By David Ashford

Rumble in the Windmill - the Spirit of Cantona

The combination of an incomprehensible desire to spend my trips up from London watching Coventry City tumble out of the Premiership and this season's bad weather had prevented me seeing a game at The New Windmill until this day. At long last I was going to see my beloved Brakes. This visit was long overdue. Just to delay things even more my train from Paddington broke down at Reading and we were unceremoniously dumped onto a late replacement. I was just about left with enough time to make my way to the 'Windmill Pub' by the old ground to have a nostalgic pint before heading for my first taste of 21st century Brakes. My only previous taste of Harbury Lane had been when a game had been called off so it was fantastic to see the ground surrounded by fans in the winter sunshine complete with a few ground improvements. It looked and felt good.

In the few moments before kick off I managed to catch up with your esteemed editor and some old friends and in no time it was just like watching Kim Casey and the boys back in the 80's! I had reminded myself that this was only the Midland Combination Div.2 and the standard would not be what I remembered about non-league footy. Entertainment is entertainment though and about 5 minutes in, 'Bagger' Agar let rip from 25 yards with an explosive drive that headed for the top corner, the Hibs keeper did the most amazing back-arching save to tip the ball onto the bar but as the ball bounced once the famous Josh Blake lashed it from whence it came and Brakes were one up. Blow me! Within 5 minutes I had seen a more exciting passage of football than anything I had witnessed in the Premiership all season!

Against the run of play, Hibs then equalised although this did not filter through to the Portaloo I had been in, mainly due to the fact that despite the 'Derby' tag, Hibs did not seem to have any fans at all. Not even a girlfriend or two in the 540+ crowd. In no time Josh danced his way past the keeper to make it 2-1 and then slipped in a third which was harshly disallowed. This boy was looking everything I had been led to believe and more. Strangely, Hibs equalised again and then sparks began to fly.

Clearly outclassed by Brakes, they realised their best hope would be to mix it up. Tackles were flying in before an incident that was to provide a taste of things to come. The Hibs right back Andy Hood, who was to put in a heinous performance, put in his umpteenth bad challenge. When a member of the crowd told him what he felt about Hood's nasty challenges the culprit on the pitch belted back with a volley of X-rated abuse. Not what the young children dotted around the vicinity had come to hear I'm sure. Especially as the day's programme carried a message about discouraging foul language. However, Mr Hood unfortunately continued this pattern of behaviour into the second half to the objection of the vast majority, bar the referee.

At the break, as I wandered on my inaugural trip towards the North Bank, I noticed that the sheep in the next field had also joined in the ritual and hovered expectantly by the corner flag! Do they look forward to match days? Could it be that even our ovine friends are caught up in the Brakes Revolution. Bagger kept up the astonishingly high standard of goals with a third crashing into the top corner. Never mind the Sky Blues, Josh and Bagger seemed to be what England have been missing! Josh set up another for Bagger to make it 4-2. At this goal I noticed a certain mean-spirited defender pulling the ball out of the back of the net, and some young fans ran down to give him some well deserved stick. His response was to aim a spit at them!

After the game restarted all hell let loose. Our friend Mr Hood ran towards the corner flag against Josh and let fly with an elbow. Not content with that he then proceeded to try and start a fight by stepping off the side of the pitch and gesturing with his fists. At last the referee came to his senses and sent him off but the fiery full back, now completely out of control, proceeded to try and start a couple more fights on the way to the dressing room. God help the teacups in the dressing room! And so ended the worst individual display of behaviour I have witnessed since a certain Mr Cantona's shenanigans at Selhurst Park a few years ago.

I was well impressed with Leamington's attitude in the face of extreme provocation and the most noticeable example of this was the contrasting attitudes of the two benches. Whilst the Hibs bench seemed happy to hurl threats and expletives at Josh Blake, Jason Cadden's only response was to shout "Let your football do the talking, Josh!" Well said, and that was what the tiring forward did, setting up Bagger's hat trick. Only the woodwork and some fine saves denied the youngster a deserved trio for himself. Now, how did that chant go? "...Whaaaaagh rick Hibs, Warwick Hibs - what's it like to see a crowd? Whaaaat's it like to see a crowd?..." Tasty!

A third Hibs goal gave the scoreline an unusual look that reflected a mad cap game. This highly charged and thoroughly entertaining game of football had just about everything including the right result. It's just a shame that it wasn't the prettiest match to watch! But let us forget the ugly side of this encounter. You can also forget Glasgow, Liverpool or Manchester! It seems that nothing ignites the passions like a Leamington derby. Forget the sorry Sky Blues, I'll be back for more of this.

Leamington Paul O'Keeffe; Jon Burgess (Martin Beeston 88m); Steve Thompson; Will Payne; Kevin Ariss; Stuart Hepburn; Simon Wickson; Barry Shearsby; Josh Blake; Brian Agar (captain); Ian Billington
Unused subs: Guy Rippon, Steven Ford.