Baggies Blunt Brave Brakes Best Efforts

The youth team coach wended its way past the gatehouse at Lilleshaw, home of WBA Youth, and up a very long drive to deposit its load by some purpose-built, modern, brick buildings that fitted well with the centuries-old architecture but in sight of a purple-clad, plastic monstrosity that did not. One such purpose-built building was a bar in which the fans soon found themselves despite warnings that the pitch was "quite a way away".

Leaving in good time we went through an ancient bell-arch, guarded by two, large, stone lions, past the old manor house and down steps to a well-lit astroturf, then back again when we realised that it was the wrong one, to find, eventually, a rather pretty pitch with grassy banks nestling in a surround of tall trees. Fortunately the players were there before us and a fast and furious game was already five minutes underway.

This was an excellent WBA side who included Welsh, U17 international, Rob Davies, and were just that little bit quicker in everything they did, a little less prone to giving the ball away. But there was no shame in this performance and, more importantly, young Brakes learnt from playing such erstwhile opponents, improving as the game progressed, which augurs well for the rest of the season.

WBA had some players who weren't in the team that played at the New Windmill when Brakes could, and probably should, have won. On that night WBA reserves played Manchester United and their youth team was missing some players. Maybe Brakes were expecting more of the same as that game 10 days before, for they were caught cold in the 19th minute when a forward ran through unchallenged to make it 1-0 and could be accused of ball-watching in the 22nd when WBA doubled their advantage, 2-0.

But Brakes battled back, despite losing Anderson to injury after 30 minutes, and got their reward when Howell ran through the defence slipping a good ball to Alex Taylor. Taylor was upended as he turned on goal, and McKinley made it 2-1 from the spot in the 31st.

Now Brakes enjoyed their best period of the match as they sought the equaliser. They started winning 50:50s, though there was still a tendency to give the ball away, often after a promising move, a difference that marked the two teams throughout. In the 43rd, the livewire Kyriacou sped down the right touchline and hit the ball across the goal, where it eluded everyone, for Tolley to power in from the left and crash his shot over the bar. As the strong, travelling contingent rued the lost moment for a possible equaliser, WBA broke in added time after the 45th and made it 3-1 with a deflected drive.

Moulding, back from injury, was proving a defensive mainstay, one of several excellent performances that included Howell, McKinley, Taylor and, of course, Kyriacou who never stops trying. But WBA were just that little bit too well-organised in defence. They seemed vulnerable only to crosses from the goal-line, a Tolley speciality, but Tolley seemed strangely out of sorts and distracted on this night and didn't show his, potentially, match-winning skills.

With WBA soaking up Brakes' attacks and Brakes doing well in defence, the game petered out in a second-half stalemate though Tolley nearly brought new hope when he drove just over from distance in the 90th with five minutes of added time still to play.

Leamington Youth: Daniel Kerr; Andrew McKinley; Martin Groves; Iain Groves; Luke Moulding (Alex Shaw 62); Mark Anderson (Ben Rowan 30); Philip Thompson (Kyle Crowley 79); Ryan Howell; Nik Kyriacou; Alex Taylor; Josh Tolley
Sub(s) Not Used (3 From 5 Used): Chris Lewis; Jamie Coleman

Team News: All three who went off had injuries, prognoses unknown