared the same fluidity as Brakes’ frontline.  Mick Keeley repaid some of the record transfer fee Brakes paid Nuneaton Borough with a beautifully-taken goal after ten minutes.  But much of the credit must go to Dave Scriggens, Brakes’ best worker who has received little credit this season – and yet has played an important part in helping manager Jimmy Knox out when injuries have threatened to disrupt AP’s rhythm.   

Scriggens received the ball in his own half, looked around and then reached an inch-perfect 40 yard pass to Keeley, who hit it on the half volley with his left foot into the far corner from 20 yards.   And Stewart’s willingness to chase lost causes saw him notch his 20^th goal of the season 120 seconds later when he chased a cross-field ball with Town defender Julian Lailey, and somehow stretched out his right leg and slammed the ball past a helpless Nigel Berry. 

More than 500 soccer [sic] fans – one of Leamington’s better gates of the term – enjoyed a classic AP team performance.    The goals may have been supplied by Brakes’ lethal striking duo of Stewart and Keeley, but at the back the understanding that has built up between Doug Griffiths and Roger Brown paid immediate dividends especially in the final stages when the visitors threw in everything. 

Brown, who stuck to Cheltenham’s ace goal getter Lewis better than an Elastoplast, won virtually all the high balls and Griffiths swept up perfectly.  Yet Town must have thought they might have saved a point at least when – despite losing goalkeeper Nigel Berry in the 71^st minute after a collision with Brown – Casey pulled them back to 2-1 in the 83^rd minute when he cashed in on a slip up.   Steve Lee conceded valuable possession with a terrible pass, Lewis fastened on to the chance to put in a shot which Dave Jones parried and Casey happily helped home. 

For a spell AP looked jittery, but they gradually raised their game and Town ran out of steam – and the excellent cover they had given to Paul Crowley who donned the keeper’s shirt when Berry left the field, finally crumbled.  By the third minute of injury time, Dave Scriggens set Crowley his first real test with a near point-blank header – but the midfielder rose to it.   

However, two corners later, Keeley was given all the time in the world to set the seal on a tremendous performance with a header into the near corner of the net.   This tussle was a real four pointer against a Town side also poised for a late title run and the action was fast and furious for 98 splendid minutes – referee David Johnson adding to the suspense with a generous helping of injury time.’