Leamington FC halt losing streak after draw at Brackley

Callum Hawkins move some good saves to help secure the point. (Stock pic: Sally Ellis)

The game was marked as a Former Players Day, with a healthy turnout of former Brakes right through from the late 1960’s to more recent seasons, and while they did not witness any goals they saw the kind of stubborn rearguard action that has seen Leamington lose only six of their 22 league games thus far.

Skipper Jack Edwards headed a corner wide early on, but it was the visitors who came closest to breaking the deadlock, James Armson’s piledriver forcing Callum Hawkins into a flying save.

Riccardo Calder was next to go close just prior to the half hour mark when his shot across goal looked to have taken a deflection to send it wide of the far post.

Brackley skipper Gareth Dean headed a corner over as the Saints continued to ask all the questions in attack, with Shep Murombedzi sending another effort wide of goal as half time approached.

Brakes went close at the beginning of the second half through Devon Kelly-Evans who drilled a shot just wide.

Hawkins was alert to parry a decent strike from Cosmos Matwasa, while in a rare Leamington break Northampton Town loan man Liam Cross shot wide of the far post.

Giant Brackley number 9 Levi Amantchi forced Hawkins into another good save from his low strike;

A more wayward effort from Murombedzi drew comparisons with former England Rugby player Johnny Wilkinson as his free kick sailed so high over Hawkins’ goal it landed in the top of the hedge on the North Bank. Another effort from former Brakes youth player Jordan Cullinane-Liburd also went over the bar following a neat build up from the visitors.

Substitute Callum Stead had the ball in the net in added time but Referee Will Davis had already stopped the game for a foul, much to Brackley’s frustration, and they were denied again moments from the whistle, Hawkins saving from Adam Rooney before another effort was cleared off the line in a late scramble.

The leaders maintained their position at the top, but will have been disappointed not to have taken all three points, while Paul Holleran will have been much more satisfied with what he saw after Saturday’s defensive horror show at Boston.