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Saturday 15th April 2023

Brakes hauled themselves back into a game in which they had been largely second best, only to have a potential point ripped from their grasp in added time.

Paul Holleran named the same eleven which started on Bank Holiday Monday at Kettering, with Theo Streete playing his final game of the season before beginning a suspension after his red card in the previous game.

It was Chorley who threatened first, Adam Blakeman picking the ball up from a corner on the right edge of the penalty area and curling in a left footed strike the clattered off the post, possibly via the outstretched hand of Ted Cann, who definitely saved the next effort on his goal seconds later, Jon Ustabasi driving low, the West Bromwich Albion loanee pushing the ball round the post.

Joe Clarke almost found the head of Kelsey Mooney inside the visitors’ penalty area with an intelligent ball in from the right, but Magpies skipper Scott Leather was just in front of him to head behind.

The visitors were definitely in the ascendancy in the opening twenty minutes, forcing a string of corners and putting the Leamington defence under all sorts of pressure. Ustabasi drilled a powerful effort towards goal after Coventry City loanee Marco Rus had seen his shot blocked, and Cann was at full stretch to keep it out with another fine save.

Jack Edwards latched on to a searching ball forward from Jack Lane with the Chorley defence screaming for an offside decision, but the Brakes skipper was unable to keep his shot down.

He was presented with another opportunity after a purposeful run by Mooney saw him square the ball for his captain, but unfortunately the outcome was the same. Things were starting to look more promising for Leamington now though as they battled their way into the game.

However, Chorley threatened again before the half time whistle, Rus charging clear down the right channel before pulling the ball across for Jack Sampson to set up Justin Johnson for a first time strike that was straight at Cann.

An early chance for Turner from the resumption saw him fire high and wide, before Cann denied Rus with a fantastic save from a close range header from Adam Henley’s right wing centre.

The Magpies took the lead four minutes in however, Sampson tapping a simple chance in from close range after Leamington failed to clear a corner, which was played back into the six yard box, and the Chorley man couldn’t miss.

Rus was proving a real nuisance, and curled in a stunning strike from the left that thumped off the far post via the glove of Cann.

Both sides were left perplexed all afternoon by a perceived lack of decision making by the officials, who to be fair to them were trying to let the game flow, but everyone in the ground was surprised when the Referee did not award a free kick against Mooney as he appeared to jump into Matt Urwin when challenging for a cross to the far post.

The Chorley keeper was having a cigarette and slippers afternoon compared to his opposite number though; Cann keeping his team in the contest once more with another superb save, this time to deny Ustabasi from almost point blank range.

Urwin looked to have been called into action for the first time when Streete met a left wing corner with a thumping close range header that the goalkeeper appeared to have pushed over the crossbar, but the ball was ruled to have struck the frame of the goal.

Blakeman fired high and wide for Chorley before Leamington looked to have been handed a lifeline with three minutes remaining, when substitute Junior English was hauled back inside the penalty area. Referee Watchester pointed to the spot, and Ollie Hulbert stepped up to beat Urwin, who would have been frustrated as he got a good hand to the ball.

Chorley boss Andy Preece was then sent from the dugout, presumably for something he said the Referee, before the home support thought their team had turned the game on its head for a split second, as Dan Meredith charged down the right and delivered a low ball into the box which was missed by English but met by the diving Hulbert, who was instantly flagged offside, although the ball flashed into the side netting.

Brakes fans believed they had a shout for a second penalty as Hulbert appeared to be pulled down in a similar fashion to English, but nothing was forthcoming on this occasion.

Ultimately the high tempo finish came too late for Leamington though, as in added time with everyone bar Cann inside the Chorley half the visitors broke, substitute Joe Nolan sending Ustabasi scampering clear into the Leamington half. Cann hesitated but then raced from his line to try and narrow his angles, but was helpless as Ustabasi danced past him before placing the ball into an empty net.

It was a horrible way to lose the game, and the Brakes players looked utterly dejected at the final whistle. ‘It probably sums up our season really,’ said the manager after the game. ‘If you look at the two goals we’ve conceded, the first one just after half time - you look at our defending at three or four points in that phase of play, it’s just mind blowing really.

‘We know Chorley are a good side. They’ve got some very good players, and for the first hour of the game they were the better side, we struggled with them, but what pleased me then was our response. We made substitutions, we changed the system, we’ve done it before, and we were great then, brave. We knew we had to be one on one in both full back areas and ask questions. We got the overload in higher areas of the pitch, but give Chorley some credit, their last ditch defending was brilliant compared to our defending for the second goal, which was pathetic.

‘When we get the goal the momentum’s with us. We keep pushing then and the players are getting that extra yard in their legs, they’re getting round the pitch and they’re landing on things. We could have had another penalty maybe, we’ve had other chances, but we’ve had a set play to try and get a second, and what we can’t do is allow the way they have broken on us, to happen. It’s really disappointing, but if you could sum up our season in a couple of moments you would probably look at the two goals we conceded today. There’s been too many moments this year where it’s been too easy to score against us. You question our football nous at times, and we’ve paid a heavy price today.

‘Did we deserve that? No, as a group. I’ve told them in there, you’ve given so much out there, got the stadium going, but when you’re a team like us that’s on its knees anyway, that’s a tough one to take.’

Attendance: 623

Leamington: Ted Cann, Dan Meredith, Louis Hall, Joe Clarke, Theo Streete, Jack Lane, Ollie Hulbert, Adam Walker, Kelsey Mooney (12 Ben Usher-Shipway, 74), Jack Edwards © (15 Junior English, 74), Dan Turner (14 Sam Perry, 60).

Subs not used: GK Dan Moore, 16 James Mace.

Chorley: 1 Matt Urwin, 2 Adam Henley, 4 Scott Wilson, 5 Scott Leather, 7 Billy Whitehouse, 8 Mike Calveley, 9 Jack Sampson, 11 Jon Ustabasi, 18 Marco Rus (6 Joe Nolan, 85), 16 Adam Blakeman, 17 Justin Johnson (22 Harry Scarborough, 70).

Subs not used: 10 Willem Tomlinson, 13 Ollie Shenton, 24 Louis Isherwood.

Referee: Mr Callum Watchester

Assistant Referees: Mr Kieran Forrest & Mr David Hinton

Brakes Man of the Match: Ted Cann.