Leamington	3-2	Massey-Ferguson
Sidwell 60 Nicholls 73 o.g. 85 Mort Thompson Att: 410		Carpenter 44(p) Woodhouse 52

Team: Day; Thompson, Rowland, Sidwell, Walker, Webb; Timms (Adams), Hammond (Blake), Mort; Nicholls, Agar (Shearsby)

Over 400 spectators turned up for the second floodlit game of the season, to see the most spectacular and exciting match at the New Windmill since Archdale visited at the end of April last year.

The teams should have gone in level at 0-0 but for a 44th minute goal after Massey were awarded a contentious penalty when the referee adjudged Timms to have controlled the ball with his arm. Despite the protest from Timms, and the hoots of derision from the North Bank, Carpenter put away the spot-kick to give Massey an undeserved half-time lead.

As the teams came out for the second half, no-one expected things to get any worse, but they did. Before Brakes had settled into their stride, the ball broke on the left, and Woodhouse struck a peach of a shot from the left edge of the area. Myles Day in the Leamington goal didn't see a thing as the curling, dipping shot came through a crowd of players in the penalty area.

Leamington looked down and out until the management brought on Adams and Blake before the hour. This gave Webb the opportunity to move into his favoured central rôle. Immediately, the Brakes midfield had bite, verve and control. It took five minutes for the sustitution to take effect.

A free kick was won on the left hand side. Thompson curled over a beautiful cross which Sidwell headed with ferocity straight into the net from six yards out. Suddenly the crowded North Bank came to life, and the team seemed to have a sense of urgency about them.

Buoyed by the goal and the atmosphere, Leamington started to dominate the game. The crowd could sense that another goal was imminent. It came after 73 minutes. Blake blocked an attempted pass by an opposition defender and the ball ricocheted through for Nicholls to run onto. With only the goalkeeper to beat, there was no contest as Nicholls struck it past the despairing keeper.

The crowd was buzzing by now, urging the Brakes on to further heights with quarter of an hour to go. The chance for victory came in the 83rd minute when Mort was dragged back in the area, and the referee awarded his second debatable spot-kick of the evening. Massey were reduced to ten men as the perpetrator gave some verbals, and although Nicholls had the ball in his hand for the penalty, Mort took it from him. The normally dependable Mort placed his kick high, wide and not so handsome.

This seemed to signal the last chance for Brakes to get maximum points from the game. Massey continued to battle and get stuck in. However, five minutes from time, the ball came to Adams on the right hand side in acres of space. He had plenty of time to look up and try and pick out a gold shirt. Fortunately he didn't have to, as his cross which was destined for Nicholls' head, was put past the goalie by a defender.

Leamington really got out of jail in this match. It will be rare that they can play so badly and come away with all three points. Better teams will punish. The match did prove one thing to the management, though. Webb is a class act - but he is most definitely not a wing-back - his skills and drive are far more useful in midfield.

NBB Man-of-the-Match: Simon Walker

Match report by Simesy