Borough Bounce Brave Brakes With Late Equaliser

Brakes looked to have beaten Borough with a 44th minute trademark goal from Tolley, expertly swung in from a corner, but Borough brought on the big boys to retrieve the situation with an equaliser in the 80th and continue their recent improvement which brought a 2-2 draw against leaders WBA.

Lively Brakes threatened to take an early lead and a Kyriacou shot followed by an Anderson header from a Thompson cross both went close inside the first 10 minutes. A McKinley free in the 13th looked to be going well over the bar but a last second dip left it only inches from the intersection of bar and post. McKinley was on form and cleared well in the 19th as Brakes early threat faded and Borough came into the game.

A good Morgan save in the 20th kept Brakes level as the speed of one or two Borough forwards started to threaten but their finishing was poor as to be expected from a side that had scored only 10 goals all season. But, conversely, the Borough defence has a good record and Kyriacou was, again, kept out after breaking free from a perceptive Martin Groves through ball in the 23rd. A good saving tackle from McKinley and a point-blank save from the excellent Morgan in the Brakes goal kept things on an even keel until Brakes struck after nearly 134 minutes of goalless football between these two teams when Tolley made it 0-1 in the 44th minute fooling everyone with one of his trademark corner-kicks, swung in left-footed from the right flag.

Neither team looked like scoring for much of the second half though a through ball from Lewis to Kyriacou was just cut out and Morgan recovered brilliantly to stop a ball that took a wicked deflection off the pitted turf just in front of him. Martin Groves made a late saving tackle in the 65th but neither team threatened otherwise. Then Borough brought on the "big boys". Whether these were players from a higher level, reserves or first-team, though eligible, who couldn't be played for 90 minutes I know not. But their introduction coincided with the return of an old fault with some of the Brakes' players ball-watching instead of attacking the ball.

Maybe Monday games are just too soon after the weekend for some of our players who play for other clubs but the zip of recent games was not there and, in the 80th, they paid the penalty when the ball was poked home by Borough for 1-1. Kyriacou battled away to the final whistle, looking like going over the three defenders marking him if he couldn't get round them and he shot just wide in the 86th after a twisting, turning run. But it was not to be as Borough registered their 6th draw of the season, two against Brakes. Brakes can be pleased with their fourth undefeated match in a row though perhaps a little disappointed at not moving into the top half of the table for the first time.

Leamington Youth: Richard Morgan; Alex Shaw; Martin Groves; Jac Sheppard; Andy McKinley; Luke Moulding; Mark Anderson [Capt]; Phil Thompson (Iain Groves 46); Nik Kyriacou; Alex Taylor (Chris Lewis 53); Josh Tolley (Jamie Coleman 68)
Sub(s) Not Used (3 From 4): Ben Halstead-Smyth

Team News: Several players missing, or substituted, because of minor knocks - nothing serious.