"Bomber" Harri Hits the Target

This was an excellent workout before c50 people on a mostly sunny, muggy Sunday morning. The representative XI, as one might expect, were bigger and stronger but young Brakes battled well, took the lead at one stage, and could so easily have won it. But the game was more important than the result with some new faces still to get a game in a pre-season seriously curtailed by the weather and holidays.

For those of you of a certain age the County XI started with a defender who looked, and was built, like, Steve McQueen. The other central defender was even bigger. But young Brakes were not overawed and, although the County XI had the better of the first half, some late-saving tackles from the defence, with McKinley dominant, restricted the visitors to 0-1 after an unstoppable shot into the top corner in the 23rd minute. Ward headed off the line in the 30th and an extraordinary sequence of saves saw the ball cleared off the Brakes' line three times in the 36th.

Another goal-line clearance kept Brakes in the game in the 53rd but this was followed by a remarkable turnaround with two goals in the 55th minute from Alex "Bomber" Harri who had come on for the second half, 2-1. Younger brother of James "Shearer" Harri, the diminutive Alex first twisted and turned through a packed defence to lash in the equaliser and followed this by chasing down a defensive slip to slot the ball superbly past the oncoming 'keeper within seconds of the restart.

Just as it looked as if Brakes could go further ahead the vistors slotted home an equaliser in the 60th minute, 2-2. But seven minutes later Cromwell was put through, one on one with the 'keeper only to see his low drive well blocked. This was a wake-up call for the County XI who peppered the Brakes' goal for the last 10 minutes before unleashing an excellent volley in the 87th to tie things up at 2-3.

Leamington Youth Started: Richard Morgan; Paz Bhangal; Dave Ward; Andy McKinley; Ben Langley; Sean Rellis; Satty Baden; Dave Callaghan; John Hampton; Kyle Crowley; Will Cromwell
Came On: Vinny Thiara; Alex Harri; Curtis Jackson; Luke Warby

Team News: Tom Leaver, Kevin McGarvey, Chris Lewis and others on holidays