Tamworth
V
Wealdstone
Tamworth FC v AFC Rushden and Diamonds
Tamworth FC
1-1
AFC Rushden and Diamonds
Match Report
Tamworth welcomed AFC R&D to the CR MOT Centre Community Stadium for the first meeting between the two sides at The Lamb, in the final game of the 20181-9 season with Strom Hannah threatening to blow the country away before kick off.
Smith and Danylyszyn made four changes to the side that recorded the 1-0 away win at Barwell on Bank Holiday Monday Joel Kettle, Jack Concannon and Tyrell Waite returning to the starting eleven while Chris Spencer made just his second league start.
After Chris Lait received the Tamworth Herald MOM award for the 2018-19 season, AFC kicked off proceedings with Tamworth sporting the new 2019-20 away shirt and attacking the Meadow Street end of the ground.
Clement knocked the ball through for Lait to run on to but he was unable to head it on and control it before the visiting defence cleared the danger.
A strong run from Waite got him into the right of the box on 10 and his low shot was put behind for a corner on the right but Kettle had to deal with the wind and couldn’t direct his header back into the six yard box.
Lait made a surging run through the centre of the Rushden defence on 12 and despite a tug got a shot away to force Heath into a low stop which Concannon followed up but Heath was equal to it as well.
The visitors broke and Reynolds tried his luck from 25 yards, forcing Singh to acrobatically tip the ball over the bar for a corner which came to nothing.
On 15 a threaded ball through to Concannon in the left of the box saw him set up to shoot but it was blocked and Lait’s follow up was blocked as well.
Magunda’s big clearance on 17 bounced over the last defender and set Waite free but his first touch left him down and his shot on the angle from 25 yards went high and wide.
A right sided freekick allowed Beswick to fire the ball into the area on 20 but neither Kettle’s header nor Lait’s shot could test Heath.
A powerful shot from Beswick was blocked en route to the goal and there were shouts for handball but nothing was given and the Lait weaved his way through but was unable to get a shot away before the ball was blocked and went out of play.
Gough needed the magic sponge on 24 and allowed players a drinks break before he returned to the action and Reynolds struck a low right footed shot from the right of the box diagonally out past Singh’s far post.
The Lambs forced a right sided corner on 31 and Heath had to watch it and punch it from almost under the bar allowing Beswick to repeat the flagkick, and a defensive touch took it out for a corner on the opposite side.
Concannon’s ball in was met by Green but his flick on was easily cleared. Singh was called upon to punch a Curtis freekick away from danger on 34 and The Lambs broke up field through Lait but his cross from the left towards the far post just evaded Concannon.
Lait struck from the left of the box again on 39 and looked to have picked his spot perfectly but Heath threw himself full length and pushed the ball around the post for a corner which fell to Kettle and he fed Lait but the final shot was wayward.
Farrell hit a low drive for goal from 25 yards on 44 and while it was nowhere near the target Singh was not happy with the gaps that the visitors had found in the build up.
HT: TAMWORTH 0 0 AFC RUSHDEN AND DIAMONDS
Tamworth got the game back underway and forced a corner on the left on 50 but it failed to bear fruit, and on 55 Bowen struck a low shot from the left of the area at Singh who smothered it. Hicks tried his luck with a low strike from 35 yards on 57 but it was lacking power and never going to beat Singh. At the other end Green floated a shot towards the far post and Heath pushed it away with his fingertips, then Concannon drilled the ball low into the near post and Heath gathered it under pressure from Waite. Concannon’s drive from outside the area took a deflection to take it out for a corner on the right on 65 and from the flagkick Gough powered home a header at the near post for his first Lambs goal (1-0, 66 mins) Hicks equalised with a precise strike from just outside the area on 69 which gave Singh no chance after the keeper had done well to protect his goal from a long range strike in the preceding play. (1-1, 69 mins) Green fired high and wide from 18 yards on 72 and The Lambs completed their substitutions on 75. Lait burst into the box in the next move and well timed tackle forced a corner on the left which was headed away. Revarnelle James was pulled back by Collard on 86 to earn himself a yellow card and Beswicks low freekick looked like it was set up for Green to rifle it home but the offside flag would have chalked off any goal. A foul on the edge of the Lambs area allowed Dolman to thump his freekick into the Lambs wall and AcQuaye nearly gave his side the winner in added time but his ball across the box went untouched an the final whistle blew on the game and the season.
Tamworth Team:
Singh, Green K. Gough, Beswick, Kettle (c.), Magunda, Concannon (James R 75), Clement, Waite (Gordon 75), Spencer (James H 62), Lait
Subs: Ambris, Dias
AFC Rushden and Diamonds Team:
Heath, Reynolds (Johnson 88), Brown, Ashton, Dolman, Collard, Curtis (Diamond 63), Farrell, Lorraine (Acquaye 79), Bowen, Hicks
Subs (4 only): Westbrook
Attendance: 705
Man of the Match: BRAC Engineers chose Jordan Clement
Referee: Mr. R. Walker
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