Brakes blow a fuse after being denied a penalty and falling behind

It was a familiar story on Tuesday evening as Brakes fell behind only to see a power outage and partial floodlight failure end proceedings before half-time, writes Paul Okey.
Ahmed Obeng goes down in the box under a challenge from Liam Bateman. Picture: Tim NunanAhmed Obeng goes down in the box under a challenge from Liam Bateman. Picture: Tim Nunan
Ahmed Obeng goes down in the box under a challenge from Liam Bateman. Picture: Tim Nunan

Before Christmas, Chesham had been the side in the ascendancy when the lights went out and this time it was Kettering Town who were the aggrieved party having been handed the lead through former Brake Nathan Hicks’ penalty.

The game had not been without controversy despite lasting just 44 minutes, with Brakes feeling they were denied a clear-cut penalty prior to the Poppies’ award when Ahmed Obeng was upended in the box.

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The visitors made a confident start with Drew Canavan’s tame shot in the fifth minute eclipsed by a superb 35-yard hit from Liam Bateman six minutes later which whistled past the angle with Breeden floundering.

After an uncertain opening, Leamington grew into the game with the pace of Obeng and Courtney Baker-Richardson on the flanks unsettling the visitors.

And it was Obeng who went to ground in the box following a challenge from behind by Bateman after a direct run and neat one-two with Ryan Rowe.

Referee Gareth Hubbard waved away appeals and Kettering almost immediately made the most of their reprieve when Wilson Carvalho rippled the side netting.

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A goalbound Baker-Richardson drive was blocked by the face of Gary Mulligan before the Brakes attacker had Hubbard pointing to the spot, sticking out a leg to end the progress of Liam Canavan after a neat piece of footwork from the Kettering attacker.

Hicks stepped up to send Breeden the wrong way from the spot but it was to count for nothing as the lights dimmed, forcing the players off a minute before half-time.

And having seen his side denied a great opportunity to upset the league leaders, opposition boss Marcus Law was left a frustrated man.

“It is an uncontrollable,” said Law.

“There was nothing we could do and it was similar to what happened to us at Redditch last season.

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“It’s frustrating for us and it is frustrating for the fans because we had Leamington baffled and we can take confidence in that we were on top of the game.

“As much as you try to do the right things, there are some things you can’t control and this was one of those situations.

“We were biting at the bit to get back out there and it was terribly frustrating to not get that opportunity.”

Brakes: Tony Breeden, Richard Taundry, Connor Gudger, Callum Gittings, Joe Magunda, James Mace, Courtney Baker-Richardson, Jack Edwards, Ryan Rowe, Rob Thompson-Brown, Ahmed Obeng. Subs not used: Richard Gergory, Jordan Goddard, Tom James, Ben George, Darren Pond.

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Kettering Town: Paul White, Liam Bateman, Dominic Langdon, Nathan Hicks, James Haran, Gary Mulligan, Wilson Carvalho, Matthew Barnes-Homer, Rene Howe, Liam Canavan, James Brighton. Subs not used: Ben Baker, Jack Kelly, Brett Solkhon, Jordon Wilson.

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