Hayes and Yeading United 0-1 Leamington
Southern League Premier Division
BRAKES rounded off the opening week of the new season with a third consecutive victory over Southern League Premier Division newcomers Hayes and Yeading United to begin as the early pace setters alongside Banbury United, reports Paul Edwards.
Jack Edwards scored the only goal of the game with six minutes played at the SkyEx Community Stadium as Leamington maintain their 100 per cent winning start to the 2016/17 campaign on Saturday.
Edwards’ goal came after he rose unchallenged at the far post to head Rob Thompson-Brown’s lofted left wing free kick down and into the roof of the net.
The hosts attempted a quick response but Jack Mills could only fire a free kick straight into the arms of Tony Breeden.
At the other end Yannis Ambroisine almost passed the ball into his own net under pressure from Ryan Rowe forcing goalkeeper Louis Wells to scramble back and clear away from the goal line before Ahmed Obeng saw a shot deflected over the bar from Thompson-Brown’s corner.
Courtney Baker-Richardson came close to adding a second goal for Leamington after turning onto Connor Gudger’s ball forward and rifling a low drive just past the post from distance but this was the last real effort either side had on goal during the first half with the game providing little excitement for the crowd of 265.
Hayes and Yeading came more into the game in the second half as they sought to level things up, but Leamington proved tough to break down.
Mickey Lewis threw on two of his substitutes in an attempt to change the game and one of them was presented with a chance to equalise, the ball arriving at the feet of Ismael Ehui inside the penalty area from Dylan Kearney’s turn and shot, but from a similar movement he could only fire straight at Breeden.
Edwards tried his luck from a tight angle out on the left as Leamington tried to stem the frequency of the hosts’ attacks, but his shot lacked the power to trouble Wells.
Rowe then held the ball up well on the right to allow Ben George to run in and see a shot blocked. Hayes and Yeading broke quickly from the resulting corner, and Lloyd Macklin found himself in a good position on the right of the Leamington area but blazed his shot over the bar.
The game was opening up more now and the hosts threw on giant striker Melford Simpson to give Brakes a new problem to deal with.
The visitors could have wrapped the game up when Thompson-Brown broke away and ran almost the length of the pitch before setting up Rowe to fire a shot over the bar.
It was pretty much one way traffic now as the home side desperately searched for a way through but Yasin Moutaouakil fired a free kick high over the bar from a promising position, while skipper Adam Everitt drove just wide.
Jack Mills saw his deflected free kick go wide of goal and deep into added on time the hosts were awarded another opportunity from a dead ball strike from 20 yards out and this time Kearney stepped up but his low effort was straight at Breeden who pushed the ball away to safety.
Attendance: 265
Leamington: T.Breeden (c), B.George, C.Gudger, D.Pond (R.Taundry 71), J.Hood, J.Mace, C.Baker-Richardson (L.Moore 60), J.Edwards, R.Rowe, R.Thompson-Brown (R.Elvins, 83), A.Obeng.
Subs not used: J.Magunda, T.James.
