Good start to 1976 for Brakes

The end of 1975 and the beginning of 1976 saw some encouraging results for Brakes.  ‘AP Leamington extended their long unbeaten run in the Southern League First Division North by drawing at promotion rivals Barnet on Saturday.  And if this gritty performance was anything to go by, they are sure to be there or thereabouts by April. 

 One point was as much as they were going to get.  Indeed, their ambition from the outset did not seem to aspire to victory.   But in face of Barnet’s relentless advance, Leamington resisted so stubbornly for so long that one could not begrudge them a major piece of luck near the end.   They began brightly enough, home goalkeeper Barker cutting out a Talbot cross and then clinging to a Boot free kick in the first ten minutes.  

But the rest of the half saw Barnet pour down their slope.   Top scorer Ray Agglo once had Leamington worried by turning and firing into the hands of David Jones and later rounding the keeper, only for a couple of defenders to prevent him getting in a shot.   Leamington must have been relieved to see Agglo helped off after half an hour with a leg injury.  Certainly, Barnet had no one else with his ability to prise open defences.  

For a while in the second half Leamington came more into the picture until Barnet launched themselves into one final all-out assault.    But with Alan Jones and Brown on fine form, the home side could not find a way through, though Meadows headed against the bar in the 94^th minute with David Jones stranded.  Lemington visibly breathed a sigh of relief.  AP: David Jones, Taylor, Kavanagh, Alan Jones, Brown, Boot, Adcock, Lee, Keeley, Stewart, Talbot.  Sub: Griffiths (not used).

On Boxing Day Brakes played Enderby Town at home.  ‘When substitute Graham Adcock fired in AP’s second goal with his first kick of the match In the 46^th minute, Brakes finally relaxed.   For virtually thewhole of the first half, Enderby’s slick and zippy play caught the eye – and only poor finishing and bad luck denied them a commanding interval lead.  However, Adcock’s goal signalled a better display from a strangely lethargic AP oufit.   [Perhaps they had enjoyed Christmas too much?] And at the end the visitors could have had few grumbles about the final result.

Leamington looked only a faint shadow of the side that had humbled Worcester a few days earlier.  They let Town grasp the initiative and had few answers to the visitors’ early pace.    In the 8^th minute their efforts were rewarded when Cooper sliced the home defence apart with a perfect through ball for Paul Dearden to shoot over Davis’s body.   Mee failed to make it two in the 16^thminute after Dearden had weaved his way around the back of AP’s susceptible looking rearguard.  

However, strong running by Adrian Stewart after Talbot had knocked on a header brought Leamington’s equaliser in the 27^th minute.  Adcock’s goal put a different complexion on the game and it was AP who started to work together with their defence stifling what moves the despondent Town side could muster.    Town keeper Satchwell was carried off with torn ankle ligaments in the 70^th minute and four minutes later when stand in Burton failed to hold Boot’s shot, Stewart dispossessed him for Keeley to tap home.