Rampant Brakes go to town on Dunstable

Leamington eased to a comfortable win over a youthful Dunstable side on Saturday to stretch their unbeaten Southern League Premier sequence to nine games, writes Paul Okey.
Jack Edwards takes advantage of Jack Smith's slip-up and below, rewards himself with a drop of the black stuff. Pictures: Morris Troughton.Jack Edwards takes advantage of Jack Smith's slip-up and below, rewards himself with a drop of the black stuff. Pictures: Morris Troughton.
Jack Edwards takes advantage of Jack Smith's slip-up and below, rewards himself with a drop of the black stuff. Pictures: Morris Troughton.

A foot injury ruled out Jordan Goddard, while James Mace missed out through illness, Joe Magunda slotting into the back four.

Connor Gudger replaced Tom James who dropped to the bench, joining Kurtis Revan, a midweek signing from King’s Lynn.

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Jack Edwards had a couple of early sights of goal as Brakes kicked off attacking the Harbury Lane End, drifting a header wide and then failing to hit the target from a near-post corner routine.

Adam Moussi then almost embarrassed Tony Breeden with an audacious effort from 35 yards which had the home keeper back-pedalling and gratefully palming the ball on to the crossbar and out for a corner.

An equally ambitious effort opened the scoring for Brakes in the 14th minute.

Callum Gittings did well to rob Danny Green in the centre of the park but there looked little danger with Courtney Baker-Richardson in possession on the corner of the Town box. However, he produced a shot of unerring accuracy which flashed past the diving Jack Smith and into the far corner of the net.

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Gittings almost doubled the advantage five minutes later, controlling well on the edge of the area after a neat move down the left and driving the ball inches wide of the far post.

Richard Taundry scores Brakes' fifth.Richard Taundry scores Brakes' fifth.
Richard Taundry scores Brakes' fifth.

It was 2-0, however, in the 25th minute, Rob Thompson-Brown sending Smith the wrong way from the spot after Ahmed Obeng had been brought down by Jordan Odofin.

Kelvin Bossman almost halved the deficit, turning two player after a corner was half-cleared to the edge of the box, but with Breeden beaten, his shot went narrowly wide of the post.

The game was as good as over in the 37th minute when Brakes added a third.

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Edwards’ flick-on was diverted by defender Gedeon Okito into the path of Obeng whose poor first touch set up a shooting chance for Edwards eight yards out. The midfielder screwed his shot hopelessly wide but his blushes were spared by the backtracking Okito who stabbed the ball into the back of the net to complete a comedy of errors.

Baker-Richardson then fired wide, while Dunstable’s token response was a neat pull-back from Jetmir Esso to Shane Bush who, well-placed, got his connection all wrong.

Dunstable keeper Smith had shown a willingness to trust himself in possession but after almost being caught out from a poor clearance in the 53rd minute, Gittings firing straight at the exposed stopper, his luck ran out less than 60 seconds later.

Under pressure from Obeng, Smith tried to lob the attacker who read his intentions and got his body between keeper and ball. Edwards then picked up the pieces to roll the ball into the empty net.

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It was now a question of just how many goals Leamington could add against the hopelessly outgunned visitors and Gittings was next to try his luck with a tackle-cum-shot which was straight at Smith.

Richard Taundry scores Brakes' fifth.Richard Taundry scores Brakes' fifth.
Richard Taundry scores Brakes' fifth.

A string of substitutions stifled what flow their had been to the game, with Richard Gregory and Revan coming on in place of Magunda and Obeng.

Gregory was denied by a brave save from Smith who was out quickly to block with his body, while Edwards should have done better with a sidefoot effort from a corner after ghosting in.

Town substitute Vences Bola shot straight at Breeden after a committed run through the heart of the home defence before Brakes made it five in the 77th minute, Richard Taundry drilling the ball across Smith and into the far corner of the net after the visitors had failed to clear their lines.

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Jamie Hood could have added further gloss in the last minute of normal time after being expertly found by Taundry’s drilled free-kick. However, after cutting inside and picking his spot, it appeared the spot he chose was one yard outside the far post.

Gregory was also off-target as Brakes continued to pour forward, with the punch-drunk visitors relieved to hear the final whistle.

BRAKES: Tony Breeden, Richard Taundry, Connor Gudger (Tom James, 70), Darren Pond, Jamie Hood, Joe Magunda (Richard Gregory, 60), Courtney Baker-Richardson, Callum Gittings, Ahmed Obeng (Kurtis Revan, 62), Jack Edwards, Rob Thompson-Brown. Subs not used: Ben George, Charlie Hornby.

Dunstable: Jack Smith, Harry Bean (Adam Pepara, 67), Gedeon Okito, Danny Green, Jordan Odofin, David Longe-Kinge, Jetmir Esso, Shane Bush, Josh Oyinsan (Vences Bola, 46), Adam Moussi, Kelvin Bossman (Nathan Olukanmi, 56). Subs not used: Danny Talbot, Tony Fontenelle.

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