New-look Leamington hit five in opening friendly against Lye Town

And Owen Farmer, the only member of last season’s squad still at the club, finished the game with a hat-trick.

The manager was able to name six of his new signings in his first line up, including his most recent acquisitions Kyle Belmonte and Dexter Walters.

With the rumble of heavy vehicles working on the HS2 railway line just yards from one end of the stadium the two sides kicked off with the temperature having steadily risen throughout the day.

Leamington looked nervy and disjointed in the opening exchanges, which with none of these players having played together before, was completely understandable.

Jacob Humphries made a good save as he smothered from a visiting attacker as Lye looked busy early on, while Kyle Belmonte drove a shot high over the bar for Brakes.

With 20 minutes played Farmer was sent sprinting clear down the left by slide rule pass.

He skipped past the keeper, but struck the outside of the post with his shot.

The healthy crowd of 208 humorously booed the arrival of a drinks break shortly afterwards.

Farmer did open the scoring on the half hour, played through the centre this time by another good ball, and this time he beat the keeper despite the Lye stopper getting a hand to the shot.

The goal would no doubt have come as a relief to the striker, who would have wanted to hit the ground running, and that is exactly what he did.

He was his usual tigerish self as Leamington grew in confidence following the goal, battling for every ball.

Two minutes before half-time Farmer doubled his and Leamington’s tally, finishing off a fine move.

Nat Kelly, with the ball deep in the Brakes’ defensive third, launched a superb pass out to the trialist right back, and he drove into the space available before finding Farmer with a precise low cross, the striker slamming it first time into the net.

Almost on half-time it was three, Kyle Finn tucking in a loose ball after pre-match signing Walters had seen his shot parried.

Young Brakes keeper Humphries confidently claimed an early second half cross, before Lye’s No.9 sent a dangerous low ball across goal, but there was nobody in a blue shirt to take advantage.

However, Humphries came for a cross just past the hour mark but was unable to claim, leaving the Lye No.9 to slam the ball low into the empty net from just outside the box.

The manager had introduced his entire substitutes bench just prior to this, so it was perhaps understandable that there were a few crossed wires.

But Leamington soon restored their three goal cushion. Trialist G sent in a right wing corner to the near post on 73 minutes, and Nat Kelly powered his header into the net.

Four minutes on, Brakes’ Trialist A was fouled inside the Lye penalty area, and Farmer slammed the spot kick down the middle to complete his hat-trick.

Lye’s substitute No.17 caused a few problems with a powerful direct run towards goal, beating Kelly and forcing a good, sprawling save from Humphries.

But this was a decent opening workout for Leamington.

With four of their new arrivals not involved it presented a chance for the trialists to shine, and some of them performed well.

LEAMINGTON: Jacob Humphries, Trialist A (12 Oli Buckby 60), Trialist B, Cameron Eubank, Trialist C, Nat Kelly, Dexter Walters (14 Trialist D, 60), Kyle Belmonte (18 Trialist E, 60), Owen Farmer, Raj Palit (16 Trialist F, 60), Kyle Finn (17 Trialist G, 60).