U10 Purple - Copeswood

Leamington Brakes vs Coventry Copsewood

Pride, Passion and Pure Football on a Testing January Morning

On a cold, grey January morning, Leamington Brakes returned to action on a pitch that had clearly not forgiven the winter weather. Claggy, slow and uneven, it was a surface that threatened to neutralise any attempt at quality football — yet from the very first whistle, The Brakes refused to be limited by the conditions.

Both sides began brightly, feeling each other out, but it was The Brakes who truly caught the eye early on. Calm, confident and brave in possession, they passed their way out from the back with assurance that belied both the pitch and the opposition. From Brian in goal, composed and commanding, through to Zac leading the line, the team looked slick, organised and fearless — a clear sign that the hard work on the training ground is paying dividends.

As the half wore on, Copsewood began to apply pressure and eventually found the breakthrough after ten minutes — albeit in fortunate fashion. A ball forward led to a speculative shot that caught an unfortunate bobble, wrong‑footing the keeper and dribbling agonisingly over the line. A scrappy goal in every sense, but Copsewood were ahead.

The Brakes, however, showed their character immediately. Heads stayed up, the passing tempo remained high, and just two minutes later the equaliser arrived. Some lovely build‑up play saw Mahan find space and slide a perfectly weighted pass into Zac, whose shot forced an error from the Copsewood keeper and rolled over the line. Game on.

True to the pattern that has haunted The Brakes at times this season, the joy was short‑lived. Straight from the kick‑in, Copsewood caught the defence momentarily napping, overran the back line and finished clinically to restore their lead. 2–1.

What followed was an excellent spell of football from both sides. Chances were traded, tackles flew in, and Brian produced a string of superb saves, each one greeted with warm applause from the watching supporters. Unfortunately, a moment of quality from Copsewood arrived on 23 minutes, their striker finding space and unleashing a stunning strike from outside the box that flew into the top corner. A fantastic finish — and a cruel blow.

Half‑time: Leamington Brakes 1 – 3 Coventry Copsewood.

At the break, the coaching staff were quick to remind The Brakes of just how well they were playing. The instruction was clear: move the ball quickly from defence to attack, be bold, and don’t hesitate to shoot — especially against a nervous opposition goalkeeper.

The response could not have been better. Barely moments into the second half, Zac — brimming with confidence — picked up the ball in midfield, stepped forward and unleashed an unstoppable low drive out of nowhere. Skimming across the surface with pace and precision, the keeper at full stretch could only watch as the ball nestled into the bottom right corner. What a goal. What a finish.

From that moment on, The Brakes were exceptional.

At the back, Rory and Atticus were composed and commanding, providing a solid platform and snuffing out danger with maturity beyond their years. In midfield, Tommo was an absolute force, breaking up play relentlessly and driving the team forward — prompting supporters to liken his performance to Mascherano in his Liverpool prime. Out wide, Mahan and Tomas terrorised the opposition, delivering pace, energy and quality time and time again. When introduced, Arjun brought tireless running and immediate impact, stretching the game and keeping Copsewood pinned back.

Chance after chance followed, pressure mounted, and belief surged — but despite their dominance, the elusive third goal refused to come.

When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard favoured Copsewood, but the performance belonged to The Brakes. Against a side recently relegated from the league above — and one that had beaten Brakes comfortably in pre‑season — this was a statement of progress, pride and identity.

A thoroughly deserved Player of the Match went to Zac “The Mighty” Murphy, whose brace lit the game and drove his team forward.

Though the result showed defeat, the supporters left smiling, encouraged and proud — having witnessed one of the finest displays of football this young Brakes side has produced.

Up the Brakes!