By Roger Vincent

Brakes Are Top of the League (Again)

Ten minutes before half-time hail-stones beat down on 122 fans driving them into the stand while the team battled to make a similar impression on the pitch with everything pointing to a goalless draw, or worse. But the downpour cleared, the wind dropped and Mort glanced a superb header into the top corner in the 66th with Nicholls adding a second in the 80th three minutes after coming on from the bench. Brakes, who had always been in control, turned the screw and could have scored more against a battling Pershore side who have failed to score against Brakes in three meetings this season. The win takes Brakes back to the top with Rugby Town, losing 3-0 at home to Sphinx, falling ever further behind.

There was a minute's silence before kick-off in memory of Terry Bishop, Highgate United Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Midland Combination, who died the previous day.

Brakes started with the wind at their backs on a bone-hard pitch barely touched by recent rain. Within 30 secs Mort should have scored when he skewed his shot wide from in front of goal but there was much promise about Brakes forward movement with Timms (twice), Blake and Shearsby all going close. On the half-hour Dehesi drove a free kick wide as a little frustration crept into the players and the, mostly Leamington, crowd of 122.

The defence was playing superbly with Gregory and McFarlane outstanding in the centre, Dhesi controlling the left flank and Adams and Hanrahan able to join the attack. But a packed Pershore defence looked like keeping out the marauding forwards. Ten minutes before half-time a sudden storm of hail-stones drove the crowd into the stand just in time to see the best move of the match so far as Timms went on a snaking run past several defenders passing to Mort whose measured passs was driven just over by the nippy Thompson.

But the second half started with the storm over and the wind diminished to a brisk breeze. Brakes did not look like conceding but there were too many occasions where Pershore threatened on the break. In the 48th Gregory was the last man in defence but won the ball and played a telling ball upfield. Shearsby and Adams combined well to win a corner in the 50th but Brakes were being pressed back for the first time in the match though reducing Pershore to long-range efforts. There were too many stoppages as players went down injured and the crowd was growing impatient.

That all changed on the half-hour. Thompson had the beating of the defence and Dhesi was floating over long, accurate balls into the danger area as Brakes took control. In the 61st Mort picked up a Dhesi cross and passed to Blake whose angled drive was just tipped over then Dhesi, again, crossed superbly into the box for Mort to glance a magnificent header into the top, right corner to make it 0-1 in the 66th minute. This was Mort's second goal of the season and his first league goal.

Burgess came on for the battling Shearsby in the 67th going into the back four with Adams moving upfield and it was Adams who drove narrowly over a minute later. With Brakes in full cry Thompson broke down the left and crossed hard and low for a defender to make a desperate clearance that whistled just wide of his own post. Thompson was creating danger on the left every time he got the ball and Brakes seemed well in control though a one goal lead is never comfortable.

Blake, who had battled all evening for little reward, left the field to an ovation in the 77th being replaced by Nicholls. Within minutes Brakes had doubled their lead. The referee instigated the move when he inadvertently chested down the ball into the path of the irrepressible Hanrahan. Hanrahan pumped a through ball upfield and the goalkeeper and a defender came to meet it well out of the box. Both missed and Nicholls calmly directed the loose ball into an empty net from fully 45yds to make it 0-2 in the 80th minute.

Agar came on for Hanrahan, who'd had another impressive match, in the 83rd and Brakes were now in complete control as they tried hard for a third but were denied by an efficient defence. Pershore were impressive at times, though maybe a little too defensive, and Brakes must be congratulated on their third win against them this season, once in a cup, without conceding. Pershore had drawn with Rugby Town in March and the happy crowd were encouraged still further by the news that Rugby Town had lost again, 3-0, at home to Coventry Sphinx. Brakes move back to the top with a game in hand on second and third but Alvechurch lurk menacingly in fourth place, four points and a game behind; they play the next, Wednesday, night.

Leamington: James Gettings, Ben Adams, Harj Dhesi, Nick McFarlane, Andy Gregory, Chris Hanrahan (Brian Agar 83), Nick Mort, Barry Shearsby (Jonny Burgess 67), Josh Blake (Paul Nicholls 77), Darren Timms, Steve Thompson [Capt.]

Team News: Paul Eden is on holiday in Australia for another two weeks; no major injuries apart from Glenn Webb and Andy Biffin, both at the ground (with Myles Day) as usual. Graham Allner was there as well.