Brakes Dip Out of Willie Knibbs Against Romulus

This was a solid display by Brakes with plenty of good, passing football and they deserved better. Romulus, often seemingly in disarray at the back, showed why they are top keeping out Brakes with some desperate defending yet notching two goals before half-time, the second an excellent strike in the 36th after a dubious penalty in the 11th when Brakes were well on top. Brakes battled away in the second half but registered only one goal, by Blake in the 81st, though they hit the woodwork twice and at times made the Roms defence look like pins in a pinball machine. Romulus are to be congratulated for a display full of character and join Marconi, Feckenham and Highgate in the semi-finals. Thus Brakes can take comfort that three of their main contenders for the all-important league title will also have other matters on their minds.

With the lights on from the start against the gloom and a brisk wind making it distinctly chilly this was a very good crowd of 326 which, although well below the season's average, is higher than most December Saturday crowds at the New Windmill.

And they had plenty to cheer them as Brakes set out to erase the memory of last week's uncharacteristic display. Care showed skill and speed to get down the right flank and threaten an uncertain Roms' defence as early as the 2nd minute and a Nicholls drive in the 6th was only just wide. Simmonds, Shearsby and Blake combined well with a passing movement that promised a return to the type of football that is Brakes' forte.

I had just noted that there was "a good feel" about this game, so that I could justifiably claim some sort of prescience about the final result, when Romulus took the lead. A forward slumped to the ground in the Brakes' area and the resulting penalty was stroked home, 0-1 in the 11th.

Yet Romulus didn't look like a table-topping team, less so than when Brakes played them in the league. The defence was easily panicked and, although in the lead, seemed to be accusing one another of all kinds of inadequacies. As early as the 14th they made their first substitution. Nicholls was threatening without quite managing that final, incisive thrust on goal. Kristensen was a revelation; his defensive qualities and, especially, his distribution have improved immeasurably.

Sleem was unfortunate to receive a yellow in the 28th when he was punished for a minor retaliation, seen by the linesman, after enduring almost continual, niggling kicks and pushes to that point that had gone unnoticed by the officials. Care and Sleem combined well in the 32nd to set up another chance but, in the 36th minute Romulus made it 0-2 with another goal against the run of play, but this time a very good goal driven in from the left after the ball was given away in midfield. The half ended with a Nicholls header against the foot of the post from a Shearsby free kick and Timms heading just over from a corner.

The second half swung even more Brakes way and it seemed only a matter of time before the ball ended in the Roms' net as the ball ping-ponged back and forth from the increasingly vulnerable, Roms' defence. Yet there was an indication of a style of play that Brakes would do well to heed the next time these teams meet; there were very few offsides. Maybe this was because Romulus packed their defence throughout the match. Although it seemed constantly on the verge of collapse, and there were some desperate clearances, it kept Brakes from scoring and left their quick forwards to win the game on breakaways. They would be, perhaps, much more vulnerable to the ball pulled back from the line than to any number of balls through the middle.

Steve Thompson replaced Care, who had run his heart out for 76 minutes, as Brakes battled for the goal that would put them back in the game and, I felt, win it. In the 81st minute it finally came when Blake turned the ball into the net for 1-2 again after the ball had pinged back and forth from the Romulus wall and directly after a Shearsby shot was somehow kept out. With Brakes pressing for the goal that would take the match into extra time and, possibly, penalties Simmonds was upended on the edge of the box and Shearsby's free kick across goal was so nearly knocked in. The match ended with shots raining on the Romulus defence hitting wood, knees, bodies, everywhere but the back of the net as Brakes' interest in the Willie Knibbs Memorial Trophy came to an end.

This was not the desired result, obviously, but Brakes can take heart from the nature of this reverse in direct contrast to last week's 1-0 defeat. They should have few problems in putting together another good run to match others this season, and Romulus are eminently beatable with a little more nous. This performance did not depress the faithful too much and maybe, in retrospect, could turn out to be an advantage as Romulus, Feckenham and Marconi all look to the 2-legged semi-finals and more distractions from the all-important league programme. It is hoped that most of this crowd will return on Tuesday night.

Leamington: Richard Morris; David Care (Steve Thompson 76); Tom Sidwell; Niels Kristensen; Andy Gregory; Darren Timms; Barry Shearsby [Capt.]; Mark Simmonds; Vernor Sleem; Paul Nicholls; Josh Blake

Subs Not Used: Harj Dhesi; Ryan Parisi

Team News: Anthony Episcopo unwell; Jonny Burgess back training; Martin Thompson has further aggravated his hamstring in training and will now be out until January at the earliest.