PAUL Holleran believes Leamington’s top-five finish is an ‘unbelievable achievement’ after the Brakes beat AFC Sudbury 2-0 on the final day of the season to secure a play-off spot.
Goals from Cally Stewart and Jack Edwards after the break earned the Brakes a crucial win and a home semi-final in the play-offs at the Your Co-Op Community Stadium.
The result means Leamington finish the Southern League Premier Central season in third place while opponents Sudbury retained their place in the division despite the defeat.
And the Brakes will play Redditch United in the play-off semi-finals with the game to take place on Wednesday, May 1 with kick-off at 7.45pm at the Your Co-Op Community Stadium.
Holleran said: “We’ve had good prep for the play-offs because the last four games have felt like play-off games and so did this one.
“For us to finish where we have after everything we went through 12 months ago is an unbelievable achievement by the players.
“Over the whole season, we’ve deserved it [the play-offs], defensively we’re right up there, we’ve bedded in some good young players and it’s been a fantastic effort by everybody.
“It was a consistent performance, we consistently did the right things with and without the ball, we ground it out and we had moments of quality.”
The home side took the lead five minutes after the interval when Stewart headed in Henry Landers’ cross from the right from four-yards out.
And the Brakes sealed the points on 77 minutes as Edwards nodded Will Shorrock’s corner from the left into the bottom left corner from six-yards out.
Leamington host Redditch in the play-offs on Wednesday, May 1 with kick-off at 7.45pm at the Your Co-Op Community Stadium.
