Young Brakes Book Round 3

City nearly drew fist blood with 'keeper Cole coming to the rescue after a goalmouth tussle in the 16th minute and a volley going close five minutes later. But Brakes were unlucky in the 23rd when Howell's shot was blocked, the rebound struck firmly against the base of the post by Lewis with Howell again denied following that up. But increasing Brakes' pressure told in the 25th minute when McKinley made it 1-0 when he shrugged off the attentions of, seemingly, the whole Gloucester defence to strike a manificent shot from 20yds.

With Brakes in the ascendancy Thompson ran through a hesitant defence to no avail, but City's scoring potential was back on the agenda when James Taylor stopped a good, fluid move on Brakes' goal in the 27th and the rest of the defence, with Mark Anderson prominent, tackled hard and effectively to nip the burgeoning menace in the bud. But the half ended with Thompson, again, striking directly at goal only to waste the final ball across a vulnerable City goal.

The second-half performance showed Brakes to be stronger and fitter but this had its downside as player after player ran easily past several defenders only to be stopped, inevitably, by the 4th or 5th. Because it seemed possible to run through a tiring defence they tried just that, time and again, when maybe a final pass could have been more effective. Both Thompson and Tolley (who seems to have recaptured his club form) went close and Tolley released Howell with a superb ball in the 67th which deserved a goal but was pushed just a little too far for the 'keeper to gather.

But this was a Brakes side well in control and now playing some passing football. In the 70th minute captain Elkington made an upfield foray and crossed into the path of Thompson whose shot from 20yds was blocked. Crowley came on for Tolley and Alex Taylor for Lewis, who improves all the time through getting an extended run, and it was Alex Taylor who netted in the 82nd minute to make it 2-0 when he ran through a tiring defence, seemed to have lost it but recovered to round the City 'keeper and slot home.

Howell, Thompson and Crowley could all have added to the scoreline in the dying minutes but the killer punch was missing and City, to their credit, battled to the last to keep down the score and must be hopeful of a good future for what seemed a very young side.

Leamington Youth: Luke Cole; James Taylor; Martin Groves; Andrew McKinley; Ben Elkington [Capt.]; Mark Anderson; Philip Thompson; Iain Groves (Jamie Coleman 90); Chris Lewis (Alex Taylor 79); Ryan Howell; Josh Tolley (Kyle Crowley 69)
Sub(s) Not Used (3 From 5): Alex Shaw; Ben Halstead-Smyth;

Team News: Ben Rowan injured with glass in a foot (!); Nik Kyriacou "has an -itis" (laryngitis, tonsilitis, we know not but definitely an -itis).