Rport on the playoff final defeat

Despondency, despair and disappointment
by Derek Brown, Telegraph Midweek Pink

THE NEW Windmill Ground was full of despondency, despair and disappointment as Leamington's promotion ambitions suffered a fatal blow when losing the BGB Southern Midlands Play-Off final to Stourbridge on Saturday but one-man full of positivity for the future was Leamington manager Jason Cadden.

After witnessing his side outplay Stourbridge for long periods only to lose out 2-1 after extra time, Cadden was plainly downhearted by the defeat but the Brakes chief was quick to look ahead and is determined to go one better next term.

A glance at the league table shows Leamington finished 11 points clear of The Glassmen but in this day and age of the play-offs there's always the possibility of setbacks as Leamington now know to their cost. Cadden said: "You can't look back in football. This club has gone from strength to strength over the last eight years and that's going to be the direction we're heading next term.

"We know we have the necessary ingredients to get into the Premier Division. The foundations are in place and no-one will be negative it's onwards and upwards as far as I'm concerned.
"There were a lot of sad faces around the place on Saturday and that was understandable. We dominated the tie and deserved better but it was not to be. No-one was more upset than myself and the players but when thinking back to last year after being promoted from the Midland Alliance the aim was the top eight of the Midlands flight which we far and away exceeded."

He continued: "It's been a tremendous season and a thoroughly enjoyable one. It would have put the icing on the cake had we beaten Stourbridge, who could not have had any complaints but, that's football and best of luck to them. It was a kick in the teeth but we now have to brush ourselves down and prepare for what will be a real tough 2008-2009 season. Teams will know about us now, we are not an unknown quantity so the pressure is on us to keep up the high standards and move in the right direction. We are going to be there to be shot down. Everyone knows what we've done and achieved, so we'll be the big hitters and among the favourites to win a place in the Premier Division."

Cadden accepts Stourbridge have some sort of hoodoo on The Brakes as that was the fourth time they'd beaten their arch rivals in the past nine months, including a league double and a FA Cup reversal. "To say they have a curse on us is an understatement. It just seems as though everything goes their way when we meet. Saturday we totally dominated the tie and had chance after chance without taking them while they had one swift break and scored to win the game and promotion. But all credit to the goalscorer as he's hit the ball as well as he could. It just flew past Richard Morris into the bottom corner."

Cadden was full of praise for his team and the effort plus commitment they've put into taking Leamington to within touching distance of another step up non-league's pyramid. "They have been a credit to themselves, the club and the league. Only losing five league games, having a good FA Trophy run while ending the league season with six wins in a row, shows the talent and durability of the side.Now we have to sit down and plan for next season. I believe things happen for a reason in life so maybe someone somewhere felt we needed a little more time before we move on - fingers crossed next season will be one to savour."

Leamington took the lead on 18 minutes when Ben Mackey was up-ended inside the area and though the former Coventry City striker saw his penalty strike the outstretched boot of keeper Lewis Solly, he made no mistake from the rebound.

On 21 minutes, Stourbridge restored parity when Nathan Bennett fired past Morris from eight yards but from then on it was the hosts who took charge as opportunities came and went in normal and extra time. The agility of Solly, stubborn defending by his colleagues thwarted Brakes time and again although below par finishing failed to help the home cause.

But after Solly had somehow deprived Blake a certain tie-clincher, a slick breakaway from a corner caught Leamington exposed and Leon Broadhurst quelled the home faithful by ramming in a superbly struck angled drive from the edge of the area to the delight of the travelling fans.
"We hammered them for long periods and done everything except score, especially in the last ten minutes of extra time when we just pressed and pressed.Their keeper's made a great reaction save to deny Josh Blake, how he's kept it out I just don't know. I don't think he knew too much about it, he's thrown his body at the ball and it's sailed just over the bar. And straight from the corner we've been caught out on the break and we just didn't deserve that.

"When the goal went in it confirmed it wasn't our day. We gave our all and in the end it was not enough. Next season I want to avoid the play-offs if at all possible and the best way to achieve that's to win the title and I believe it's within this club's capabilities," added Cadden optimistically.

Our thanks for this article to Derek Brown at the Coventry Telegraph Midweek Pink

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