Vaughan left forlorn on New Windmill return

Brakes edged an even contest against a Kidderminster Harriers side made up of first-teamers and academy players with a well-taken second-half goal from Tom Berwick, writes Paul Edwards.

There was little to choose between the two sides during the first half, with both enjoying spells of possession without creating much.

Brakes’ trialist keeper Kevin Sawyer made a couple of comfortable saves, while Dean Perrow’s low drive fizzed past the post and Jamie Hood almost put through his own net when trying to head back to Sawyer, the ball fortuitously striking the post and bouncing into the keeper’s hands.

Sawyer collected another low drive early in the second half before Berwick scored what turned out to be the only goal of the game.

The striker capitalised on defensive hesitancy on the edge of the box to slam a shot past Nathan Vaughan, who was making a swift return to the New Windmill following his recent switch to the Harriers.

James Husband headed just wide in the next attack as Leamington began to look more threatening.

Berwick fashioned another opportunity for himself inside the area with some neat control but clipped his shot wide of the far post, and James Mace had an even better chance to double the lead when he shot straight at Vaughan from close range and then put the rebound over the bar.

With Brakes catching the eye with some pleasing passages of play, Berwick put a close-range header over the bar, with the run of team-mate Matt Dodd a possible distraction.

Dodd then showed a glimpse of his pace when taking on his man down the right and driving in a low cross which was smothered by Vaughan.

Having used all of their available substitutes, Leamington were forced to play out the last five minutes with ten men after losing Stephan Morley to a calf strain.

The visitors nearly capitalised on their numerical advantage in the last minute but Brakes’ substitute keeper Michael Quirke performed heroics to somehow divert the ball on to the post, injuring himself in the process.

Brakes: Kevin Sawyer (Michael Quirke, 83), Michael Tuohy, Stephan Morley, Sam Adkins, James Mace, Jamie Hood, Craig Owen, James Husband (Liam Daly, 75), Dean Perrow (Matt Dodd, 50), Tom Berwick, Richard Batchelor (Alex Taylor, 65).

Kidderminster Harriers (Starting XI): Nathan Vaughan, Lee Vaughan, Ashley Checketts, Kyle Storer, Cheyenne Dunkley, J Fletcher, Callum Gittings, Jack Byrne, Aaron Wint, J Perkiss, Justin Nesbitt.