Vanarama National League North
Tameside Stadium
Tuesday 8th November 2022

By Paul Edwards 

Brakes picked up another useful point on the road to take them to five games unbeaten in the National League North as they fought out a goalless draw at Curzon Ashton.

There was just the one change to the starting eleven, with Simeon Maye replacing Adam Walker, who along with James Mace did not travel. Dan Turner was named on the substitutes bench but was not risked. The hosts were able to make several changes after their impressive goalless draw against League 1 Cambridge United a little over 48 hours earlier.

Leamington earned an early corner as a Nash defender glanced a header behind, and when the ball was half cleared Joe Clarke crashed a decent effort in from distance that did not clear the crossbar by much.

The hosts registered the first effort of the evening on target when Tom Peers sent a header into the arms of Callum Hawkins from Connor Hampson’s left wing centre. The same player then sent the ball in from deep for Craig Hobson to head straight at Hawkins.

Peers was presented with another opportunity when Hobson’s right wing cross somehow found its way through to him in the centre, and his powerful low strike was turned behind by a good save low down from Hawkins.

The ball bounced around the penalty area from the resulting corner, with Clarke bravely blocking Hobson’s shot before another was driven across goal and just wide of the far post with George Waring stretching to reach it.

Leamington had been second best for a good spell, but Rackeem Reid and Maye broke down the middle, the latter testing the keeper with a rasping drive.

Curzon played the ball from one wing to the other, Hampson supplying the cross for Hobson to head over the bar.

Two home players were booked for fouls on Charlie Williams, who took the resulting free kick from the second infringement in a central position some 20 yards from goal, and forced a flying save from Chris Renshaw with a really well struck effort.

The Nash keeper then had to be alert to shovel the resulting corner from Devon Kelly-Evans’ over his crossbar. An attempted clearance against Reid then resulted in another chance for Leamington, but Kelly-Evans’ header at the far post was straight at Renshaw. Dan Meredith also drove a shot high over the crossbar before the half time whistle.

Brakes relinquished possession straight from the resumption which resulted in a shot fired just over the bar by Waring.

Then came the first of three incredible miscued efforts from the hosts, Connor Dimaio spooning a shot wide at the far post when it looked easier to score.

Some great work from Williams saw him play the ball into Reid inside the box, the striker turning his man well before stabbing a shot across goal and just wide of the far post. Kelly-Evans then scuffed an effort wide from Meredith’s right wing cross in what was a good spell for Brakes.

However, they were forced to do plenty of defending before the final whistle, as the hosts continued to create chances. Theo Streete headed over his own crossbar to concede a corner from which Devon Matthews rose highest to head towards goal; Hawkins claiming the ball safely at the second attempt after clawing it away from danger.

Two more awful miscues from the hosts let Leamington off the hook a little towards the end, and while Jack Lane met a free kick from Kelly-Evans at the far post in added time, heading into Renshaw’s arms, Brakes could be satisfied with a well earned share of the spoils.

‘I think we struggled to start with,’ said manager Paul Holleran afterwards. ‘Their shape caused us problems with being penetrating, but we realised that and got a grip of it then, a bit like Saturday. I thought we did really well towards the end of the first half then; there were half chances at both ends.

‘Second half it was a bit nip and tuck for periods but you’ve only got to look at the quality coming off their bench. You look at their squad and you’ve got to give them (Curzon Ashton) credit, they’ve played a big game here on Sunday afternoon but they’ve finished the game strongly and we’ve really had to dig deep in the last twenty minutes.

‘We’ve got a few bodies missing and we were trying to get one or two back up to speed and you could maybe see that a little in the final part of the game, but what we do have in abundance is character, and lots of players that want to try and get over the line. It’s a really good clean sheet, that’s the key thing, but we’ve had to dig deep second half to get that point.’

Attendance: 207

Curzon Ashton: 1 Chris Renshaw, 17 Jordan Richards, 4 Marcus Poscha, 5 Devon Matthews, 3 Connor Hampson, 9 Tom Peers (11 Will Hayhurst, 68), 8 Samuel Walker © (21 Craig Mahon, 68), 22 Adam Barton, 6 Connor Dimaio, 12 George Waring, 19 Craig Hobson (10 Joshua Hancock, 68).

Subs not used: 13 Joshua Ollerenshaw, 16 Eoin Hogan.

Leamington: Callum Hawkins, Dan Meredith, Louis Hall, Joe Clarke, Theo Streete, Jack Lane, Charlie Williams (12 Tom Hewlett, 69), Simeon Maye, Rackeem Reid (14 Connor Taylor, 77), Jack Edwards © (16 Junior English, 89), Devon Kelly-Evans.

Subs not used: 13 Luke Slater, 15 Dan Turner.

Referee: Mr Gareth Thomas

Assistant Referees: Ms Emily Carney & Mr Jamie Waters.

Brakes Man of the Match: Callum Hawkins.