Young Brakes Fall To Sucker-Punch

Young Brakes swept into a 17th minute lead through Howell after a glorious move that promised much but an equaliser after a free kick in the 35th and a bad defensive error in the 43rd sent them in at the break 2-1 down. They never recaptured their early promise against a hard-working Boldmere but seemed to have done enough for a point when Kyriacou equalised in the 84th only to fall to the classic sucker-punch when Boldmere scored the winner with the next move.

Young Brakes were buzzing up front and Howell went close in the 4th minute from a Tolley cross but Boldmere were clearly up for it starting below Brakes in the table with games to spare but still in relegation danger. Brakes defence was under pressure from some nippy forwards and Cole was injured after some desperate defending in the 11th and had to come out quickly two minutes later to kick clear.

But Brakes seemed to have weathered the storm and a glorious, free-flowing move led to a goal when Howell made it 1-0 in the 17th minute. Tolley, on the left, released Kitchen, making his first start and home debut, and he crossed well for Howell to sweep the ball into the net. Now Brakes were well on top with Lewis looking like the player he was before his nasty knee injury.

Then Brakes were rocked back with a well-worked free-kick that caught the defence marking the goalmouth, expecting a cross, and so exposed to a short pass down the right of the pack which was knocked in, 1-1 in the 35th. With new heart Boldmere were now back in the game but the defence seemed equal to the task until, under no pressure, a knock across his own goal by a Brakes' defender let in a lurking forward for 1-2 in the 43rd.

The influential Elkington had been limping before the half hour and was replaced by Moulding at the start of the second half. This was now, at best, a patchy display from Brakes who seemed to have forgotten their early dominance. Some defenders tried trickery, and lost the ball, when an early ball was required and the midfield were giving the ball away or humping it upfield which is much the same thing. Frustration grew and Tolley was booked for sharing an opinion with the referee in the 60th.

On came the little firebrand, Kyriacou, and suddenly Brakes were buzzing again. Lewis, Howell and Kyriacou linked well and persistence paid off when Kyriacou broke, at speed, on the right to see his shot pushed out to the left by the 'keeper. Tolley dinked it back into the area for Kyriacou to level it at 2-2 in the 84th. The fans had only just put freezing hands back in their pockets on this, bitter cold night when Brakes fell to the classic sucker-punch and Boldmere wrapped it up at 2-3 in the 85th minute from a low, angled drive into the far corner of the Brakes' net.

Leamington Youth: Luke Cole; James Taylor; Jamie Coleman (Nik Kyriacou 68); Alex Shaw; Ben Elkington [Capt] (Luke Moulding 46); Ben Rowan; Iain Groves; Ryan Howell; Chris Lewis; Ashley Kitchen (Mark Anderson 62); Josh Tolley
Sub(s) Not Used (3 From 5): Alex Taylor; Martin Groves

Team News: Ben Elkington got a knock, not sure how bad; Philip Thompson unwell; some on holiday or other (half-term) activities.