Excellent win for Brakes

Leamington secured a 2-1 win on the edge of the known universe when they beat Hereford 2-1 this afternoon. There were some boos from home fans and no doubt they will be looking for a refund.

It was an even better result when one considers that there were three changes for Brakes as Joe Clarke, Jordan Murphy and Kaiman Anderson come in for the recalled George Carline, Callum Gittings who is unavailable and Josh March who is struggling with a hamstring issue. Connor Taylor returned to the bench after recovering from illness.

On 18 minutes Dexter Walters' left wing corner sailed past everybody and nestled in the far corner of the net to make it 1-0 Leamington. Hereford equalised on 34 minutes trough their Notts Forest loan player.

On 47 minutes there was great work from Maycock to feed Walters, who twisted and turned before slipping in Anderson, who momentarily looked to have missed his chance but then rams a shot into the roof of the net!

Congratulations to the 65 Brakes fans who made the journey. The train connections are not good, nor are the roads.

Not a happy bunny

It's not just Jurgen Klopp who is complaining about fixture congestion. Paul Holleran has told the Leamington Courier 'We've got games on the 21st, 26th, 28th and 1st. I don't think the 28th should have been there, especially with the pitches being so heavy this time of year.'

Holleran also complained about the Throstle Nest pitch and the infrastructure at Farsley Celtic. He was unblocking the toilet with a mop at 2 pm.

He was also aggrieved about a penalty awarded to the home side: 'The referee is a good age and so far away from play.' Holleran is pretty free with his advice to referees, ranging from indignant shouts of 'referee', to more vigorously expressed sentiments.

Not all referees accept Paul Holleran's advice

To be fair, he has been in the job over ten years and has an unrivalled contacts book, conjuring up promising players from Football League academies. Judging by the picture of his well stocked fridge he put on Twitter, he had a good party on Christmas Eve. The 3-0 win over Gloucester City on Boxing Day should have cheered him up as well.

Good win for Brakes

Leamington had an excellent 3-0 win over Gloucester City on a cold and raw December day at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium. Leamington are 14th in the table behind Kidderminster and AFC Telford on goal difference.

It was a slow start in terms of chances with neither side creating much, although Brakes did more of the attacking. They gradually got on top. It was a case of one shot, one goal with Jack Edwards set up perfectly by March to slam a first time shot into the net. This was followed up by Josh March put the ball into the net to make it 2-0 at half time.

Just before the break there was great play from Maycock as he set off on a driving run from the right and exchanged passes with Edwards before bludgeoning his way into the box. However, with Maher to beat he blazed well over, pummelling the pitch in frustration. The Sky Blues youngster had a good game, nevertheless.

Substitute Kieran Dunbar came on at 87 minutes and scored with practically his first touch, a great back heel from George Carline played him in and he stabbed the ball past Maher into the far corner.

Attendance was 535, too cold for dogs.

Bishop's move

Today's Football League Paper includes a feature on Colby Bishop on the second page. It says that 'Bishop has been a shining light in a mixed season for Stanley so far' [it's wonder they didn't mention Bishops Rock lighthouse].

The article goes on to talk about the 29 goals he scored for the Brakes. Working as a PE teacher, 'Days at the school were followed by time in the gym as he aimed to regain full fitness.' Bishop said, 'I always worked hard behind the scenes.'

Bishop said that he still speaks to a couple of teachers from the school and the head messages him from time to time. He hopes to be able to go back to see all the kids there.

Leamington is getting a reputation as a club that selects promising players and develops them.'

Bishop praised

It's not often you hear the Brakes mentioned on the Football League Show but that's what happened this evening when it was pointed out that Colby Bishop had played for 'sixth tier' Leamington on the Accrington commentary. His non-league pedigree was mentioned again in the round up by the presenters when reference was made to the fact that he had worked in a primary school.

Bishop has scored a brace in three of his last four matches for Accrington.

I'll settle for a point

Leamington drew 2-2 with Spennymoor Town at the Phillips 66 this afternoon leaving them 15th in the table on the same number of points as next week's cup opponents AFC Telford.

I'll settle for a point. For much of the game we were outpaced by the visitors who were very fast, particularly on the counter attack. Our second ball was often poor.

