League & Cup Results 2002/03 |
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Leamington 3 Alvechurch 1 - 08/04/03 - Midland
Combination Premier Division Taken from the Leamington Courier Online |
IT'S not over yet, not by any means - but Brakes are unquestionably now favourites to land their biggest prize for 20 years. Barry Proctor and Jason Cadden's men took charge at the top of the ICIS Midland Combination Premier Division table with a superb win over Alvechurch in front of 603 fans at a chilly New Windmill on Tuesday. Two Paul Nicholls goals and a third from Nick Mort were enough to put daylight between them and the chasing pack. That performance, plus Saturday's 6-2 mauling of Massey Ferguson at Banner Lane, suggests Brakes have hit form at exactly the right time. Their luck seems to be in too. Rugby Town's faltering title push was effectively ended in a 1-0 defeat by Marconi on the same night and 24 hours later fourth-placed Bolehall were hit by a last-gasp equaliser at Nuneaton Griff. Romulus are well out of the equation in sixth place.
"I was very pleased with our performance in such a vital game," said the man who was a youth coach at Brakes when Graham Allner's side lifted the famous shield. "We spelt out the importance to the players because if Alvechurch had won they would have gone two points clear."
Brakes were still under pressure and would have gone further behind had not Ryder fired wide or Gettings pulled off a fine save to deny Liam O'Shea. Half an hour passed before Brakes made an impact. Nicholls equalised from the penalty spot after being tripped just inside the box. Three minutes later he put Brakes ahead with a top-drawer finish. The keeper was unsettled after tangling with captain Steve Thompson, but it hardly detracted from the quality of a curling shot at a tight angle.
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