Brakes close in on 50 point target as Chilton strike is enough to see off Worcester threat

Lee Chilton’s 8th minute strike was all that separated the two at the final whistle but the closing minutes would have been far more comfortable had Leamington taken any of a raft of opportunities created in a dominant first half performance.

The visitors began to create chances of their own in the closing stages and Brakes were indebted to Tony Breeden, whose three fine saves preserved the slim advantage.

Nathan Hicks put in another impressive display and pulled the ball back for Chilton inside the opening moments, but the winger was slightly off balance and fired first time over the bar.

He would not make the same mistake when his team mate found him again after another jinking run in from the right.

The ball across goal was missed by Danny Newton but found Chilton just inside the box.

He turned smartly inside his marker and fired low across goal and inside the far post.

Hicks was causing havoc in midfield, and worked space for a shot before firing wide. Breeden was the next to threaten the Worcester goal, his huge kick up field forcing keeper Leigh Bedwell to tip the ball over the bar.

A free kick won by Hicks to the right of the penalty area saw Reece Flanagan bend a low shot just past the post, while Newton showed great technique to swivel and thunder in a volley from the edge of the box that flashed wide.

Flanagan was a matter of inches from adding another wonder goal to the one he scored against Oxford City, a neat exchange of passes sending him in on the left for a shot that drifted just past the far post.

Brakes skipper Stephan Morley was next to test Bedwell, his stinging long range drive palmed over by the City stopper after an unchallenged run from halfway.

Worcester had offered very little going forward but had their first sight of goal right on half time, Daniel Nti sending the ball just over the bar following a corner.

The game continued to follow a similar pattern into the second half, Hicks forcing Bedwell into another save diving to turn a low drive around the post, while Newton did well to turn and curl a shot over the bar after the keeper had come off his line to assist his defence.

Aaron Brown tried his luck from distance for Worcester but his shot was straight at Tony Breeden.

Another positive run from Flanagan saw Bedwell push the ball round the post again as the bounce almost deceived him, Liam Daly thumping his header just wide from the resulting corner.

The home fans were willing the clock to tick down faster as City began to find their range in the closing minutes.

Ellis Deeney’s fierce low free kick in from the right was pushed away by Breeden, while Ethan Moore blazed well over from the next ball into the box.

The Brakes keeper then denied Aaron Brown twice in quick succession, first flinging himself across goal to keep out a well struck free kick with a one handed save, then blocking a close range shot from the corner.

Daly almost added late gloss to the scoreline with a free kick of his own that looped off the defensive wall into the side netting, but Brakes saw out added time to extend their unbeaten sequence to five games.