AFC Telford 1 Leamington 3 - Report and pictures
AFC Telford’s hopes of back-to-back victories over the long weekend wilted in the heat, as Leamington made light of the same conditions to record a deserved triumph.
It was a chastening day for manager Gavin Cowan and his team, and gave Cowan much to ponder. That seemed an unlikely outcome early on, but the errors that punctuated the first half at Southport returned to a jittery Bucks line-up.
They looked ill at ease in possession and were eventually left chasing lengthening shadows in the late August sun.
Cowan had sought to keep his team fresh by making four changes to the one that was successful on Saturday, and they certainly didn’t look fatigued.
After just two minutes, Chris Lait swept past three challenges down the right before shooting low across Jake Weaver. The Leamington keeper thrust out a hand, diverting the ball straight into the path of Aaron Williams, and he tapped in his second goal of the season from a yard out.
That should have set the Bucks on the path to consecutive victories, but Leamington are awkward opponents and soon began to assert themselves. The home side back-pedalled as the Brakes began to win corners and attacking free-kicks and the Bucks invited pressure by needlessly conceding possession regularly, the hapless Henry Cowans the worst, but by no means the only culprit.
The Bucks were nevertheless looking good for a half-time lead, but a Cowans pass that let Josh March advance on goal sparked a chaotic sequence of events.
Cowans tried to retrieve his error and bundled March over on the edge of the penalty area.
Referee Scott Simpson awarded a spot-kick but then changed it to a direct free-kick after consulting his assistant, with Cowans being booked.
March himself lined up the free-kick and as the Bucks defensive wall jumped to block the effort, he cannily shot low underneath them, beating home goalkeeper Corey Addai to his right.
Early in the second half, the Brakes made an enforced substitution, injured scorer March injured replaced by the impressive Ravi Shamsi, and he proved to be the match-winner.
Within 10 minutes he should have headed Leamington in front, getting between Shane Sutton and Jonathan Royle to glance wide.
Addai then saved well from his fierce, rising shot before finally, on 67 minutes, he put them ahead.
Picking up the ball on the right of the Bucks penalty area, Shamsi skipped through several tackles before reversing a shot back past Addai’s left hand and in off the post.
Cowan threw on Marcus Dinanga, Darryl Knights and loan signing Lewis Reilly, and Dinanga did have one shot well saved by Weaver, but by now the home side were labouring and looking low on confidence and inspiration.
It was left to Shamsi to add the gloss to the away side’s fine display when, in injury time, he latched onto a quick ball out from the back and raced down the left channel, outpacing Sutton before finishing accurately, low across Addai.
There were a few boos at the final whistle, and Cowan admitted afterwards that he faces a first genuine test of his management credentials.
Teams
AFC Telford United: Addai, White, Morley, Royle, Sutton (c), Streete, Cowans, McQuilkin, Brown (Reilly 69), Williams (Dinanga 63), Lait (Knights 69). Unused subs: Daniels, Walker.
Leamington: Weaver, Carline, Keane, Clarke, Mace, Lane, Dunbar (Taylor 75), Gittings (King 83), March (Shamsi 50), Edwards, Anderson. Unused subs: Hood, Mussa.
Referee: Scott Simpson.
Attendance: 1,012.
