Defences Blown Away as Young Brakes and Bulls Share 10

A strong wind that blew directly across the pitch, unusually, from dug-out side to Sheepside, was probably responsible for an extraordinary match in which defensive errors contributed to many of the goals, seven of which were at the North Bank end. Young Brakes swept into a 3-1 half-time lead, after going a goal down early on, then collapsed to 3-5 in a 13 minute spell before recovering with two goals in the last few minutes to share the points at 5-5 before a below average crowd of 67.

A strong cross wind was clearly going to make this an unusual match but Brakes seemed to be coping less well as Hereford made the early running. The defence failed to clear and Hereford made it 0-1 in the 4th minute and looked like scoring more. But a 10 minute spell changed that perception as Brakes found their feet at last. A Thompson free was met by Iain Groves who turned the ball into the path of Howell; he unleashed a tremendous drive into the corner of the net in the 19th to make it 1-1. With the Hereford defence looking in disarray Brakes took the lead two minutes later with another good goal as Howell fed Alex Taylor who slipped it to the powerful Martin Groves. He took on defenders before driving home for 2-1 in the 21st. Now it was all Brakes and they were 3-1 ahead from a McKinley penalty in the 28th minute after Iain Groves was floored. Iain nearly added a 4th in the 33rd but his effort, from a corner, was charged down by the 'keeper.

And yet, even then, there was a feeling that a two goal lead was not enough. Though the wind seemed to be going across the pitch it was doing stranger things with the ball at the North Bank end, despite the early goal at the other end. Brakes also seemed to have gone very quiet, less talkative and less abrasive, despite the attempts of skipper Elkington to rouse his men. In a devastating 13 minutes they were made to rue not putting the game beyond reach in the first half. The ball was poked home in the 58th for 3-2 after the defence failed to clear and an awful defensive error let in the equaliser in the 62nd, 3-3. Thompson had a good run down the right and Howell nearly scored from a Martin Groves cross in the 65th when his powerful shot was tipped over for a corner. But it was mostly Hereford and they made it 3-4 in the 67th when the ball was lost on the right and a long shot seemed to hang on the wind before going in the net. Brakes collapse seemed complete when a strike from the right was pushed out by 'keeper Kerr only to fall to one of several rampant Hereford forwards who had no problem knocking home for 3-5 in the 71st.

But that was the end of Hereford's scoring though it needed a point-blank save by Kerr in the 72nd which, if scored, surely, would have completed the rout. Moulding moved up to strike over the bar and to show what was still possible as Brakes brought on the subs. Then, suddenly, there was hope. In the 86th minute McKinley got his second of the night to make it 4-5 and now it was all Brakes as they saw the chance to redeem themselves. The equaliser came two minutes into added time after the 90 when Kyriacou headed the ball back into a gaping goal with the 'keeper AWOL to make it an improbable 5-5 at the death.

Both sides will be disappointed that they didn't win, and both had their chance to put it out of sight, Brakes in the first half and Hereford after they had also gone into a 2-goal lead in the second half. Either could finish 4th or, more likely, 5th but either or both could still be relegated. It would be interesting to see what these teams could do in a game not marred by a wind which grew stronger as the game went on. I do feel that Hereford are not as good a team as Brakes and were there for the taking, as they were at Leominster, so this feels like two points lost rather than a point gained, albeit by a late, spirited fight-back.

Leamington Youth: Dan Kerr; Iain Groves; Martin Groves (Josh Tolley 87); Luke Moulding; Ben Elkington [Capt]; Phil Thompson; Mark Anderson; Andrew McKinley; Ryan Howell; Arron Reynolds (Nik Kyriacou 69); Alex Taylor (James Taylor 79)
Sub(s) Not Used (3 From 5): Chris Lewis; Jamie Coleman

Team News: Apologies to Andy McKinley who was said, in my last match report, to be playing his 3rd game in three days - not so apparently; he used to but doesn't anymore; Ben Rowan is unwell.