LEAMINGTON suffered a frustrating day at the office on Saturday as visitors Colwyn Bay showed a clinical edge in front of goal to leave the New Windmill with a 3-0 Vanarama Conference North victory to their name.
The hosts started brightly but lacked a cutting edge but the visitors then took command by scoring two goals in a ten-minute spell midway through the first half through Aaron Rey.
Matt Dodd was a whisker away from giving Paul Holleran’s side the lead early on before Stefan Moore fired over, but the game turned dramatically in the Welsh side’s favour when Obi Anoruo latched on to a ball played over the top of the Leamington defence and, although Stephan Morley got back to block the ball, it was laid back to Rey who curled a first time effort that Neil Collett could only help on to the post and into the net.
It was Anoruo who met Louis Moss’ left wing cross ten minutes later, latching on to a knockdown from skipper Marc Williams to strike first time at goal. Collett did well to smother the shot but the ball ran loose to Rey, who made no mistake to double his side’s advantage.
An offside flag denied Leamington a goal on the stroke of half time when Jordan Goddard’s strong run from halfway saw him fire low towards goal from 25 yards, with visiting keeper Josh Ollerenshaw parrying the ball into the path of Moore, who was ahead of the Seagulls’ defensive line.
Early in the second half Dodd fired an effort straight at the keeper before Goddard had a great chance to pull a goal back as the visitors struggled to clear their lines, latching on to a high ball played into the six-yard box, but he could only fire straight at the keeper.
James Mace then saw his header saved before Colwyn Bay put the outcome beyond doubt in the 77th minute when Stuart Pierpoint’s attempted clearance being was charged down by Williams and the two players landed in a heap inside the box, with the referee deeming it an infringement on the part of the Brakes man and Moss stepped up to convert the penalty.
Dodd was then aggrieved not to earn a penalty at the other end before home substitute Danny Newton crossed for Mace to again head at goal, but the impressive Ollerenshaw made a great save as he dived to his right.
Moore then saw an effort ruled out for offside as Brakes were left to rue a day to forget. A trip to Stalybridge Celtic on Saturday offers the chance to bounce back.
Brakes’ Stephan Morley contests an aerial duel with Colwyn Bay’s Marc Williams. (s)
