Brakes lose crucial top of table clash

In March 1976 ‘Even two goals in the last four minutes couldn’t prevent Brakes slipping to their first defeat in 21 games to champions-elect Redditch – leaving them facing the daunting prospect of a tough end-of-season fight to hold on to their second-place promotion spot.

Leamington can have few complaints about the result.  For leaders Redditch, after a shaky start, settled to serve up the more deadly and penetrating soccer and in the process notch their 12^th consecutive league win.  AP though were never disgraced in front of 985 spectators – their biggest league crowd of the term - yet their inability to piece together devastatingly dangerous moves in the Redditch mould, was their downfall. 

All too often their attacks lacked the breathtaking speed of the visitors’ moves and Redditch’s resilient defence was able to fall back and reform.  Last season AP came unstuck after 23 unbeaten at a similar stage to leaders Bedford, and manager Jimmy Knox has a real task to lift his players for the remaining eleven games with Witney and Worcester hard on their heels.  I

In the first half-hour, it seemed as though AP’s top-scorer Adrian Stewart could become the key figure in the encounter between the two sides who have scored more than 130 league goals between them.  In the opening seconds he rose about the visitors’ defence to trouble Ward with an on-target header, and five minutes later he gave a glimpse of his remarkable acceleration with a rapid turn and burst from the half-way line before Clement cut in to hack the ball back to safety. 

However, Stewart had little other opportunity to frighten the visitors as the home side denied him a worthwhile service – especially after the interval.  It was a different story for Redditch as they gradually worked leading scorer Roger Shaw into the game.  Twice he ghosted up to the far post to scare Leamington before the best chance fell at the other end to Keeley.   AP’s front-runner hit a superb one-two with Stewart and was denied a goal as Ward came quickly off his line to knock Keeley’s drive over with his trailing legs.

 Redditch survived and Shaw finally made his presence felt when he glided on to a Dale header to fire into the far-corner from ten yards.   Four minutes later, Brakes were shocked again as Dale found space to send in a clever overhead kick.  Keeley almost narrowed the gap immediately after half-time as he got up to nod in a great effort from Boot’s corner – but Ward was equally to it with an equally-fine save.    

Leamington began to enjoy an abundance of possession but it came to nothing and Redditch continued to frighten with some lightning raids.  Tuohy almost got in on the act in the 60^th minute, but the best chance of wrapping it all up came to Dale in the 79^th minute when he broke free, rounded Davis but failed to take advantage of an empty net.  However, five minutes from the end, Shaw looked to have it sown up when he s

lipped through to pounce on an inch-perfect through-ball from Tuohy and slot home.  Two minutes later Keeley lifted AP with a fine opportunist overhead-kick goal.  AP pressed hard and in the final seconds they gained a penalty after Lawrence had handled, and Kavanagh put it away – but it was all too late (2-3).