Jack Lane gave the Brakes an early lead, but the Blues managed to tuck home an equaliser at the start of the second, before conceding a heart-breaking late goal to Landers in stoppage time.

With the current transition of management at the club, Holland started with a rotated side and a bench filled with academy prospects eager to display their talents.

Leamington undoubtedly started the livelier of the two sides nonetheless – limiting the Blues forwards to minor chances and looking to trouble Blues captain Ross Durrant from the outset.

Landers had the first real opportunity in the eighth minute, when a defensive mistake allowed the Brakes’ forward to drive towards goal, one-on-one with Durrant, but the Blues shot-stopper dove to his right with a firm hand to deny the hosts.

Moments later, Leamington did secure the opener through Lane. A Brakes corner that dropped dead in the Blues’ box fell straight to the feet of the full-back and allowed him to smash the ball low and under an unsighted Durrant.

Another chance fell the Brakes’ way mid-way through the first half after Lane once again looked for a forward pass and found Landers in the box – the striker controlled the ball and struck first time, but Durrant did well to stop the shot with his legs and then scramble to catch the ball before it crossed the line.

Alex Hardwick looked to cause some danger with 10 minutes left of the first half. The Blues forward spun his marker just outside the Leamington box and was tripped, but the resultant free kick from Callum Cocks was deflected off the wall and did not trouble Callum Smith.

First-half stoppage time gave Leamington a final chance going into the break, as Tyrone Barnett rose highest to connect with a corner, however, the Brakes’ midfielder could not guide his thumping header on target and the hosts had a one-goal advantage at the interval.

Long Eaton came out in the second half eager to start brightly, and that came to fruition in the 49th minute. Kameron Campbell did well to make something out of nothing with a deep cross which found the diving head of Philip and subsequently the back of the net.

Barnett then had a chance to regain the hosts’ advantage with a diving header of his own 10 minutes into the second half, but it was ultimately a comfortable stop for Durrant.

Mid-way through the second half, Leamington were gifted another chance from the edge of the box, as Adam Walker’s cross-shot bounced on the penalty spot and skipped onto the post before being cleared by the Blues’ defence.

Leamington then had two huge opportunities in quick succession – Landers had the first when he fizzed a half volley just past the post, and then substitute Callum Stewart saw his headed effort fly past the opposite post from point-blank range.

With four minutes left of normal time, Riece Bertram received the ball just past the far post from an Alans Voskresenskis corner and then looked to power a strike towards goal, but Smith did superbly to tip the strike over the bar from close.

In the dying moments of the match – two minutes into stoppage time – Leamington dealt the Blues heartbreak, as Landers converted Stewart’s low-driven cross from a direct position and secured the hosts all three points at the Your Co-Op Community Stadium.