Sat, 22 Nov 2008 @ Byfield Road, Woodford Halse. . vs Woodford United (2-0). British Gas Business Southern League Midland Division. By P Edwards.
The first signs of winter were showing on what was a chilly afternoon in Northamptonshire, despite the late afternoon sunshine making a brief appearance. Brakes emerged from what was always going to be a tough assignment with three points to keep them in touch with a rampant Atherstone Town, who just happen to be our next opponents.
With a pitch that wasn't in the best of conditions, and a team managed by Cadsey's former assistant Darran Tank, which included six former Brakes players, there were some familiar faces to greet us at Byfield Road. However, there is no time for sentiment in the business of winning football matches, at least not until after the final whistle.
It was evident that Leamington would struggle to play their normal game on the sticky pitch, as they had in the previous visit, but the early signs were promising. Jamie Lenton's free kick from the right was punched clear by Reds keeper Matt Finlay, and as Luke Corbett nodded the ball down on the right of the penalty area, it sat up perfectly for Jai Stanley to thump in a first time shot that Finlay got down well to parry. Corbett, clearly eager to atone for his sending off on Tuesday, then saw a low shot saved. Mark Bellingham did well to turn and make some space for a shot inside the area, but it lacked power and went just wide. Woodford had shown little up front until this point, but with our talismanic former striker Richard Adams in their side, they had an obvious threat, if they could get the ball to him in the right places. A free kick was hit well wide, and Richard Morris made an easy save from another shot. There were shouts for a penalty at the other end when Jamie Lenton's shot appeared to be handled, but the Referee waved them away, as he seemed to do with most incidents that looked clear cut to others inside the ground, during the afternoon. Lenton then sent in a good effort from the left, as he controlled Liam Reynolds' cross, but Finlay was down well to save. At the other end, Jason Ramsey moved in to attack a cross from Richard Adams, but Adam Cooper was in quickly to move the ball away.
Luke Corbett was desperately unlucky not to register a goal during the first half, and the next two efforts on the home goal were from him. The first came as he rounded a defender after being played in on the left. He seemed to slip as he struck his shot, but still forced a good save at his near post from Finlay. He then got on the end of a good cross in from the right by Jamie Towers, only to see his downward header blocked by Finlay. The ball reached Bellingham on the edge of the box from the resulting scramble, but his shot sailed over the bar. The final action of the half saw Richard Adams trying to wriggle through the challenges on the edge of the area, but his snatched shot was well wide of Richard Morris' goal.
Corbett had the first chance of the second half, again with his head from Lenton's ball in, but it went straight into the hands of Finlay. The home side then had their best spell of the game, as they put Leamington under some pressure. Tom Fountain tried his luck with a long range effort that Richard Morris appeared to think was going over his crossbar, but it struck the underside of it and bounced down onto the line. There were screams from the Woodford players and bench, but the assistant kept his flag down. Richard Adams then set off on one of those weaving runs that we had seen him make so many times before when wearing the gold and black. He looked to be in goal, but Morris was out to save bravely at his feet.
Brakes emerged from this rough patch, and broke the deadlock on the hour. Following a break from midfield, Jai Stanley set up Mark Bellingham to strike a low shot across the box and right into the far corner. The pendulum was now firmly swinging in favour of the visiting side, and Finlay palmed a strong shot from Stanley out for a corner at his near post, and then blocked again from Corbett, who latched on to a flick on from Bellingham. The two strikers then led a quick break forward, Corbett returning the ball to Bellingham, who advanced and took his time with the strike. It flashed inches wide of the far post, with Corbett a fraction away from getting on the end of it.
Woodford threatened again briefly, but there was nearly a bizarre goal scored when Finlay came out to meet a cross, and punched the ball against Guy Sanders. He was saved by a covering defender on the line. The respite was only temporary, however. Jamie Coleman was booked for a foul on Towers by the touchline, and as is often the case, the wing back's delivery was accurate, with Guy Sanders soaring to meet it, and powering a header into the back of the net to give Brakes a comfortable advantage with which to see out the closing stages.
There was very nearly a third goal, as a raft of substitutions disrupted the last ten minutes; a fine cross field pass by Marcus Jackson sent Towers speeding up the right, and his ball in to the near post was attacked by a combination of Jai Stanley and Josh Blake, but went behind.
It was pleasing to come out of what was always going to be a tricky fixture with three points, especially with a big top of the table clash looming on the horizon. Hopefully over the coming week James Husband and Mykel Beckley can recover from injury in time to face Atherstone, as the battle for the leadership of the Midland Division begins to hot up.
Woodford United: Matt Finlay, Ross Harris, Jamie Coleman (Tom Lorraine, 85), Neil Stacey, Josh Urquart (Ellis Alleyne, 40), Ady Fuller, Aaron Parkinson, Tom Fountain, Richard Adams (Josh Cole, 80), Jason Ramsey, Martin Crawford.
Leamington: Richard Morris, Jamie Towers (Ryan Parisi, 80), Martin Hier, Adam Cooper, Guy Sanders, Marcus Jackson, Liam Reynolds, Jai Stanley (Stuart Herlihy, 76), Luke Corbett, Mark Bellingham (Josh Blake, 75), Jamie Lenton.