Midland Floodlit Youth League Eastern Division
Phillips 66 Community Stadium
Wednesday 17th January 2018

Unstoppable youth hit another old five

It has been a long lay off for the lads who haven't played a competitive game since the 20th December ironically in the away fixture against visitors Bedworth United.

The frost and strong winds that had threatened to postpone tonight's fixture had amazingly disappeared leaving the Phillips 66 Community Stadium pitch looking remarkably firm and very playable after the terrible battering that it had taken in the last couple of weeks. Leamingon kicked off towards the Harbury Lane End in their gold and black home kit and Bedworth in all green.

Brakes went close as early as the second minute as Patryck Swiercz burst through on the left to square a ball to Lewis Annals whose shot from the edge of the box went close over the crossbar. Bedworth went close themselves as a cross from the right wing found Sam Holden free on the far post only for the chance to be scraped wide of the post as Brakes keeper Hopkinson closed him down.

The referee was having trouble with the match balls and a short interruption ensued as a pump was sent for from the dressing rooms. In a scrappy opening half hour it seemed that the lay off was having an effect on both teams as passes were going astray with defences merely punting the ball forward as both sides settled into the game in the cold conditions.

Brakes defence received a wake up call as a sloppy piece of defending let in Holden who was on a one on one with the keeper, and but for a solid intervention by the excellent Jay Morgan the number 10 would surely have put the Greenbacks one up. This seemed to spark the Brakes into life and Morgan went close at the other end with a bullet header skimming the crossbar from a rare corner.

On 29 minutes the Bedworth keeper made a great save from a shot from Jack Winiarski and Lewis Annuls fired the rebound into the net only to be adjudged offside. Patryck Swiercz was playing a little deeper and was making some outstanding passes for the front runners as Brakes pushed forward, but neither side imposed any authority on a sloppy first half.

Half Time..Leamington 0 Bedworth United 0.

The second half began with Brakes playing a high press game in the last third as they penned the Greenbacks into their own half and as a result of the pressure Swiercz latched onto a cross to drive home his first of the night into the bottom left from 18 yards 1-0 Brakes. Moments latter the irrepressible Swiercz went close again with an almost identical effort which drew a fine save from Ryan Brown in the Bedworth goal.

It was 2-0 on 53 minutes as Swiercz latched onto a loose deflection following a lovely run and goal bound effort from Nathan Dodd finishing from 10 yards. A terrible challenge from Luke Dodd drew a stern lecture from Referee Simon Kavangh and Bedworth were unlucky not to score from the resultant free kick as substitute Evan Macinroe somehow missed a tap in from 6 yards after keeper Hopkinson had deflected the shot into his path.

On 57 minutes Swiercz broke away only for his shot to hit the post but this time the hard working Winiarski was on hand to make it 3-0 driving home the rebound. A minute later the combination nearly added another as Swiercz played a spectacular ball into Winiarski whose goal bound shot was well saved by the keeper. The Brakes were now in full flow as the rain began to fall, and on 69 minutes Shay Nicholson fired in a dangerous cross into a crowded box for the impressive Gerald Zefi to confidently place the ball into the net at the far post for 4-0.

Bedworth did get the ball into the net having for once unlocked a very tight Leamington defence only to be adjudged offside.But the goal of the game was the fifth and Patryck Swiercz s hatrick. In a champagne moment (83 minutes) Zefi was playing the ball out when he saw Swiercz making a super run from inside the centre circle,with a superb 40 yard diagonal ball he found the number 10 in full flight,who went past 2 defenders and fired a confident shot into the net past the advancing keeper to make it a 5-0 win, which extends the lead at the top of the table and keeps the 100% record intact.

Keith Hancock