Late hammer blow for Leamington after 2-0 lead evaporates against Bromsgrove Sporting

The Brakes were looking to build on Saturday’s Southern League Premier Division Central win at Banbury United and boss Scott Easterlow welcomed back Chris Wreh, Byron Wilson and Cam Eubank into his squad from suspension.

Save for an FA Cup exit at fellow promotion chasers Bury Town, Bromsgrove arrived unbeaten in October and still within touching distance of the top two.

Both sides had efforts at goal in the opening 10 minutes, in what was a high octane start from both sides.

Wreh crashed a venomous low drive just wide after being fed by Tonge.

Both sides were being caught out by the offside trap being utilised by the respective defences, but Leamington broke the Bromsgrove line to open the scoring on 37 minutes.

Latching on to a fine ball out of defence, skipper Kyle Finn timed his run to perfection, and as Tony Breeden came off his line to narrow the angles, he nonchalantly flicked it past him with his left boot.

Brakes were more than matching their visitors, and they doubled their lead four minutes before half-time.

Finn thumped in a piledriver of a strike that Breeden did superbly to keep out, but Kai Tonge was on hand to crash the loose ball into the back of the net.

Bromsgrove were out of the blocks quickly upon the resumption.

Ollie Harrison rose highest to thump in a downward header from Chris Hussey’s right wing corner, but he was denied by a super save from Brian Okonkwo.

Billy Shaw was presented with a great chance to halve the deficit for Sporting when he turned Nat Kelly on the edge of the box to give himself a clear shot at Okonkwo, but inexplicably he placed a weak effort straight at the Leamington keeper.

The lively Lamin Barrow was receiving possession at every opportunity, and saw one shot deflected behind before another was held down his near post by Okonkwo.

Jervis knocked another effort just wide, but on 63 minutes the Rouslers were back in the game when Jak Hickman set up for a close range finish.

Bromsgrove were well in control now, and levelled things up five minutes later through Barrow, again from close range, with the Leamington defence at sixes and sevens.

The equaliser seemed to almost inspire Leamington to regain their first half form.

Jermaine Hylton saw a shot pushed round the post by Okonkwo, but Leamington were still in there fighting.

There was no question that the very least Leamington deserved from this game was a point, but it was heartbreakingly ripped from their grasp deep into injury time as a slip let in Barrow to claim all three points for the delighted visitors.

Despite the gut wrenching nature of this defeat there was an awful lot to be pleased with over the course of the 90 minutes.

BRAKES: Okonkwo, Cockerill-Mollett, Kelly, Tonge, Wreh (Eubank, 77), Finn (Kabeya, 66), Farmer, Fuseini, Flanagan, Palit, Wilson (Rowe, 70). SUBS NOT USED: Pennell, Wright.

REFEREE: Martin Beard

ATTENDANCE: 465

BRAKES MAN OF THE MATCH: Iddriss Fuseini.