We handed out too many presents, says Holleran

A sorry festive period which had already seen Leamington lose at Barwell and draw at home to Frome, was compounded by a last-minute defeat to ten-man Redditch United on bank holiday Monday.

There looked little danger of defeat at half-time with Brakes 1-0 up and in control.

However, a lethargic second-half display from the hosts allowed Redditch to get a foothold in the game.

And despite being reduced to ten men with the dismissal of opening goalscorer Aaron Forde, the visitors went on to claim all three points with an injury-time strike from Jake Jones.

Brakes remain third in the Southern League Premier Division, but with only four points separating second from eighth, Holleran says his side can ill-afford to be so charitable.

“If you can’t win the game, don’t lose it,” said Holleran.

“To concede a late goal like that was poor. It shouldn’t be happening. We shouldn’t lose to a team like Redditch in that manner.

“In the three games over Christmas we’ve conceded six goals and there’s not been a good goal scored against us.

“We’ve conceded four from set-plays and two in injury time.

“We need to be better than that if we want to be top five.”

On-loan striker Luke Corbett had several chances to find the back of the net either side of Jacob Blyth’s 38th-minute opener, but despite their inability to kill the game off, Holleran still believed his side had enough resolve to hang on to their one-goal advantage.

However, he reckoned without a freak equaliser from Forde, who curled the ball in direct from a corner.

“We started well and in the first 25 minutes we had three very good opportunities that I’d expect people to put away,” he said.

“We came in at half-time and could have been three or four up and the only regret is that the game is not over.

“But the second half we’ve not got going at all. We’ve huffed and we’ve puffed but we didn’t play with any real quality and we’ve paid the ultimate price.

“Their first is a complete misjudgement. I think Lee Evans thought it was going over the bar, but it shouldn’t happen at this level.

“And after that we looked deflated.”

Holleran threw on Alex Taylor and Jimmy Husband in an attempt to regain the initiative, but both players looked off the pace and the Brakes boss admitted it was a gamble that backfired.

Husband was still feeling the effects of a virus which forced him to spend a night in hospital after the Barwell defeat, while Taylor is struggling with a persistent Achilles injury.

The absence of Michael Tuohy, who picked up an injury on Boxing Day further limited Holleran’s options and, with Jamie Sheldon a long-time absentee, Holleran bemoaned his side’s lack of a creative outlet.

“It’s been difficult going into games without the players who give us width.

“I looked around against Redditch and wondered where that extra edge was going to come from.

“We wanted to open the game up but I don’t think Jimmy was quite ready.

“Hopefully by the St Albans game he will now have shaken off the virus, while Michael Tuohy’s injury is clearing up well.

“Alex Taylor we need to take care of because it’s not clearing up and there has been a tendency because he’s been doing so well for us to throw him in before he’s ready.”

Holleran is still looking to bolster his options ahead of tomorrow’s trip to St Albans, but saw a move for a League One player fall down at a late stage.