Game of Two Halves But Brakes Give No Quarter

In truth this was a stuttering performance by Brakes for much of the game but it all came good in the end with another clean sheet and Brakes looking as if they would have added more if the game had been longer. There was a welcome return for Nick McFarlane after pre-season injury and James Harri came off the bench in the 81st for his first outing, also after pre-season injury, and could have had a 10 minute hat-trick.

436 people were in the New Windmill on a day where the temperature was in the low 20s, about the seasonal average but much colder than last Saturday. Still no rain so a rock-hard pitch made the ball difficult to control and there was little good football in a strangely quiet first half. Once again Care's speed was threatening and nearly led to a goal in the 15th when he rode two tackles and passed to Easterlow who ran up the wing and crossed to find Blake and Sleem at the far post. In a frantic muddle of anticipation Sleem seemed to hit several parts of the woodwork as the two fought to open Brakes' account.

Minutes later Sleem powered his way through and found Easterlow in front of goal but a packed Southam defence blocked him out. In the 32nd Sleem seemed to have done the hard work when he slipped a pass onto the feet of the oncoming Blake who screwed his shot just wide of the far post. Brakes were well on top without any produce and, after saves from Sleem and Blake as half-time approached, McFarlane moved up to head just over in the 44th.

Southam came out in the second half playing like a team that had started to believe in itself and had 10 minutes of ascendancy when they controlled the game with several fluid movements but without looking like a team that could score. They paid the penalty when Brakes came back into the game and, in the 56th Care took a corner from the left and Timms made it 1-0 with a powerful header.

Nicholls, returning from holiday, came on for Easterlow in the 63rd and Wickson had a shot palmed over soon after. Hanrahan started to come more into the game and earnt a free kick on the edge of the box when he wriggled past several defenders and was chopped down. With free-kick specialist, Dhesi, on the bench Nicholls blasted the ball into the net to make it 2-0 in the 78th and give Brakes some breathing space.

Young striker James "Shearer" Harri replaced the admirable Sleem in the 81st and Dhesi came on for Wickson as Brakes sought to turn the screw. In a purple patch, as Southam crumbled, Brakes threatened to double their score. Blake ran through on 83 and had a shot parried at the far post as Harri appeared from nowhere to narrowly miss turning it in. Blake went past two defenders but was again just wide in the 87th, then Harri's exceptional turn of speed saw him clean through, twice, in the 2nd and 3rd minutes of added time only to see shots parried that will go in when he is less anxious about getting off the mark. But the old master, Dhesi, retrieved his mantle as free-kick specialist after 4 minutes of added time when he crashed a low drive into the net from 20yds through a ruck of players to make it 3-0 on the 90.

The defence, once again, were outstanding. They kept Southam out of range, made tackles where appropriate and covered for each other superbly. But the attack seemed a little isolated with Sleem performing miracles up front. This performance was not always convincing, and Brakes must be a little concerned that all three goals came from set pieces. But four wins and no goals conceded tells a story that many other teams would like to hear when they're tucked up in bed at night. With all other Premier games being played in the evening it's not known, at the time of writing, if Brakes will stay top but they won't be far off it at worst.

Leamington: James Gettings; David Care; Nick McFarlane; Simon Walker; Tom Sidwell; Darren Timms [Capt.]; Simon Wickson (Harj Dhesi 82); Chris Hanrahan; Vernor Sleem (James Harri 81); Scott Easterlow (Paul Nicholls 63); Josh Blake

Team News: Baz Shearsby bad back to add to other injured and Steve Thompson still suspended