Brakes outfought by explosive Sport

Team: Day; Thompson, Walker, Rowland (Sidwell), Gregory, Webb; Shearsby, Dhesi (Harri), Hanrahan (Saunders); Timms, Blake

Leamington suffered their second league defeat of the season to Fernhill County Sports at Pershore Town's ground, and it was all that Leamington deserved for a sub-standard performance. Even backed by around 75 traveling fans, Leamington failed to raise their game until the final 20 minutes when it was too late.

The opening was an even affair with Thompson going close for Leamington and County Sports' number 7 firing a free kick straight at Day. But it was Sports next attack which lead to the opening goal, as a corner found its way to the back post for Ballinger to force home after nine minutes.

This got the Brakes going and Hanrahan hit a 30 yard shot which caused the Sports keeper little trouble. Then Blake should have equalised with a header, when unchallenged, which he managed to head over the bar. Yet it was Sports who could have gone further in front as another corner flashed across the box, and this was followed by Day making a good one-on-one save. The end of the first half saw Shearsby booked for clapping a correct decision by the referee, which has to be said was a rare thing - even the County coach agreed with the Brakes fans on a couple of occasions!

The second half started very slowly until a Sports player was felled in the box, and with 56 minutes gone the number 10 for Sport blasted the ball past an off-balance Day. This sparked life into the Brakes with Timms missing an easy header at the back post only six minutes later, and then substitute Harri flashed across the Sport box where neither Blake nor Timms, could get to it.

With Leamington starting to build some pressure for the first time in the game, Timms again narrowly missed out on reducing the deficit as his 18 yard volley skimmed the bar in the 74th minute. Then it was Shearsby's turn, only a minute later, when he hit a volley just wide. Just after this Blake finally beat the keeper, but the shot was too weak, allowing a Sport defender to get back and clear the ball off the line.

From the clearance Day was force to make a save, as Sports broke away with Leamington's mind on all-out attack. In the last quarter of an hour Leamington made very little headway as Webb and Thompson had efforts go wide and blocked respectively.

All credit to County Sports they deserve this win, but I think they would agree some of the officiating was a little confusing.

NBB Man-of-the-Match: Simon Walker

Match report by Tim