Leamington's hopes of FA glory were shattered by the Glassboys today when Brakes went down 2-0 against Stourbridge. It would be difficult to complain about the result. Leamington looked off the pace, symbolised by a perspiring Ben Mackie who was eventually withdrawn. Without Josh Blake they had little penetration and were under the cosh, particularly in the first half. Their passing lacked fluency and in midfield they lost possession too often, in many cases as a result of hesitancy on the ball. If it had not been for some good saves by Mozza, the scoreline could have been worst.
We had some difficulty in finding the stadium, being flummoxed by the Stourbridge Ring Road and uncertain whether we should be heading for the Glass Quarter. When we found the stadium, we were greeted by the sight of Brakes supremo David Hucker putting on his club tie. He can no longer enjoy casual wear at the match.
It's difficult to see how the stadium got Southern League grading when Leamington had to be inspected twice. It's essentially a cricket field with a fine pavilion set off to one side, the soccer players being left with a three sided ground. The one good feature was that it was possible to take beer in a plastic glass to one's bench or terrace position.
Incompetent referee Lance Blackwood showed little interest in punishing the holding back of Brakes players by the home side, but he was quick to award free kicks to Stourbridge. From one just outside the D the shot went just over Mozza's crossbar, but a second on the edge of the area put the Glassboys 1-0 ahead in the first half.
Brakes looked brighter in the second half, but were still vulnerable to counter attacks. Mackey was withdrawn in favour of Richard Adams. Tom Bates looked less than pleased when he was taken off but he had had few chances to show his skills. By pressing forward for the equaliser, Brakes left themselves open at the back, allowing Stourbridge to settle the game with a second goal.
No comments:
Post a Comment