LEAMINGTON saw their winless run in the league stretch to 17 matches following a 3-0 defeat away at league leaders South Shields.
Goals from Oliver Bainbridge, Will Jenkins and Paul Blackett condemned the Brakes to defeat in Chris Knott’s first league game in charge of the Brakes at the First Cloud Arena.
The result means Leamington remain bottom of the National League North table, 10 points from safety.
Interim boss Knott became just the second manager since November 2009 to take charge of the Brakes in a league game.
However, the visitors made the worst possible start as Archie Crowther inadvertently diverted Bainbridge’s low cross in from the last into the net despite the best efforts of Rogan Ravenhill to keep the ball out with the game just four minutes old.
And South Shields doubled their lead on 46 minutes when Jenkins saw his cross-shot from the left-hand side of the penalty area travel into the net via the aid of the post.
The home side sealed the points on the hour mark as Blackett found the left corner of the goal from 12-yards out with Ravenhill only able to parry a low cross into the box from the right into the path of the goalscorer.
Leamington are next in action against Buxton on Tuesday, January 20 with kick-off at 7.45pm at the Your Co-op Community Stadium.
