Birmingham Senior Cup 1st Round
Phillips 66 Community Stadium
Tuesday 22nd October 2019

Leamington began their defence of the Birmingham Senior Cup with a narrow victory over Highgate United that probably should have been a little more comfortable than it turned out to be.

The Midland League visitors set their stall out to make life difficult for Brakes but save for a good spell before half time where they were on top they did not test Jake Weaver to any great extent.

Paul Holleran’s men started brightly and created plenty of half chances, as they have done regularly in recent games, but the incisive final ball or shot was still missing. A quick break from a Highgate free kick saw Kaiman Anderson play Kieran Dunbar in, his low shot held by keeper James Beeson. George Carline was played in by Josh March and went past his man well before driving in a shot which was gathered by the goalkeeper.

Brakes were moving the ball around well and Dunbar went close again with a well struck half volley across goal before James Mace really should have opened the scoring, stabbing over the bar from no more than a couple of yards out following a right wing corner, though he indicated his belief that a defender had got the final touch.

The centre back may well have picked up a knock as giant visiting striker Issace Jagroop got goal side of him before seeing a shot deflected behind, from which skipper Sam Oji ballooned a shot onto the roof of the clubhouse.

The visitors then won three successive corners and really began to assert themselves on the game in the fifteen minutes before half time, but just as it looked like the two sides would go in level they were caught out by the only goal of the evening. A blocked shot was played back into the centre by Dunbar, and March looked to have missed his opportunity but displayed great determination to poke a shot into the net while grounded to bag his twelfth goal of the season.

With Jack Edwards replacing Mace as the second half kicked off, Leamington were much improved and played with far more purpose. Anderson came close to adding a second when he latched on to Edwards’ knock down from a free kick into the box, lifting his shot over Beeson but onto the crossbar before it was hacked clear.

The striker then forced another good save from the goalkeeper before sending the ball flashing across goal past the on-rushing Dunbar.

Weaver was forced to palm a lofted shot away from the top corner of his goal before claiming the ball at the second attempt, the closest the visitors really came to goal all evening.

Substitute Connor Taylor saw a shot saved before Anderson headed in a corner only for it to be ruled out for a supposed foul on the keeper.

Callum Maycock impressed on his debut, the on loan Coventry City man setting off on a strong run before being impeded on the edge of the box seconds after he released the ball for Anderson to drive in a powerful shot that flashed across goal and just wide.

‘In spells we did well, especially at the start of the second half but we didn’t kill the game off,’ said Holleran afterwards. ‘We weren’t clinical enough and it got a bit scrappy in the end but it served its purpose, we got people on the pitch who needed minutes - we had a little look at Josh March a bit deeper, Callum Maycock got some minutes into his legs, so it served its purpose and it’s a slightly better result than when we played them last time!’

Attendance: 142

Leamington: Jake Weaver, Junior English, Jack Lane, Callum Maycock, Jamie Hood ©, James Mace (14 Jack Edwards, 46), Kieran Dunbar (15 Connor Taylor, 71), Callum Gittings (12 Joe Clarke, 76), Kaiman Anderson, Josh March, George Carline.

Subs not used: 13 Ben Newey, 16 Reece Rawlings.

Highgate United: James Beeson, James Wilcock, Nathan Pulisciano, Correy Carruthers (12 Harry Reece, 68), Shay Palmer, Sam Oji ©, Cameron Collins (16 Mitchell Hollison 53), Alex Price (17 Arron Brown, 73), Seegu Sebbey Njie, Isaac Jagroop, Todd Yahiya.

Subs not used: 14 John Mills, 15 Ryan Conlon.

Referee: Mr Simon Brown

Assistant Referees: Mr William Doyle & Mr Rich Cutts

Brakes Man of the Match: Callum Maycock