Yellow submarine springs a leak

I don't know whether the playing of Yellow Submarine at the beginning and end of games does much for player or spectator morale, particularly given that we play in gold, but it is evident that the yellow submarine has sprung a leak in home waters. Leamington went down 1-3 at home today to Harrogate Town in front of a crowd of 482. Although we were treated to a display of poor refereeing, it has to be said that Harrogate deserved their victory.

Brakes keeper Collett is clearly no Tony Breedon, in fact he is much worse. It could be said that all three goals conceded today were down to him. Mind you, he didn't get much protection from our central defenders with Pierpoint failing to put a noose round the opposition. In contrast their central defenders largely kept Stefan Moore out of the game.

I occasionally go to Harrogate for work reasons and usually pass their neat ground. They were well supported considering the distance, although the chant of 'Harrow-gate' got a little monotonous. Paul Holleran had got his alibi in first by saying that their position in the table underestimated their strength and he seems to have been right.

The game started with controversy when Collett handled the ball outside the area. Some insisted that the rule book means that this is a red card, but I have seem a yellow given more than once, e.g., local lad Dean Kiely playing for Charlton at Newcastle. Perhaps the keeper's momentum carried him forward, but in any event he was fortunate. The resultant free kick came off the wall.

Harrogate's first goal on 14 minutes was the result of poor defending. The ball came down the left and our defender thought that it would run out, but the visitors were able to put in a cross and Harrogate scored through Callum Hassam with a tap in which Collett really should have got hold of.

Bloomer got booked for a professional foul on Morley. With Stefan Moore wandering on his own out in front of a team that was far too deep it was difficult to see where a goal was going to come from but Batchelor connected with a free kick to head the ball home on 42 minutes.

The referee increasingly lost his grip on the game, but Brakes supporters could feel at half time that there was some hope, even if the first 40 minutes had very poor. Indeed, we started off the second half reasonably well with Danny Newton having a shot.

Harrogate's Craig Nelthorpe had the appearance and manners of a Neanderthal (he did eventually get booked), but he possessed quite an engine and on 78 minutes he put a shot through a crowd of players that found the back of the net. Possibly Collett was unsighted.

Brakes looked for an equaliser, but on 86 minutes a ball played back in from a corner allowed McGurk to score at the far post. Again, Collett should have done better.

The referee continued to issue yellow cards and there was a quick whip round for a Specsavers voucher, but apart from the consolation goal it was Colwyn Bay all over again.