BRAKES boss Paul Holleran was left frustrated once again at the weekend, but took plenty of positives from Leamington’s narrow loss to title hopefuls Spennymoor Town.
Mark Anderson’s goal was the difference between the two sides, whilst Leamington missed a penalty to level the score late on.
Holleran felt his side should have been more clinical and had they taken one of their chances could have turned the game on its head.
“We’ve had a lot of play, a lot of crosses into the box but we probably didn’t work their keeper enough with it,” he said.
“We then get the big chance to go level with the penalty and if that goes in it probably changes the momentum of the game.
“At 1-1 with ten to go it’s all us then, but that probably lifted them a little bit and flattened us.”
West Bromwich Albion loanee Sam Wilding made his first start for Brakes in place of Callum Gittings and he was the first to register a shot on target for his side.
The league’s top scorer Glen Taylor went within inches of opening the scoring when his header was glanced over the bar, before later putting the ball on a plate for Anderson to smash home.
The second 45 minutes would prove more successful for the Brakes, going close through Obeng, who forced goalkeeper Matthew Gould into an unorthodox save – sitting on the ball to block the close-range effort.
He then forced a corner for his side, which forced the hosts’ defence into clearing off the line when the trailing leg of Taylor forced Scott Harrison to boot the ball into touch.
Then came the decisive moment, when substitute Daniel Sweeney was felled inside the box on 77 minutes.
Colby Bishop stepped up with a chance to level from the spot, but his penalty was correctly guessed by Gould, who held on to the ball.
Leamington were unable to claw themselves level in County Durham, but hope to have more success when hosting 12th-placed York City in National North on Saturday.