The double headed coin did its work when Brakes lost the toss and had to change ends. There were shouts of 'We're doomed'. However, a fast attack down the left enabled Kaiman Anderson to score in the first minute.

Spennymoor soon replied with a scorcher to make it 1-1 within the quarter hour. Before the half hour mark they had scored another excellent goal.

In the second half poor defending gave Spennymoor the chance to put the game beyond doubt with a penalty but it was blasted over. Brakes then had their own penalty, confidently dispatched by Josh March. He then put in a great strike from distance which hit the crossbar. What a goal that would have been.

Dexter Walters did not match his performance on Tuesday and was replaced in a double substitution which also featured the disappointing Callum Maycock. New signing Josh Martin did not get off the bench.

Once again the attendance was not announced.

Sparking performance by Brakes

It was a cold night at the Phillips 66, but Leamington put in a sparking performance against Darlington to win 3-0. Brakes moved to 15th in the table and only three points off 9th place.

Darlington were late arriving after traffic problems, but came with a substantial body of support for a Tuesday evening in winter. They did provide some early pressure, but Jack Edwards opened the scoring with a header. He had thought he had got a second, but was ruled offside. He was only marginally so and there were calls for VAR.

From a corner, the ball bounced off the crossbar. For a moment it was uncertain whether it was a goal, but the lino ruled that James Mace had scored to give Brakes a 2-0 half time lead.

That was what we had on Saturday, but this time the only card shown was a yellow to a Darlington player. Carline scored his first goal for the Brakes to make it 3-0.

Although Darlington were capable of some fluent passing, Weaver was never really tested during the game.

Game of two halves

It was a classic game of two halves at the Phillips 66 this afternoon as Leamington drew 2-2 with Guisely on a freezing cold day. Leamington went 2-0 ahead before half time, but Guisely looked like a different side after the break and were assisted by Stephan Morley being sent off to reduce Brakes to 10 men.

Visiting charm merchant Jamie Spencer received an early yellow card after obstructing a Junior English throw in and was complaining to the referee for some minutes afterwards. A fierce low shot from Joe Clarke put Brakes 1-0 ahead. On 28 minutes March scored with a shot along the ground from the left.

The second half saw a lot of end to end play and much use of the long ball. Then Morley was shown the red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity after the referee had consulted the linesman. Guisely scored from the resultant free kick and then equalised following a corner on 88 minutes.

Attendance was 522 and it was too cold for dogs.

Leamington fail to score again

Leamington's inability to score goals was once again in evidence at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium this afternoon when they went down 0-1 to Alfreton Town. Leamington are now 16th in the table and if this form continues a relegation struggle looms.

Alfreton went ahead with an unstoppable shot in the 8th minute from Conor Branson. I cannot recall Leamington having a shot on goal in the first half.

Alfreton certainly fouled a lot and some fans alleged bias on the part of the referee. I lost count of the number of yellow cards he gave to the visitors, and was surprised that it was only five, but he doesn't have to give a yellow card for every foul.

The problem was not with the referee but the lack of pattern or purpose in Leamington's play, only Dexter Walters showing some ingenuity. There was a brief period in the middle of the second half when Brakes started to threaten with one shot going across the goal and another drawing a save from the keeper.

Alfreton could have gone further ahead but for two good saves by Weaver in the closing minutes.

Some fans complained about only five minutes being added on, but you could have added fifteen and Leamington would not have scored.

The attendance was 521 and two dogs plus one wizard from Alfreton.

Unbelievable!

Leamington earned themselves an unwanted trip to Staffordshire on Tuesday evening after they drew 2-2 with 10-man Chasetown at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium today in fromt of a sparse crowd of 395 and one dog.

Leamington went ahead 1-0 with a well-struck penalty and then saw Chasetown charm merchant Alex Melbourne sent off after a nasty tackle saw Callum Gittings stretchered off. However, it was very much hit and hope for the rest of the first half and Brakes failed to extend their lead.

Brakes stepped up a gear after half time and a free kick was converted into a second goal scored by March. However, they then conceded a rather soft penalty which was struck into the left-hand corner. An own goal from a corner then completed their misery.

