The Bucks came from behind to beat Leamington 3-1 and claim a first away league of the campaign.

On breezy night in Warwickshire, it was Leamington who started with the wind in their sails. The Brakes were quick out of the blocks and looked to take the game to the Bucks, and for the first ten minutes Kevin Wilkin’s men struggled to get out of their own half.

The Bucks’ first chances of the game came around the ten minute mark, when first Khanya Leshabela and then Matty Stenson tested Eddie Brearey with low drives. But Leamington were still causing the Bucks plenty of problems.

The first big moment of the game came on 18 minutes, when Tim Berridge knocked the ball back across goal, and debutant Frank Tattum appeared to have scuffed the ball into the net for the Brakes. The ball was well over the line before the Bucks scrambled it clear, but the officials strangely (and fortunately for the Bucks) didn’t see it that way, and the game remained goalless.

Wilkin’s men then went down the other end and Stenson struck a shot that hit the inside of the post and bounced out, before Ammar Dyer fired an effort across goal that went narrowly wide of the post.

But the Brakes did take the lead in the 24th minute. Seb Thompson’s cross from the left found Berridge, who hit a lovely volley just inside Josh Gracey’s left-hand post.

The Bucks were finding it difficult against a committed Leamington side, but the momentum swung towards Wilkn’s men in the 36th minute. A fantastic low strike from the left of the box from Dylan Allen-Hadley flew past Brearey to level the scores at 1-1. The Bucks were in the ascendency now, and nearly took the lead right on half time, but Stenson’s back post header was deflected narrowly over the bar. All square at the break.

Both sides looked to make a fast start after the interval. Thompson and Ewan Williams both narrowly missed the target for the Brakes, before the the Bucks had a golden opportunity to take the lead on 54 minutes. After good work from Remi Walker and Allen-Hadley, the ball fell to Charlie Williams about eight yards out, but Williams took a fraction too long to get a shot away and his effort was well blocked by Josh Quaynor. Leamington left back Quaynor then made another good block shortly afterwards to keep out an overhead kick from Stenson.

Wilkin’s men were enjoying a good period, and they made it count on 68 minutes. The ball was switched out to Dyer on the right, who the Brakes had failed to pick up, and the Bucks defender drove into the box and hit an effort that took a deflection and found its way into the net.

Leamington were still pushing, but it was the Bucks who had another glorious opportunity in the 82nd minute. After the Brakes did well to smoother Rhys Hilton’s effort, the ball came to Stenson six yards out, but Brearey made a remarkable save to deny the Bucks’ marksman, somehow getting down low to turn the ball away.

The Bucks had to stand firm in the face of some strong pressure from Leamington, with Gracey making a good stop to keep out Thompson’s whipped freekick. And having kept the Brakes out, the Bucks wrapped things up in the 93rd minute thanks to a cracking hit from Hilton.

A 3-1 victory for the Bucks, then, and a first away win in league this season that sees Wilkin’s men jump up to 13th in the table.