BRAKES ended a run of seven games without a win and recorded their first victory in 2016 as they broke down a stubborn Frome Town side at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium by a 2-0 scoreline, writes Paul Edwards.
With Darren Chitty making a string of impressive first half saves it was beginning to look as though it might be another frustrating afternoon for Brakes in this Evostik Southern League Premier Division encounter.
But a moment of magic from Connor Gudger finally broke the deadlock in the second half, before Ben Mackey put the seal on matters with his 19th goal of the season.
Chitty was called into action early on by pushing Jack Edwards’ low shot from the right round the post and Richard Taundry crashed a 30-yard drive towards goal that skidded just the wrong side of the post.
Mackey forced the Robins keeper into another save as he connected first time with a ball into the box with a stinging volley, Chitty reacting well to push the ball over his crossbar.
Frome were seeing little of the ball in the opposing half, but their attacks often seemed to stem from Leamington giving the ball away and they came very close when Darren Jefferies was given space and time to get a shot away but the ball pinged back off the outside of the post.
Edwards tested Chitty again as he twisted to head Taundry’s long throw towards the top corner, while another sortie forward from the visitors saw Jake Jackson’s shot trickle wide after several blocks from the Brakes defence.
The clear cut chances continued to come at the other end, but unfortunately for Leamington, Chitty was equal to all of them, acrobatically tipping Fry’s powerful header over the bar from Taundry’s right wing corner.
Gudger then came close, making space for himself just inside the box with a neat piece of skill before cracking in a low drive that whistled just past the upright.
The impressive Kris Miller just nipped to beat Lee Chilton to a right wing cross early in the second half, before a long range strike from George Miller was deflected over the bar for Frome.
Chilton fired wide for Leamington before he was taken off injured and Mackey was denied a penalty after seemingly being brought down inside the area.
But Brakes were soon in front when Gudger received the ball on the left edge of the box, shifted it to his right foot and curled a delightful effort over the head of Chitty into the roof of the net.
Frome had a good chance to level when Miller charged forward and fed Jefferies, who took his shot first time but was denied by a good stop from Tony Breeden.
The game was put to bed with 11 minutes to play however when Mackey latched onto Hood’s ball from his own half as it bounced in the penalty area, muscling past his marker to thump a low left footed strike beyond the dive of Chitty.