They bombarded the Chasetown goal but could not find the back of the net while Chasetown keeper Curtis Pond defended his goal well. Brakes had a total of 29 shots on goal but only four were on target. It looked as if Leamington had scored a late winner, but it was ruled marginally offside.

Why Hereford game has been postponed

I can't remember a Brakes game being postponed because of an opposition player being called up on international duty but that is what happened to next Tuesday's fixture against Hereford United.

Rowan Liburd and Raheem Hanley have been called up by St Kitts and Nevis, whilst Reece Styche has been called up by Gibraltar.

Convincing win for Brakes

Leamington went fourth in the table after a 2-0 victory over Brackley Town at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium this evening in front of a crowd of 608. It was Paul Holleran's 500th match in charge and he received a presentation before the game.

The opening exchanges had little real pattern to them, but then an Edwards header from a free kick allowed Lane to put the Brakes 1-0 ahead. The visitors stepped up the pressure after the goal, but Connor Gudger put in some great defensive work, while Weaver made an excellent reaction save. He impressed throughout the game. Edwards had a chance to score from a header, but put it just wide.

In the second half the referee at last began to book some of the Brackley charm merchants, starting with No.10 Carl Baker. Murphy had a brilliant run on goal which enabled him to put the ball in the net to make it 2-0. Brackley never gave up, but Leamington stood firm.

Breeden leaves after training ground incident

Tony Breeden has left the Brakes after a training ground incident that left Jack Edwards with a broken nose: Breeden departs

This is sad end to a long career at the Brakes during which Breeden has contributed much, not just to results but also in entertainment value. It is not a good start to the impending National League North season.

Walsall report

Unfortunately I couldn't make this game because my knee flared up, but here is quite a detailed report, albeit from a Walsall perspective: Brakes 1, Walsall 1

At least it wasn't five

That was the consolation one fan took from Leamington's 4-0 defeat by Coventry City in front of a crowd of 1,552 at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium this afternoon. Today's attendance was the 3rd highest at the NWG. It beats the 2007 Retford FA Vase crowd in 2007 of 1,380, but is behind the Stour playoff in May 2008 of 1,634.

Last time I remember the two teams playing at Harbury Lane it was Leamington who were 5-0 winners (although there has been a 0-0 since then), but the Sky Blues brought their first team, albeit swapped around at half time. Brakes were missing some of their key players who had gone to a wedding, including Jack Edwards.

I had difficulty in finding a seat although I was there 50 minutes before the start and was surrounded by Sky Blues.

The difference in levels of skill and pace was apparent from the off, but Brakes held on to the 16th minute when Gervane Kasteneer scored for the visitors. He is a current Curacao international who spent last year at NAC Breda before signing a three year deal with Coventry.

Double the time to 32 minutes and the Sky Blues doubled their lead, making it three before the break. All of them were close range shots and Tony Breeden might have dealt with them better than reserve keeper Ben Newey, but it was valuable experience for the young shot stopper who is seen as having potential.

Brakes received two yellow cards in the first half and Coventry supporters were complaining about tackles inappropriate to a pre-season friendly, but the first one was largely the result of sliding on the damp ground.

With the raining continuing to pour down, Coventry might have expected to score another three in the second half. If anything their fluency of play was even better and I would not like to have seen possession stats. Colby Bishop was not happy with the service he was getting. However, the Sky Blues were less direct in the second half.

In the 90th minute Newey brought down a player in the area and the resultant penalty was driven into the top left-hand corner to make it 4-0.

'A Trialist' was energetic and showed some real skill in midfield.

Sorry to see Ahmed Obeng go

Ahmed Obeng was one of my favourite players at the club with his skill on the ball. He had an ability to open up defences. I understand the reasons for his decision, but I am still sorry to see him go and wish him all the best in the future. He may get more games by dropping down a level.

York City have encountered financial problems because of delays in their move from Bootham Crescent: Ticket price freeze

Problems at Kettering

Title winning Kettering boss Marcus Law has resigned, apparently over financial issues. He has been replaced by former Barnsley defender Nicky Eaden.

Earlier this month top scorer Rhys Hoenes left the club, appearing to suggest that he and other players were owed money. However, the Poppies insisted that they had paid players everything that was due and a number of last season's players are coming back.

