Error costly as Leamington slip up against Needham Market

Looking to build on their unlikely point against Redditch last Tuesday, Brakes were without Louie Rea, having returned to Birmingham City after the end of his loan and Dexter Walters, who had left during the week.

Boss Scott Easterlow brought in Iddriss Fuseini, Raj Palit, Owen Farmer and Chris Wreh to his starting XI.

The manager’s call for his team to start games on the front foot unfortunately fell on deaf ears once more, as the visitors were ahead with little under two minutes played.

A right wing corner was flicked on to Ryan Miles, who headed home from close range.

The reaction to going behind was far better than it had been on Tuesday night, with Leamington pushing forward and trying to cause problems for the visitors.

A well won free kick by Owen Farmer on the right close to the corner flag saw Cockerill-Mollett flight an inviting delivery into the box that just lacked a Gold and Black shirt to attack it.

However, the ball was only half cleared to Farmer, who crashed in a venomous half volley low into a crowded penalty area that was deflected behind via the post.

From the resulting corner, Chris Wreh was left unmarked to direct a diving header into the turf with enough momentum on the ball to send it spinning over the backpeddaling Bradbrook into the net on 18 minutes.

Incredibly, the visitors were back in front within two minutes, but unfortunately it was a goal handed to them on a plate.

Nat Kelly’s square pass caught Josh Flanagan by surprise, and he was off balance and unable to connect.

The ball ran perfectly for Miles, who with Okonkwo having already gone down in anticipation of the shot, had the simple task of placing it into the net to regain the lead for Needham in the most bizarre of circumstances.

To their credit Leamington responded again in positive fashion, Tonge firing just wide.

Then great work on the left from Tonge saw him lay off for Cockerill-Mollett to dig out a great cross that Farmer watched all the way at the far post before striking on the half volley, the ball rippling the sidenetting.

The attacking was incessant after the break, Farmer shooting just wide and Tonge wide on the half volley after Finn chested down to him.

Kabeya then carried the ball out of his own half to the edge of the Needham Market penalty area before Palit drove a shot wide of goal.

Farmer cut inside as he received Cockerill-Mollett’s left wing cross and looked to have a great chance to slam home, but found the sidenetting again.

The visitors were a man down in the 57th minute when skipper Kieran Morphew was sent off hauling down Tonge right on the edge of the box as he was played in on goal.

The red card seemed to take the edge off Leamington’s game for a short time, but they were back on the offensive when Finn did well to lift the ball into the six yard box for Tonge, who headed straight at Bradbrook.

Brakes almost handed the Marketmen a third goal when a defensive ricochet from an attempted clearance fell to Liam Pearce, whose shot was blocked by a combination of Okonkwo and Kelly. The ball was sent back towards goal by Pearce, but cleared by Flanagan before it could reach the line.

Both sides were a man light on 76 minutes when Wreh was also shown a straight red for a challenge on Kyle Hammond in front of the visiting dugout.

The game became more stretched in the closing stages, and Pearce played in substitute Marcel Lewis on the left, but he was denied by the legs of the stretching Okonkwo.

Fuseini then tried a low drive from 30 yards which was parried by Bradbrook, but there was no Leamington man in the vicinity to capitalise.

BRAKES: Okonkwo, Cockerill-Mollett, Kelly, Tonge, Wreh, Farmer (Arthur 70), Fuseini, Flanagan, Palit, Kabeya (Wright 75). SUBS NOT USED: Eubank, Pennell, Belmonte.

REFEREE: Mr Samuel Lee.

ATTENDANCE: 640.

BRAKES MAN OF THE MATCH: Iddriss Fuseini.