Pre Season Friendly
Butlin Road
Saturday 22nd July 2023

Brakes slipped to a pre season defeat that was as miserable as the gloomy wet weather in East Warwickshire.

With Dan Meredith and Henry Landers still unavailable, Paul Holleran dropped Adam Walker and Theo Streete to the substitutes bench, with Junior English and Jiah Medrano stepping into the starting eleven in the only changes from Wednesday evening’s game against Leicester.

Rugby lined up with three former Brakes men in their eleven, former Brakes youth keeper Matt Hill, while Liam Francis captained the side and David Kolodynski was up front.

Hill punched an early free kick off the head of Junior English as Leamington made a bright start, but it was the home side who opened the scoring in their first attack on nine minutes, when a defence splitting ball was played down the right, and Jordan Wilson finished well into the far corner.

Ben Usher-Shipway got his first opportunity to go at the Town defence just before the half hour, and nudged the ball back for Devon Kelly-Evans to drive a shot across goal and wide.

Tyrone Barnett was busy throughout the first half, and played Medrano into the box on the left, the summer arrival from Shepshed Dynamo lashing a powerful drive just over the angle of post and crossbar. Roger Lee then put in a great block to prevent Kelly-Evans from striking a loose ball on the edge of the box.

Callum Smith was forced into his first save of the afternoon at his near post from Tom Fielding, while Callum Stewart saw his effort well blocked after some neat control from Usher-Shipway’s right wing cross.

Although the approach play was patient it was a disappointing first 45 minutes from Leamington, as they went into the dressing room behind.

Unfortunately the early minutes of the second half were little better. Fielding was allowed to travel with the ball and drive a decent strike just over the bar, before Kolodynski capitalised on Josh Quaynor surrendering possession to place a precise effort into the top corner to double his side’s advantage.

He was almost handed the chance to bag a quickfire second on a plate seconds later, as Smith was left stranded as he miscued a clearance straight to the veteran frontman, but he got back to retrieve the ball.

This seemed to wake Brakes from their slumber, and they began to put some forward movement together. Walker, Streete and Trialist A were all introduced, and Edwards and Barnett were both close with headers. Kelly-Evans, Edwards and Barnett then all saw shots blocked in a matter of seconds, before Walker’s attempt to drive the ball across goal from the touchline was blocked by the legs of Hill.

The best chance of the 90 minutes for Brakes came inside the last 15 minutes when Usher-Shipway’s left wing centre was met by Stewart, whose backward header forced Hill to push the ball over the bar. From the resulting corner Joe Clarke’s powerful snap shot was deflected behind.

Substitute Connor Taylor headed straight at Hill from close range from Usher-Shipway’s cross, but there were far too many passes going astray, much to the frustration of both the players and supporters.

The home side saw a shot deflected wide which led to a fruitless corner, while Taylor forced a good save from Hill at his near post from close range.

The afternoon would get worse, as Karabo Motshweni sent a skidding drive under the despairing dive of Smith.

Taylor saw another header saved by Hill in the time that remained, but this was a hugely dispiriting display overall after the buoyancy of the last two performances.

Attendance: 193

Rugby Town AFC: Matt Hill, Luke English, Drew Kear, Liam Francis ©, Josh Thomas, Loyiso Recci, Roger Lee, Rico Taylor (Barry Fitzharris, 46), David Kolodynski, Jordan Wilson, Tom Fielding.

Leamington: Callum Smith, Jack Edwards, Jack Lane, Joe Clarke ©, Junior English (12 Theo Streete, 60), Josh Quaynor (14 Adam Walker, 60), Ben Usher-Shipway, Devon Kelly-Evans, Callum Stewart, Tyrone Barnett (15 Connor Taylor, 74), Jiah Medrano (16 Trialist A, 60).

Subs: GK Luke Slater.