By Roger Vincent

Stacey Brace Not Enough

On the 100th anniversary of the first trans-Atlantic transmission by Guglielmo Marconi, the Father of Radio, "his" team made waves of a different kind as they threatened to swamp battling Brakes. A goal up in five minutes when a corner from the left was nodded in, and two up in the 15th from an unlucky own goal was scant reward for as good a performance as I have seen at this level. Only some good defending, from Van der Heyden and Scott in particular, kept Brakes in the game.

And yet, to their credit, young Brakes persevered and when they finally got out of their own half Stacey made it 2-1 in the 17th when he forced the ball home at close range. Soon after, a powerful run and cross from Grainger could have levelled it and when Wilkinson broke down the right in a superb run and crossed, only to see a header over the bar from close range, Marconi were starting to look vulnerable.

But in the 29th Marconi restored their two-goal advantage after a brilliant run past several tackle-shy defenders. Then, almost unbelievably, Brakes were back in the game again when Stacey drove home a powerful free kick from the edge of the box, low and hard into the corner of the net in the 42nd. With Grainger battling for every "lost" ball and Wilkinson going close after a Grainger through ball it looked as if Brakes could pinch an unlikely point.

Indeed, they nearly did in the 57th when Collen drove hard at goal only to see a very good goalkeeper save with his feet after diving the wrong way. Beezley came on for Matt Mellings in the 71st and Tolley for Wilkinson in the 82nd but a free header in the 89th, from a good Grainger cross, that was somehow kept out by the Marconi defence was the nearest they came to saving a match which the impressive Marconi could have won by more.

Footnote: This was the last youth match before Christmas and Young Brakes resume in the new year on 8 January when all home matches will be played at Stratford Town on Tuesdays, k.o. 7:30. See fixtures on the web-site for definitive information.

Leamington: Van der Heyden, Mellings M (Beezley 71), Poole, Green, Scott, Mellings J [Capt.], Wilkinson (Tolley 82), Webster, Grainger, Stacey, Collen
Sub Not Used: Green