Wed, 24 Dec 2008 @ Central Ground, Coles Lane, Sutton Coldfield. vs Sutton Coldfield Town (3-3). British Gas Business Southern League Midland Division. By P Edwards. Tuesday December 23rd, 2008.
A crazy final few minutes saw Leamington leave Coles Lane with a single point, when they had put themselves in an excellent position to take all three. An equaliser with virtually the last kick of the game made this result feel like a defeat, but at half time, the majority of the travelling support inside the ground would probably have settled for a draw. This was a real Jekyll and Hyde performance, the second half was as good as the first was poor, apart from those crazy final moments.
Adam Cooper returned from suspension in place of Ryan Parisi to face one of his former clubs, but with Guy Sanders still absent, Josh Blake continued in defence.
Many had predicted that Sutton might struggle this season, after they lost their two prolific strikers, Justin Rowe, and Mykel Beckley, but they have some very good young players, and although they are not quite as high in the table as they were last season, they are clearly still a good side, and started this game well. An early shot by Richard Robinson did not trouble Richard Morris, although the Royals' number seven slipped as he struck the ball. Junior Brown then stung the palms of the Leamington keeper with a drive from an acute angle after he nipped in to win the ball as it was being shepherded out of play.
Brakes looked hesitant in the opening ten minutes, and Morris was forced to punch clear from a free kick, before making a very good stop on the goal line from a header by Jamile Matt. Leamington began to move the ball around better after the opening period, and Sutton keeper Chris Gemmell gathered a cross from James Husband at the second attempt, but Morris was by far the busier of the two custodians, making a smart save at his near post as Jimmy Quiggan cut in from the left.
The Referee, Mr Garratt, did not have the best of games, and halted play on far too many occasions for things that he could have let go. The cautions which Jai Stanley and Jamie Towers picked up were both contentious.
Michael Batchelor popped up again to face his favourite team, after being part of the Evesham United side that dumped Brakes out of the FA Cup back in August. He was unmarked on the far side as a corner was powered into the box, and Martin Hier cleared his well place header off the line. Robinson may have been considering a change of footwear at half time, as he appeared to slip again when in a good position as he shot at goal. Richard Morris came off his line superbly to claim a dangerous cross from a crowd of players, whilst at the opposite end, Brakes were struggling to create any chances. Mark Bellingham rose to meet a cross from James Husband, but headed it away from goal, with Luke Corbett perhaps in a better position behind him.
The home side took a deserved lead on thirty four minutes when Junior Brown thumped a header into the top corner. Sutton had used their weapon of the long throw from Chris Milner, and their height at set pieces, to good effect. This seemed to finally bring some life into Leamington's play, and Royals skipper Phil Male was booked for hacking down Marcus Jackson in midfield. Mark Bellingham set off on the sort of run that has seen him find the net several times before during the season, but this time his shot flew inches wide. Sutton were still threatening, however, and Jamile Matt did well to turn Martin Hier and squeeze a pass across for his strike partner Junior Brown, but he was halted by a challenge that sent the ball back towards Morris.
A minute before half time, Leamington were given a huge helping hand back into the game. Hier headed the ball away from his area, and Marcus Jackson picked it up in midfield, sending a pass forward towards Bellingham, who was lurking outside the penalty area. Chris Gemmell, who seemed to spend most of the game on the edge of his penalty area, tried to clear, but only succeeded in landing the ball at the feet of Luke Corbett, who accepted the early Christmas present, and looped it back over the stranded keeper and into the net.
Even after this, the home side continued to press, and Craig Owen was disappointed with his shot at goal, having done very well to make space for himself on the edge of the box. There were screams for a penalty when a shot struck Adam Cooper in the area, but they were ignored by the officials.
Gemmell almost gifted Leamington a second goal in the opening moments of the second half, when he scuffed a clearance again. Jai Stanley tried a first time shot that went wide. Some neat interplay between Stanley, Jackson and Bellingham came to nothing, but Brakes began this half far better than they had done the first. Luke Corbett was pulled back thirty five yards from goal, and Stanley's free kick bounced in front of Gemmell, forcing him to palm it behind for a corner. Jamie Towers was becoming more of a central figure in the game, and he set off on a weaving run through the home defence, only for his final touch to send the ball through to the keeper, as he burst between the last two defenders.
