Finn strikes but Leamington are held by Worcester City
Honours were even in a 1-1 draw as winless Leamington welcomed Worcester City to Harbury Lane for the first time in almost 11 years on Saturday.
Boss Scott Easterlow rotated his squad once more, bringing in Iddriss Fuseini for his first start, while Ruben Freeman returned from injury and Owen Farmer and Kyle Belmonte, facing his former club, were brought back into the XI.
For the first time this season the two sides emerged from the tunnel to leaden skies and heavy rain.
The home crowd were up for the game and the teams responded with an entertaining first 45 minutes.
Worcester were the first to threaten, Brandon Smalley seeing his shot skid well wide from inside the box.
Leamington were always looking to break however, and did so to devastating effect on 11 minutes as Chris Wreh laid the ball off for captain Kyle Finn to place a glorious strike beyond Mamadou Diallo into the top right hand corner.
Wreh intercepted a loose defensive pass and almost played Finn in again, but it was intercepted.
Shortly afterwards City skipper Charlie Wise sent a good header just over from a deep right wing centre.
Another header flicked on from a long throw in from the left was held on the line by Cian Tyler.
Callum Cockerill-Mollett headed Finn’s right wing corner wide at the far post as Leamington pushed for a second, and a free kick into a packed penalty area from Belmonte was narrowly missed by two lunging Brakes players.
Former Brakes man Miro Pais looked to have been played in on goal but was denied by an offside flag as Tyler saved his low strike with his legs. Harry Burns then saw his shot through a crowded area blocked and cleared away.
The rain had abated as half-time approached and the sky was beginning to clear, but the ball continued to have a mind of its own at times as it zipped across the now damp playing surface.
Farmer was played into space on the left to give him a chance to double Leamington’s lead, but his low drive was well saved by the body of Diallo.
The second half was not nearly as eventful as the first; the opening 20 minutes passing without any incident of note, as neither side was really able to gain any sort of control in the game, and defences were on top.
But with 20 minutes or so remaining Worcester hauled themselves level.
It was a disappointing goal to concede from a Leamington perspective, with Smalley seemingly afforded far too much time and space inside the area on the right to turn and direct a low shot wide of Tyler into the far corner.
Worcester were starting to get on top at this stage; Tyler holding a decent effort before a mazy run deep into the Leamington penalty area by Josh Ezewele ended with the ball being blocked behind for a corner.
The ball was recycled, Smalley seeing his shot blocked.
Play quickly switched to the other end, Finn setting up Louie Rea for a miscued shot that unfortunately cleared the hedges on the North Bank by some distance.
Wise headed away substitute Nathan Kabeya fired in a shot that almost found its way through to Byron Wilson as Leamington hit back in the final 10 minutes.
A brilliant ball clipped to Wilson at the far post saw a potential set up for substitute Koby Arthur denied by an offside flag.
In the dying moments of injury time Kabeya sent an inviting ball to the back post that was met by Wilson, but he could only direct his effort into the arms of Diallo.
BRAKES: Tyler, Cockerill-Mollett (Kabeya 81), Kelly, Freeman, Wilson, Fuseini (Eubank 46), Belmonte, Rea, Farmer (Arthur 74), Finn, Wreh (Walters 74). SUB NOT USED:Weston.
ATTENDANCE: 592.