League & Cup Results 2001/02
Taken from the Leamington Courier online
SUBSTITUTE Justin McClurg scored a last-minute equaliser to give Rugby a point they scarcely deserved at a packed New Windmill on Easter Monday.
It was harsh on Brakes, who should have been 3-1 up with three minutes left when a Josh Blake strike was bafflingly ruled out for offside. That was their second disallowed goal of an afternoon on which little seemed to go right. Brakes were the better side in all departments and the Midland Combination Division One leaders could have had few complaints had they been beaten.
Brakes co-manager Jason Cadden said: "We lost a bit of concentration at the end when we should have been two up. "I couldn't see what was wrong with that third goal. Fair play to Rugby for coming back at us, but I don't think they deserved it."
Glen Webb had the 1,204 strong crowd roaring as early as the
11th minute when he rose to Steve Thompson corner past Neil
Leech. But the goal was disallowed for an infringement no one
seemed to have spotted. Brakes continued to dominate. Webb
caused problems with his speed and power and there were chances
for Blake.
Fittingly Webb opened the scoring, rising to meet a Nick Mort
free kick with a header every bit as emphatic as the one which
was disallowed. Webb and Blake could both have stretched the
lead before the break.
Captain Brain Agar was producing some fine footwork and played a
key part in the second goal. Blake got it, firing in from close
range when his captain's shot on the turn was beaten against the
post by the keeper.
With Brakes rampant, it should all have been over by then. But
Rugby dug deep and pulled one back through Ian Morgan. His
header from a corner exploited the one familiar chink in Brakes'
armour.
Paul Nicholls added new attacking bite in place of the tiring
Agar, but a third Brakes goal was proving frustratingly elusive.
Richard Morris was forced into a rare piece of activity at the
other end, diving superbly. With provider Webb and
'scorer' Blake both surging forward from deep, Brakes third goal
should have sealed the win. But with the whistle for
offside still ringing in their aggrieved ears, Brakes had to
watch McClurg fire a low, powerful shot past the despairing
Morris