By Roger Vincent

Managers' Instructions Go Unheeded in Webb Ellis Cauldron

Has the kick off for a Midland Combination match ever been delayed before because "the crowd are still coming in"? 826, mostly Leamington, crowded into Webb Ellis road for this Easter Monday evening under lights between the 2 giants of division 2. As we cleared our throats a photographer snapped away with photographs of the Brakes' supporters, and that was before the game started .

The Leamington fans were incredible, the noise overwhelming and continuous. Rugby were clearly unsettled, slicing the ball into touch time after time. The game was not pretty and Brakes didn't play football as they can, but they still looked much the better side. Both teams were wary of giving away a goal but only Brakes looked like they could win.

Brian Agar went close with a header and a Glenn Webb free kick was tipped over the bar in the first half whilst Glen Webb, again, nearly clinched it with a fine, late effort saved by the Rugby goalie. Will Payne, Stuart Hepburn and Liam McGovern were commanding in defence and easily snuffed out any Rugby threat.

Who knows but we might have scored if the managements' shouted instructions had been followed. But we shall never know for sure because, as one Brakes' player said after the match: "Baz and Caddsie were shouting instructions all the time but we couldn't hear a thing because of the noise of the crowd".

At least 1 Brakes' fan, near me, ground to a halt after leading a relentless, cacophony of sound with "Baz and Caddsie's barmy army" for so long that his voice wavered then faded. "I can't go on" he croaked ". A brief shock: the Brakes' taunt of "Rugby, Rugby, give us a song" ACTUALLY got a response, briefly, very briefly, from a raggle taggle band of about 20 Rugby supporters. They got out a few lines before the astonished Brakes' fans swamped them and normality returned.

Rugby really had to win this to stop Leamington eventually overtaking them at the top. At the end the Brakes' team and management sprinted across the field to the Leamington fans more than once, saluting them and being saluted in return whilst Rugby slunk away. And, really, that said it all.

Leamington Richard Morris; Ian Billington; Will Payne; Liam McGovern; Stuart Hepburn; Simon Wickson (Guy Rippon 82m); Darren Timms; Glen Webb; Josh Blake; Brian Agar (captain); Steve Thompson
Unused subs: Mark Taylor, Adam Ball