Holleran feels Leamington fully deserved win over Oxford
Leamington boss Paul Holleran felt his side were good value for their 4-1 win at home to Oxford City on Tuesday night.
The win followed on from Saturday’s success in the FA Trophy against Farsley Celtic, and moved the Brakes up into sixth place in the National League North.
Cally Stewart hit a hat-trick to add to Dan Meredith’s first-half opener, and Holleran told the club’s media that it was a fully-deserved win.
He said: “It was a really good game. Did we deserve to score four goals? I think we did. You could argue with some of their play that they deserved to score more. The result could have been anything really.
“It’s probably not the type of game we’re used to here. It was quite open. I think over the last couple of months we’ve been trying to get the lads to play through, and just come out and switch play a bit more. We were brave enough to do it tonight.
“It was nip and tuck at times. You could see their strengths - always looking to play through you, always looking to break the lines; brave passes into the nine; runners off it, but we always looked a threat on the counter during that period, and if you analyse the game, probably our play down the right hand side during the first half - the link up between Dan and Henry was phenomenal at times.
"I thought they were electric down that right hand side first half, and that was the difference between the two sides in that first half.
“In the second half… I can’t say we’ve been clinical because we missed a few chances, but we were at the end. Our counter attacking and the pace we had - we scored some good goals tonight as well and at the right times.
"And after watching Oxford play on Saturday, when they dismantled Needham Market, who we know are a really good side - I can see why they won heavily in the FA Cup and why they dismantled Needham, but we’ve scored four and missed a few other good chances as well, so from our point of view that was really pleasing.”
Leamington now prepare for the next round of the FA Cup on Saturday as they go to SPL Premier Central side Harborough Town in the third qualifying round.
Brakes will then host Scarborough Athletic a week later.