Their former Rockingham Road stadium has been demolished and is to be developed for housing. They now play in Burton Latimer and recently bought a site in the Scott Road area of Kettering.

We will be playing The Heed next season

Following their takeover by a group of supporters, Gateshead have been relegated to the National League North next season, although they escaped being demoted to the third tier They will return to the Council-owned athletics stadium which is their normal home and will continue to be a full-time professional outfit: The Heed

Speaking about controversial owner Ranjan Varghese and controversial finance director Joseph Cala, who had assumed day-to-day running of the club, National League chief executive Michael Tattersall said: 'They basically ran the place into the ground. They had sacked the manager and sacked all the staff … They were not paying football creditors and they didn't pay the National League the fines that had been imposed on them … They had no ground, no manager, no staff. In fact, by the end, there was nothing left.'

'Now the bad guys are gone and the good guys are back. I think the club can make a good go of it in National North.'

This is, of course, one of those grounds where an athletics track separates you from the field of play.

One consequence is that Oxford City will move back to the National League South, denying us a relatively short away trip. However, their ground was not easy to locate.

The 'non-league Beckham' is staying

Delighted with the news this morning that Jack Edwards is staying with the Brakes. He puts in a real shift and shows great skill.

Here is his interview with Windmill Wonderland: Jack Edwards

Attendances up in the National League

The National League has broken the two million mark in total attendance across the three divisions for the first time in the competition's history. The total average attendance increased by 8.8 per cent from last year.

The top division's average attendance fell by 3.3 per cent but National South saw a 45 per cent increase while National North was up by 11.9 per cent. Of course, such figures are affected by the teams in the division in any one season.

Champions Leyton Orient had the largest average attendance of 5,445, compared to 4,337 last season. Wrexham were second with just over 5,000, while relegated Chesterfield were third with 4,503.

In the National League North former Football League side Stockport County claimed the top average of 4,001, up by 15 per cent on last season. York City, another former League club, took second spot with 2,528. Newly promoted Hereford, a reformed league club, were third following their promotion with 2,367.

Torquay United were top in the National League South with 2,508 followed by Woking with 1,898 and Dulwich Hamlet with 1,842. Three other clubs, including Billericay Town, had four figure averages.

The average attendance at Leamington was 669, boosted by former league clubs with big away followings.

The pride of Warwickshire

It's ours again

It was the icing on the cake of a successful season when Leamington beat Nuneaton Borough 4-1 at St.Andrews tonight to win the historic Birmingham Senior Cup for the seventh time. Several hundred Brakes fans turned up, substantially outnumbering the Nuneaton massive.

It was very much a game of two halves with the score 0-0 at half time. In the first half Leamington had most of the possession but had difficulty in penetrating the two back lines of four. Nuneaton players fell over at every opportunity to disrupt the rhythm of the game and they succeeded. The game plan was evidently to take it to penalties. There were a couple of moments when Nuneaton looked as if they could score, but they failed to take their opportunities

Brakes upped their tempo in the second half and Colby Bishop, who won the man of the match award, opened the scoring on 51 minutes with a well taken goal. Nuneaton equalised, but Brakes were back on top after a couple of minutes through an own goal created by Obeng. Bishop scored the third. Ahmed Obeng had been playing well all game and when he scored the fourth goal, he leapt into the crowd to embrace relatives, receiving the obligatory yellow card.

Brakes were a bit careless in the closing minutes and the old five was not achieved, but soon the game was over to chants of 'Tony Breeden, on the wing, on the wing'. Breeden nearly knocked himself out with the lid of the trophy.

Congratulations to Sally Ellis, our programme editor, on her well-deserved volunteer's award.

Brakes finish 13th

Leamington finished a creditable 13th with 54 points in the National League North after a 1-1 draw at Darlington this afternoon. This is the best finish since the club was resurrected in 2000.

Leamington managed to contain the home side until just before half time when they went ahead. Bishop equalised in the second half. Breeden made a number of good saves throughout the game: how much we owe him.

Congratulations to the 20 or so Brakes fans who made the long trip.

Next season only two clubs go down as the pyramid is reorganised so we should still be in tier two when (hopefully) our new stadium nears completion.

Praise is due to the board, the manager, the players and all the volunteers who keep the club going. Paul Holleran has his critics, and I have sometimes had reservations about our style of play, but his contacts enable us to bring in great loan players.

