Knox gets his man as Brakes battle on

In February 1976 Brakes boss Jimmy Knox swooped for the signature of Banbury United midfield player, 21-year old Jimmy Lines.  ‘Knox has had Lines watched four or five times in recent weeks and wants to sign the midfield player to boost AP Leamington’s bid for Southern League Premier Division  status.

 But Knox’s approach to Lines received a cool reception from Banbury boss Brian Stone who does not want to lose the services of the player.   Commented Stone: “I understand that AP Leamington has placed seven days’ notice of approach on the player but other than that I do not know much about it.”  He added: “I wish Jimmy Knox had come to me first rather than have gone about it like this.  It would have been much more satisfactory all round.”  

But Stone is unlikely to stand in the way o Lines moving to AP Leamington if terms are agreed between the player and Knox, who himself is a former Banbury player.’

Knox did indeed get his man: “Phil is just the sort of player I have been looking for and he will be included in the squad for Friday night’s match with Witney.   I would have played him against Kidderminster on Monday but the game was postponed.”  After his meeting with Knox, Lines said: “Leamington are a good side and I will have to play well to keep a regular place.  But there is a very good chance of playing Premier Division football with them next season.”’

‘Despite struggling with a heavy cold, marksman supreme Adrian Stewart was in the right place for the 37^th time this season when he soared above the Witney defence to give Brakes a 61^st minute lead on Friday.  Skipper Roger Brwn was absent with ‘flu, having missed the last two games with a knee injury. 

 The gritty Oxfordshire side clung on to their promotion hopes with a deserved equaliser 14 minutes later which keeps them snapping at AP’s heels in third position.  The fierce-tackling Witney rearguard soon put the shackles on Stewart, Keeley and Talbot, and with the struggle for midfield supremacy unresolved throughout the match chances were few and far between.

 Indeed the best chance of the match resulted from a careless back pass which fell to Ivor Talbot as early as the tenth minute.  But the winger was unable to add the final touch after rounding keeper Stewart Rennie. 

The remainder of the half was a grim affair with goal scoring efforts restricted to long range shots which never looked likely to break the deadlock.   There was little more enterprise in the second half, but at least there were goals.  

And ironically – in a defence-dominated match – both resulted from moments of slackness.  In the 61^st minute Micky Boot crossed from the left and Stewart rose almost unchallenged to head home from four yards with debutante keeper Rennie rooted to his line.  And Witney’s goal was equally negligent.    A cross from the right gave unmarked Barrie Thomas the time and space to head home a header from ten yards. 

Brakes nearly stole both points in the last minute when Keeley failed by a whisker as he went in on a Kavanagh corner at the far post, but it would have been more than AP deserved.’