U10 Purple - Stockton

MATCH REPORT: Leamington U10s (Brakes) vs Stockton – 18/01/26

On a freezing January morning where the pitch looked more like a mud‑patch obstacle course than a football field ❄️🟤, Leamington U10s battled Stockton in what became a thriller filled with grit, goals, and lessons learned.

Despite the difficult conditions — bumpy, sticky, and unpredictable — the Brakes began with real purpose. Stockton, however, started brightly and applied early pressure. To their credit, the Brakes defended bravely as a unit, throwing themselves into tackles and working hard to keep the visitors at bay. But eventually the resistance cracked, and Stockton found the opener.

Did the Brakes fold? Not a chance.

They rallied brilliantly. They pushed. They pressed. And their determination paid off when Atticus struck a superb first‑time finish, guided in perfectly after an intelligent assist from Arjun 🎯⚽. A top-quality team goal.

But the joy was short-lived. In what’s becoming a frustrating trend, the Brakes conceded almost immediately from the restart, falling behind again. And just before the whistle, Stockton took advantage of a kind bounce in the box to tap home for 3–1 — a cruel blow right on half‑time.

Whatever was said during the break worked wonders.

Leamington came out firing 💥.

A moment of sheer determination and class saw Tommo the talisman smash home to make it 3–2, giving the Brakes real belief. Minutes later, the pressure told again — this time Zac unleashed a rocket into the roof of the net. Scenes! 🙌💛🖤

With momentum on their side, it felt like the comeback was on. But again… another lapse straight from kick-off allowed Stockton to retake the lead. It was a gut punch — 5–3. Stockton then added a sixth with ten minutes remaining, and although the Brakes continued to work tirelessly, the damage had been done.

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FULL-TIME: Leamington Brakes 3–6 Stockton

A disappointing scoreline, but far from a disappointing performance.

There were real positives:

Strong spells of defending across the team

Some fast, slick passing combinations

Three well‑constructed goals

Big character to fight back from 3–1 down

But ultimately, brief lapses in concentration — especially after scoring — proved costly. Those moments made all the difference in a tight, hard‑fought game.

With the Christmas rust now shaken off 🎄➡️⚽, the Brakes will be eager to bounce back as they travel to face Coventry Copsewood next week. Plenty to build on, plenty to be proud of, and plenty of football still to play.

Up the Brakes! 💛🖤