There was a let off for Sutton Coldfield when the crossbar prevented an own goal following a corner, but the respite did not last long, as on sixty three minutes, a huge goal kick from Richard Morris sailed into the Sutton half. Mark Bellingham was onto it in a flash, and lifted the ball over Chris Gemmell, who had strayed off his line again, and it dropped into the net. This was Leamington's best spell of the game now, but they were still indebted to their goalkeeper, who pulled off another splendid save at his near post from Jake Murrall, as the hosts looked to hit back. However, they were dealt a blow when Richard Robinson lunged in wildly on Mark Bellingham in midfield, and having already been booked, was heading to the dressing rooms for an early shower. It looked like Bellingham would not reappear, but thankfully he was back at the touchline moments after going off, screaming at the officials to be allowed to rejoin the play.
The Sutton keeper Gemmell showed the better side of his game when he made a fine stop from Corbett, who was through on the left. The striker regained possession, and fired in a perfect cross for Jai Stanley inside the six yard box, but the midfielder just could not get over the ball enough, and headed it over the bar. Bellingham then picked out Stanley again with a fine cross, but his shot was blocked. Corbett then put in a perfect centre for his strike partner, who directed his header wide of Gemmell, but the keeper got just enough on it to stop the ball from going over the line, and it was cleared away. Leamington continued to press for a third goal, and Marcus Jackson made a great challenge in midfield to prevent a break by Sutton. James Husband did well to ride another tackle as he moved forward, and sprayed a pass out to Jai Stanley, who dragged his shot wide of the far post.
Michael Batchelor has always had something of a hate-hate relationship with some of the Brakes support, going back to our days in the Midland Combination, and our rivalry with Romulus, but those behind the goal were singing his name in the eighty fifth minute, as he scored as spectacular an own goal as you are likely to see, to seemingly put the game out of reach for his side. He connected with the ball outside the penalty area to the right of goal, presumably intending to clear it, but could only watch in horror as it spun off the outside of his boot and curled delightfully into the far corner of the goal. Game over, or so we thought. Not so. There is a well used saying, that you are at your most vulnerable after scoring a goal, and that certainly proved the case here, as Ed Booth thumped in a header from a corner just a minute later. There was time for Richard Morris to make yet another top class save, as a long throw into his area was only half cleared, and Quiggan smashed in a shot from outside the box that Mozza must have seen very late, but he got down to push it away from his goal.
There was one final twist in this match, and of all the players on the pitch to provide it, it had to be Michael Batchelor. He must have thought that all his Christmases had come at once, as with one final attack, the ball dropped to him in a crowded penalty area, and he thrashed it into the roof of the Leamington net. Unfortunately, he then let himself down by running almost the length of the pitch to to return the taunts of the Brakes fans, and gesticulate at them. He was also booked for removing his shirt, but under the circumstances, you could understand his reaction. Sutton had every right to celebrate, as they became only the second team to take points off Leamington this season, and over the course of the ninety minutes, although Brakes looked to have the game won, they were probably deserving of a point.
This result would surely have felt like a defeat to the players afterwards, as the three points were ripped from their grasp right at the death, but there can certainly be positives taken from the second half performance, especially as the squad is still missing some important players. Liam Reynolds will be available for the Bromsgrove game after serving his one match ban, and hopefully Guy Sanders will be recovered from illness and able to play some part, as his influence was missed in this game. Those clubs who are in pursuit of the leaders will be hoping that this result signals the start of a drop in form for Brakes, but to reach fifty points before Christmas is a fine achievement, and the only present most of us will wish for is that it continues into the last four months of the season.
Sutton Coldfield Town: Chris Gemmell, Chris Milner, Phil Male [C], Michael Batchelor, Ed Booth, Jake Murrall, Richard Robinson, Craig Owen, Jamile Matt (Aaron Farrell, 77), Junior Brown, Jimmy Quiggan.
Subs not used: Jae Martin, Tom Liversage, Jon Daniels, Sam Wilson.
Leamington: Richard Morris, Jamie Towers, Martin Hier, Adam Cooper, Josh Blake, Marcus Jackson, Steve Palmer, Jai Stanley, Mark Bellingham [C], Luke Corbett, James Husband.
Subs not used: Ryan Parisi, Jamie Lenton, Glenn Webb, Richard Anstiss.