Gloucester City 3 Leamington 3: Gloucester get a taste of their own medicine as Brakes pounce in the final seconds

Leamington dished out some injury-time heartache of their own in a Bank Holiday cracker at the Abbey Business Stadium, writes Paul Edwards.
Matt Dodd forced the ball home for Brakes last-gasp equaliser. Picture: Sally EllisMatt Dodd forced the ball home for Brakes last-gasp equaliser. Picture: Sally Ellis
Matt Dodd forced the ball home for Brakes last-gasp equaliser. Picture: Sally Ellis

Gloucester City had snatched all three points back in August with a 90th-minute winner as Brakes learnt some harsh lessons in the early months of their debut season in Conference North.

There is no doubt the squad has improved since then, and while there was nothing riding on this clash it was certainly full of incident.

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The first half-chance fell to Peter Till inside the opening couple of minutes, but his header from Ricky Johnson’s knock-on was simple for Tigers keeper Conor Thompson, whose huge kick upfield was chested down by Will Morford on the edge of the area for strike partner Adam Mann to lash into first time into the bottom corner of the net for a classic route-one goal.

Three minutes later, Gloucester left Leamington shell- shocked as they added a second. Matt Groves threaded a superb ball between the retreating Brakes defenders for Lewis Hogg to strike low towards goal. Tony Breeden got a leg to the shot but it rebounded straight to Morford, who slotted it straight back past him into the near corner.

Stephan Morley could have easily cleared it off the line but he appeared to think the ball was going wide until it was too late.

Paul Holleran had utilised his squad to the full, making four changes from Saturday’s starting 11, and despite the double early blow they set about trying to drag themselves back into the game.

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Johnson headed Till’s cross just wide, while Morley struck a free-kick straight at Thompson.

The deficit was halved in the 14th minute, Lee Moore’s flick-on from Breeden’s kick allowing Ricky Johnson to easily shrug off Jack Harris and thump the ball past Thompson from 12 yards.

A sharp turn and shot from the goalscorer was blocked as Brakes pushed for the leveller but it was Gloucester who came closest to adding to the scoreline. Morford’s initial effort was well blocked by Liam Daly but the ball was played back in to Mann, whose curling effort around Breeden struck the bar before being cleared away.

Marcus Giglio then sent an acrobatic effort just wide as City looked capable of adding to their tally every time they attacked.

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James Mace saw his goalbound header from Reece Flanagan’s right-wing corner cleared off the line by Mike Green.

The home fans were incensed shortly before half-time when referee Neil Radford adjudged Breeden’s handball to be accidental after the keeper had raced out of his area to clear.

Billy Jones lashed a free-kick just wide in the second half and it was not until the introduction of Lee Chilton and Danny Newton that Leamington began to look capable of snatching another goal.

Chilton drove a shot just wide but with ten minutes to go a clever piece of play saw Gloucester substitute Nat Jarvis beat the offside trap to dash in from the right and poke the ball across the goalline for Mann to tap in.

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Four minutes later, it was game on again. Newton had already come close with a shot that had drifted just wide of the far post and when Dodd ran at the Tigers defence and pushed the ball back into his path he took a touch and crashed it low past Thompson.

The travelling support had been in full voice throughout the afternoon, but seemed to crank up the volume in the closing minutes in an attempt to drive their team on.

Daly was pushed up front and set up Newton for a volley that was off target, but just as it looked as though it was not going to be Leamington’s day, the visitors’ newfound resilience allowed them to squeeze out one final flurry in injury time.

Another big clearance from Breeden was laid off to Dodd by Daly and the wide man returned the ball to the box where Daly rose above two defenders to power a header towards goal. The effort was kept out by Thompson, with Jack Harris desperately blocking Newton’s follow up on the line and Chilton unable to force the loose ball home before it was poked out as far as the inrushing Dodd, who slammed it into the roof of the net to the absolute joy of all inside the ground of a Leamington persuasion.

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Gloucester City: Conor Thompson, Mike Green, Billy Jones, Ruaridh Winters (Matt Coupe, 62), Jack Harris, Marcus Giglio (Tom Webb, 84), Lewis Hogg, Matt Groves, Adam Mann, Will Morford (Nat Jarvis, 73), Jake Gosling. Subs not used: Joe Parker, Ed Williams.

Brakes: Tony Breeden, Ryan Higgins, Stephan Morley, Nathan Hicks, Liam Daly, James Mace, Matt Dodd, Reece Flanagan, Ricky Johnson (Danny Newton, 70), Lee Moore (Lee Chilton, 70), Peter Till (Aron Wint, 75). Subs not used: David McNamee, Craig Owen.

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