Sat, 16 Feb 2008 @ The Meadow, Chesham. vs Aylesbury United (4-2). British Gas Business Southern League Midland Division. By D Hucker. With Evesham United having opened up a seven point gap, there was plenty of pressure coming into this match. Brakes responded well, scoring four goals away from home for the first time since Cradley Town last Easter Saturday, to keep tabs on the leaders.
Richard Morris was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the opening ten minutes, saving twice from Andy Shed and then a shot from James Faulkner, who latched onto a superb pass from the right from Sam Swonnel which split open the normally solid Brakes defence.
However, it was the visitors who took the lead on 17 minutes when, following a foul on Ben Mackey, Arron Parkinson's free-kick was turned in by ex-Alvechurch striker Keith Rostill for his first goal for the club. Another free-kick in the 37th minute saw Brakes double their advantage, this time from Guy Sanders who sent the ball through the Aylesbury defensive wall and past 'keeper Tom Vincent into the bottom left-hand corner.
Within a minute, Aylesbury had pulled one back as Faulkner went through unchallenged to beat Morris. The lively Faulkner could have had another just before the interval, but his dipping shot went just over the crossbar.
Brakes rode their luck at the start of the second half with both James Husband and Mackey clearing efforts off the line. They took another step towards wrapping up the points when Rostill got his second, coolly finishing off a move involving Stuart Herlihy and Mackey.
Faulkner also got his second on 74 minutes, converting a penalty awarded for a foul by Martin Hier. Although Morris went the right way and got his hands to the ball, the shot was struck too powerfully to stop. Brakes got the reward that their football and endeavour deserved when Mackey himself scored from the spot after Jamie Towers had been upended by Nick Leach who, unlike Hier, escaped a booking.
In the 79th minute, Morris pulled off a superb reflex save to stop substitute Nathan Graham adding to his 21 goal haul but, from then on, Brakes comfortably held Aylesbury to run out worthy winners.
Marcus Jackson and Josh Blake both made welcome returns to the squad after injury, with Jackson replacing Herlihy and Blake taking over from Rostill. The result lifted the gloom that had descended over the New Windmill earlier in the day when officials discovered a break-in to the clubhouse. The damage to the building will need to be repaired before Saturday's home match against Malvern Town and work will be put in hand on Monday.
Absent from the squad were Dale Jones and Vijay Sidhu, both getting match practice at Barwell under their new manager, Marcus Law.
Manager Jason Cadden said "That was a good win on a difficult pitch. We set a target of eight points from our run of four consecutive away matches and got them. Evesham keep on winning, but we will try to keep the pressure on them. The fourth goal helped our goal difference and it may well come down to that at the end of the season"
Aylesbury United Tom Vincent, Nick Leach [Capt.], Kevin Mealor (Nathan Graham 66), Stuart Catell, Carl Kavanagh, Ross Taylor, Danny Nicholls, Sam Swonnel, James Faulkner, Andy Shed (Craig Henney 84), MIke Feely (Nathan Liburd 75)
Brakes Richard Morris, Jamie Towers, Arron Parkinson [Capt.], Guy Sanders, Martin Hier, Stuart Herlihy (Marcus Jackson 58), Craig Dutton, Ben Mackey, Robbie Beard, Keith Rostill (Josh Blake 72), James Husband (Ryan Parisi 84)