In October 1975 ‘A goal ten minutes from time in a pulsating encounter sent AP Leamington out of the FA Trophy – despite a late effort by sub Ivor Talbot which hit the bar. AP opened brightly with both Mellor and Keeley testing the Enderby keeper, but Enderby were being given too much time and space. Both sides were playing superbly, and in the 55th minute the home side went ahead. Vernon hoisted a free kick into the box, and with Jones only able to fist the ball clear, Massey hit the ball back for Cooper to crash it home.
But AP fought back gallantly and ten minutes later they were
rewarded when Adcock equalised. The
game developed into a real ding-dong cup tie with both sides going close, but
in the 80th minute Enderby tied it up with a neat winner. Orgill crossed into the Brakes box and Mee
turned the ball back for Dearden to ram a low shot pats Jones. Five minutes later Brakes went within inches
of forcing a replay as substitute Ivor Talbot fired a sizzling angled shot
against the underside of the bar, but luck was on the side of the home outfit
and the ball bounced clear.
Brakes next faced Barry Town at home in the league. ‘Brakes’ show was hardly the sort of
homecoming that would have been expected for manager Jimmy Knox, back at the
Windmill after a four week absence through illness. Afterwards Knox, who saw AP’s dismal exit
from the FA Trophy against Enderby, said he believed Leamington’s performance
was an improvement – despite the fact that they never settled against a Barry
side who belied their league basement position with some fast, precise
football.
In almost a replica of last term’s encounter between the two
sides, Barry set off at a cracking pace and as Brakes tried to follow suit,
both sides fell foul of the slippery surface to produce for the most part a
scrappy game. AP never manufactured the
sort of soccer they’ve been capable of away from home this season , and for
long spells failed to stamp their authority on the game.
Indeed when striker Adrian Stewart nodded home the 54th
minute goal that rubbed out Barry’s 12th minute lead, Windmill fans
must have breathed a sigh of relief.
For Stewart’s equaliser – his 12th goal in 13 games –
completed the task that nearly always looked too much for an under-the-weather
AP outfit. As it was, Stewart hobbled
off five minutes later with an injury incurred in a clash with the opposition
keeper that makes him a doubtful starter for Saturday’s important FA Cup third
qualifying round at Milton Keynes.
And although that goal sparked off something of a revival in
Brakes, that too faded as Town set their minds on a point and began to content
themselves with simply destroying whatever AP managed to create. Whenever AP did find a way through Town’s
fairly-competent rearguard, they always found Trevor Nott in expert form –
remarkably flinging himself backwards to keep out a Keeley header in the 40th
minute, and smothering an Adcock drive at the second attempt a minute after the
interval.