And we have a cup final to look forward to.

Bishop's move

A Colby Bishop hat trick saw Leamington beat Nuneaton Borough 3-0 at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium in the final home game of the season watched by 623 and two dogs. Leamington remain 14th on the same number of points as Southport (53).

Brakes showed early intent when a free kick was headed off the post. An excellent cross from Connor Taylor enabled Bishop to make it 1-0. Almost immediately after the resumption, Bishop forged through to make it 2-0. Some entertainment was provided by Nuneaton's No.9, Luke Barlone, aka the incredible hulk, constantly falling over.

After the break, Leamington rained in shots on the Nuneaton goal but Cameron Belford made two excellent saves. Twenty minutes in Bishop made it 3-0. There were calls for the 'old five', but it was not to be.

Bishop and Jack Edwards were substituted and Nuneaton used their two substitutes. Tony Breeden had to make a good save to prevent a consolation. In time added on Brakes hit the underside of the bar.

The referee kept his cards in his pocket.

Annual general meeting

The attendance was fairly modest. One interesting revelation was that the average turnover of a club in the National League North is now just over £700,000 a year and the average playing budget is £268,000. This reflects the fact that there are a number of former Football League clubs in the division. However, a number of clubs have much smaller turnovers and playing budgets.

The recently released accounts of one club for 2017/18 show a turnover of £294k and a player budget of £190k. Advertising and sponsorship was the biggest income stream at £90k while match receipts amounted to £77k. A donation of £10k was received for the transfer to Swansea City. A £18k contribution was received from the National League from Premier League distributions and their own sponsorships.

The meeting followed the win over Ashton which should have secured another year in the National League North. Relegation would mean a loss of £70k in revenue. In the long run, the situation is not sustainable which is why we need to move to a new ground.

Individual directors bought £25k of shares to cover a projected £18k end year loss. They are not wealthy individuals and I would like to endorse the vote of thanks passed at the meeting.

Villa vanquished

Leamington went through to the final of the Birmingham Senior with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa under 23s at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium tonight.

Villa started brightly and went ahead on 10 minutes through a header from Aaron Pressley. The visitors had tremendous pace, getting quickly from one end of the pitch to the other, but their finishing left something to be desired.

Leamington were stronger in the second half while Villa faded. Ahmed Obeng was tormenting the Villa defence and a free kick was awarded after he was brought down by Villa charm merchant Mungo Bridge who received a yellow card for his trouble. The free kick led to a goalmouth scramble with Junior English scoring.

The winner came from Colby Bishop converting a corner with a header.

We played the ball along the ground more than we normally do and there was less hoofing than usual.

The referee had a good game, particularly to be commended for insisting that throw ins were taken in the right spot.

Three crucial points

Leamington secured three crucial points at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium this afternoon with a 1-0 victory over Southport. With most other games postponed, Brakes moved up to 16th, ten points above FC United in the leading relegation place.

The goal came after seven minutes when a mix up between the Southport keeper and his defender allowed Colby Bishop to score.

The strong wind did not make for accurate football, but Brakes were able to hold Southport at bay.

Doltish Southport defender Matthew Platt eventually picked up the yellow card he had been looking for all afternoon, but then Junior English was booked. A second harsh booking saw him sent off.

It wasn't a quality game, but the win was vital. Attendance was a disappointing 450.

Not good enough

Leamington lost 0-1 to an in form York City at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium in front of a crowd of 801 this afternoon. I didn't think the Minstermen were that marvellous. However, we were often second to the ball and insufficiently clinical in front of goal. And, once again, we relied too much on the long ball. The midfield weren't very evident, but then the long ball game doesn't help them. The windy conditions didn't help accurate passing.

The game was decided in the 10th minute when a cross came in from the right and Breeden unusually fumbled the ball allowing the visitors to score.

We did get better as the second half wore on and had some chances, but we were unable to take them. In particular, we should have scored from a corner but the ball went just over. A late free kick was also unproductive.

Hood put in some good defensive work and one positive was Junior English getting forward more.

The referee didn't do us any favours. Just as well York City had a Pullman coach with a comfy seat for him.

