Leamington vs Coventry City U21

Coventry's youngsters dictated the opening exchanges. The Brakes' trialist goalkeeper was kept busy with several low strikes from outside the box, but the deadlock was broken on 26 minutes when Tristan Batanwi slotted home after a Leamington defender was dispossessed.

Cameron Eubank produced a fine intervention to prevent a second, snaking out a leg to cut out a pass across the box. The trialist keeper then saved well from Elijah Briscoe, but the second goal arrived in the 38th minute. Shay Dunn won a tussle with Owen Farmer and played Harry Gray through on goal; the keeper saved his initial effort, but the Sky Blues' Trialist number 11 snaffled the loose ball from close range.

Eliot Betjemann nearly made it three before the break, connecting first time with a low left-wing cross, only to be denied by a fine save.

Coventry made all 11 changes at half-time and Leamington also rang them. It took the hosts just four minutes of the second half to respond. Dexter Walters — himself a former Coventry academy player — fired a low ball in from the left, and Kyle Finn slammed it home first time past Eliot Meredith.

The visitors restored their two-goal cushion on 78 minutes when Nsemi Bassega slotted home from close range after a blocked shot. Kenzie Stretton nearly added a fourth when his drive cannoned back off the inside of the right post.

Leamington kept pushing. Nathan Kabeya swept the ball out left to Walters, who danced into the box and fired low across goal; Harvey Broad sliced the ball clear after it struck the post. Kabeya then fed Finn, who forced a good save from Meredith. The goal finally came in the 86th minute when Finn squared for Trialist G to advance and slot past Meredith. Finn almost engineered an equaliser moments later but hesitated inside the box and the chance was gone.

Coventry's decision to change their entire XI at half-time could have disrupted their rhythm, but it didn't. By the time Leamington had found their footing through Finn's 49th-minute strike, the damage from the first half was already done. Crucially, when Leamington had momentum at 1-2, Nsemi Bassega's 78th-minute goal — the third of the game — restored the two-goal buffer and forced the hosts to chase a second equaliser they never quite found.

Kyle Finn (Leamington) — Player of the Match. The former Coventry academy man scored one, assisted another, and was the driving force behind Leamington's second-half improvement. He forced a good save from Meredith and almost fashioned a late equaliser.

Cameron Eubank (Leamington). The midfielder was a standout in the first half, preventing a certain goal with a crucial interception and nearly playing a trialist through with a sublime ball over the top. He also saw a ferocious effort blocked in the second half.

Tristan Batanwi (Coventry City U21). Opened the scoring with a composed finish after capitalising on a defensive error, setting the tone for the visitors' dominant first half.

The official provider stats for this pre-season friendly are limited, but the match narrative reveals a clear split. Coventry's first-half XI — containing several youngsters who have been around the first-team squad — created the decisive lead. Their second-half XI, entirely different, absorbed pressure and added a third through Bassega. Leamington's second-half performance (1 goal, several near-misses including a post) was a marked improvement on the first (0-2 down, few clear chances), reflecting the impact of the substitutions and the half-time reset.

This was Leamington's first pre-season defeat after four unbeaten friendly matches. For Coventry City U21, under new coach Liam Kelly, the result continues preparations for the Professional Development League season, with the senior squad preparing for their Premier League return. Leamington's next friendly is at home to Rugby Borough on Tuesday 21 July 2026.

A game of two halves and two entirely different Coventry XIs. The young Sky Blues' sharp first-half display laid the platform, and while Leamington improved significantly after the break — led by the excellent Kyle Finn — the early deficit was too deep to fully overturn. Useful minutes for both sides in pre-season.