Vanarama National League North
Croft Park
Tuesday 1st November 2022

By Paul Edwards 

Brakes snatched a point from the jaws of defeat thanks to returning skipper Jack Edwards’ equaliser right at the end of added time to deny Blyth Spartans a win that would have taken them a huge step closer to escaping the bottom four in the National League North.

Paul Holleran acknowledged afterwards that the mammoth five hour coach journey to the North East coast took its toll on his players in the first half despite a bright opening, but they recovered their composure only to fall behind in the second. However, after announcing his return from suspension with a wonderful early strike from distance it was Edwards who pulled the rabbit out of the hat as the Leamington contingent started to contemplate the long journey home on the back of a defeat.

Both sides exchanged half chances from Matty Cornish and Simeon Maye that did not trouble either goalkeeper in the opening minutes, and the hosts forced a couple of early corners, but the game exploded into life on 10 minutes when Devon Kelly-Evans chased the ball towards the Blyth penalty area, forcing keeper Alex Mitchell to hurriedly clear his lines, but he only succeeded in finding Edwards some 35 yards from goal, and the Brakes skipper composed himself before sending the ball looping back over the stranded keeper into the empty net to the delight of the 15 or so travelling supporters behind the goal.

Rhys Evans sent the ball spiralling out of the ground as Spartans tried to hit back. Leamington responded with a couple of corners; Ben Usher-Shipway unfortunately picking up an injury as he won the first of them. He bravely attempted to continue but eventually hobbled off to be replaced by Kieran Cook.

The second of the aforementioned corners from Kelly-Evans was punched off the line by Mitchell. Blyth saw another effort at goal deflected behind before they won a penalty just before the half hour mark. James Mace was the unfortunate man penalised for handball, although he looked to have received a nudge in the back, but there were no real complaints and Nicky Deverdics stepped up to ram the ball into the top left hand corner.

Hawkins saved a shot down low at his near post while a header from a left wing cross sailed well wide, but Blyth were well on top now. Leamington had become sloppy in possession after relinquishing their lead, but they were an offside flag and an astounding save from going ahead again before half time when substitute Cook met a free kick into the box unmarked with a powerful header that produced an unbelievable one handed save from Mitchell, but to everyone's bemusement the flag was raised for an offside that nobody else could see.

After a shaky opening to the second half Leamington won another free kick, and when the ball was played into the box Jack Lane’s shot struck team mate Mace and spun away from goal.

The home fans were incensed when Brakes countered, believing play should have been brought back for a foul, but Adam Walker crossed in low from the left to Tom Hewlett, who took a touch and cracked a powerful low drive goalbound but was denied by a good strong hand from Mitchell diving down to his right.

Hawkins was alert to snatch the ball off a Blyth attacker’s boot, while another effort from Cedric Main was straight at the Brakes keeper.

Edwards was denied a second wonder strike of the evening by a fingertip save from Mitchell, who was having a superb game after his early mistake. The Leamington captain swivelled on the left to thunder a swerving volley towards goal which the Spartans custodian pushed onto the crossbar.

With eight minutes remaining Blyth scored another set piece goal to move in front for the first time, thanks mainly to a catalogue of errors in the Leamington defence. Edwards dallied on the ball too long on the edge of the penalty area before Louis Hall gave away a needless free kick which Deverdics curled superbly beyond the reach of Hawkins into the top right hand corner to seemingly give Blyth the win.

With five minutes of additional time almost up it seemed that Brakes’ chances were spent, but they won a free kick which was hotly disputed by the home crowd, and when the ball was played into the far post towards a cluster of blue shirts, Edwards got there first to stab past Mitchell and spark delighted celebrations behind the goal as he marked his 340th appearance for the club with his first goals of the season.

‘We looked like we’d been on the coach for five hours in the first half,’ admitted the manager afterwards. ‘We didn’t get our lines right; Blyth played really well and caused us loads of problems. We scored a wonder goal but they deserved to go in level at the break, definitely.

‘Second half we were better, and had good control in the game, but sadly we’ve been punished for individual errors again, which hasn’t happened in the last few games.

‘Sometimes you’ve just got to pull something out of the bag, and we’ve done that with a fantastic free kick - we’ve had an overload of bodies at the far post, and I think, for different reasons, we’ve just about deserved a point.

‘People talk about ‘must win’ games in football, but in those types of situations it is more of a ‘don’t lose’ game. We’ll take the point, but we know we must do better.’

Attendance: 574

Blyth Spartans: 1 Alex Mitchell, 2 Rhys Evans, 6 Toby Lees, 7 Michael Richardson, 8 Jordan Hickey, 10 JJ O’Donnell © (25 Rio Josice, 67), 16 Matty Elsdon, 17 Nicky Deverdics, 19 Cedric Main, 20 Matty Cornish, 21 Josh Scott (11 Corey McKeown, 60).

Subs not used: 18 Matty Dopson, 26 Jay Errington.

Leamington: Callum Hawkins, Dan Meredith, Louis Hall, Simeon Maye (12 Joe Clarke, 77), James Mace, Jack Lane, Ben Usher-Shipway (15 Kieran Cook, 28), Adam Walker, Tom Hewlett (14 Rackeem Reid, 69), Jack Edwards ©, Devon Kelly-Evans.

Subs not used: 16 Theo Streete, 17 Junior English.

Referee: Mr Darius Bradley

Assistant Referees: Mr Kirk Freeth & Mr Givi Todua

Brakes Man of the Match: Jack Edwards.