The last three matches against York have ended in 2-2 draws, but we never really looked like getting an equaliser today.

Ashton lost at Alfreton so we are still six points above the drop zone in 17th. Tuesday evening's opponents, Bradford Park Avenue, drew at home with Curzon Ashton.

Score draw with two penalties

A segregated crowd of 1,150 saw Leamington draw 2-2 with Hereford United at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium this afternoon.

The early phase of the match was relatively uneventful with no real chances for either side. Then Obeng was one on one with the keeper, but his effort was deflected for a corner. Tony Breeden made a great one handed save, but before long the visitors stabbed in an opener from close range. An idiot flat capped Hereford supporter ran on to the pitch and had to be shepherded off by one of their players, no sign of the stewards.

Jack Edwards then equalised, but a couple of minutes later Hereford scored from a penalty sending them in 2-1 ahead at half time.

Brakes tried to press in the second half, but to no great effect. Bulls charm merchant James, Waite was then sent off for a blatant elbow. Hereford subsequently brought on their secret weapon in the form of big fat lump Mike Symons.

Holleran brought on Mikey Taylor who did not make much of a difference and then Reece Flanagan who did with some precise passes. Leamington were then awarded a penalty and Colby Bishop stepped up to equalise.

Leamington remain 14th.

Great win for Brakes

Leamington beat West Bromwich Albion 4-1 at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium tonight in front of a crowd of 211 to progress to the semi-finals of the Birmingham Senior Cup.

It was a fluent performance against a Baggies side that had plenty of pace and penetration.

The win included two goals from Jack Edwards and a Colby Bishop penalty.

Brakes bounce back in style

After recent defeats and draws, Leamington bounced back in style with a convincing 3-0 win over promotion hopefuls Altrincham at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium this afternoon. They have now edged up to 13th in the table.

Altrincham looked really dangerous in the first ten minutes. But then a scramble in front of goal followed a corner and Junior English was able to get the ball home on 12 minutes. A great run at the defence by Jordan Murphy saw him brought down and Colby Bishop scored from the resultant penalty. Then just before half time a long pass from Murphy enabled Colby Bishop to head home the third.

Hopes of the old five were dashed in the second half, but Tony Breeden did not have that much to do, although the Robins won a number of corners. They had a tendency to send the ball way over the goal into the trees and the field and also liked to faff around in defence. But Brakes defended well and Jordan Murphy broke up attacks in midfield.

The linesman spotted something by Jordan Hulme, I think it was having a go off the ball at Junior English and northern charm merchant Jordan Hulme was shown the red card. The linos and the referee actually worked as a team for once.

New signing Mikey Taylor had a cameo in what by then were difficult conditions, not enough to take a view about his potential contribution.

Effort was not enough

No one can fault the effort put in by Leamington's players against Stockport County on a cold Tuesday night at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium. However, it was not enough to prevent a 0-1 defeat by high flying Stockport County in front of a crowd of 604 (no dogs seen).

The visitors were often faster to the ball than the Brakes and showed considerable speed down the wings. However, I did hope that we could hold on until half time but a simple header on 37 minutes gave Stockport their winning goal.

If it was not for two brilliant saves by Tony Breeden, the margin of defeat could have been bigger. For me, Ahmed Obeng, with his ability to get round opposition players, was my man of the match.

The first half in particular was relatively free of fouls, but a yellow card was issued to each team in the second half, Colby Bishop for Leamington.

A Stockport fan said that we had given them as hard a time as anyone in the last twenty minutes. Maybe. According to social media there was trouble afterwards in the car park with charm merchants from up north giving it large.

I'll settle for that

Leamington drew 0-0 with Brackley Town at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium in front of a crowd of 643 and one dog. They remain in 12th place in the table.

Junior English was unavailable because of injury.

Brackley had the edge for large parts of the game with the number of their corners well into double figures. They often seemed to be first to the ball, while Leamington lacked width. We really only had one shot on target during the whole game.

The visitors had an early soft penalty but Glenn Walker managed to send it well wide. Indeed, throughout Brackley's shooting let them down, although Breeden was troubled more than his opposite number.

Brakes looked a bit brighter in the second half, but Breeden had to make one great one handed save to keep them in the game.

Leamington have now drawn four of their last five games.