Tamworth
V
Wealdstone
Tamworth FC v Stourbridge FC
Tamworth FC
1-0
Stourbridge FC
Match Report
Gary Smith and Andy Danylyszyn kept the same starting eleven for the 99th meeting between The Lambs, in 15th, and the Glassboys from Stourbridge pushing for promotion in second place, hot on the heels of Kettering Town.
Former Lambs James Wren, Callum Powell and Greg Mills lined up for Stourbridge as they got the game underway, attacking the Castle End of the Lamb.
A slip by Kettle allowed Anderson to burst into the box on 4 and his blushes were spared by the quick thinking of Singh who came out and smothered the chance which had looked odds on for a goal.
A trip on Concannon set up Lait on the left of the D on 6 and he struck the ball around the wall but also into the grasp of Wren.
A jinking run from Powell on 10 saw him fire a low ball into the near post from the right of the box, but it was knocked out of the play by Anderson and failed to trouble Singh.
Beswick went in a little too strongly into Thompson-Brown on 15 and picked up a booking, three minutes later Dias spotted a gap and ran into it with the ball but was upended by Hayden who was also booked.
Beswick’s freekick came out for Clement and his shot rose of the target. Gough made a strong run into the area on 25 and Lait picked up the loose ball but seemed to be pulled back as he tried to turn, however there was no shout for a penalty until the ball had been cleared away by the Glassboys defence.
Powell threaded the ball through to Mills on 31 and Singh blocked his cut back to force a corner on the right which Thompson-Brown took but was cleared.
A deep cross from the left from Forde on 36 was met past the far post by two Stourbridge heads but neither could direct it goalward.
Broadhurst picked up a card following a minor melee inside the Lambs half on 40 and although the visitors had slightly more of the possession as the clock ticked towards 45 Tamworth were putting in a good shift to keep them frustrated and away from the final third.
Added time came and with it a wildly off target cross from Powell, shortly before the Half Time whistle blew.
HT: TAMWORTH 0 0 STOURBRIDGE
The player emerged for the second half and Powell tried a shot from 20 yards inside the first minute but fired off target and then a minute later forced a corner with a deflected cross.
Mills forced Clement to put the ball behind for another on 48 and McCone direct his far post head goalwards and Green booted it clear.
On 51, Lait crossed low from the left and although there were no Lambs players there to knock it home, Stourbridge defender Brown chested it down and nearly beat Wren at his far post, but the keeper prevented his blushes with an acrobatic stop.
Clement hit a low shot from a central position on 56 which brought a regulation stop from Wren and the banter between fans on opposite sides of the ground made for a great atmosphere despite the lack of goals.
Westlake spotted a gap on the right of the box on the hour and shot goalward but only succeeded in troubling the travelling fans behind his goal in the Meadow Street End, and Powell drilled a low ball into the box from the right on 62 which Singh smothered.
Waite picked up the ball 25 yards out and picked his spot but hit the inside of the left hand post and the ball went past Concannon on it’s way back out again.
Concannon did get a shot away a moment later though, forcing Wren to drop and smother his shot from the edge of the box.
On 73 Powell was booked for a dangerous two footed challenge that thankfully failed to connect with Clement as the crowd shouted for more than a yellow card.
Lait’s cross on the left struck a hand and so set up play from a freekick outside the left corner of the box on 78 but his deadball would have perhaps been better suited on a rugby field. Kettle was forced to clear his lines with a hefty boot for a corner on the right to the visitors on 82 but it came to nothing as Maphosa cleared.
However, a tug from the same player allowed the visitors to keep up some pressure until Waite was upended by Stourbridge captain McCone on 89.
Beswick’s deadball whipped into the box and for the second week running Waite fired home in the dying seconds to give Tamworth lead lead – this week a right footed finish part Wren from 6 yards (1-0) And after three minutes added time The Lambs celebrated victory for the third week running and a fourth game unbeaten under Gary and Andy’s guidance.
Tamworth Team:
Singh, Green K., Gough, Beswick, Kettle (c), Magunda, Concannon (James 80), Clement, Waite, Dias (Maphosa 67), Lait
Subs: Frances, Gordon, Shaw
YC: Beswick 15
Stourbridge Team:
Wren, Hayden, Brown, McCone (c.), Westlake, Forde, Powell, Broadhurst (Birch 68), Anderson, Thompson-Brown (Forsyth 83), Mills
Subs: Pierpoint, Maher, Christophorou
YC: Hayden 18, Broadhurst 40, Powell 73, McCone 89
Attendance: 703
Man of the Match: Kang and Co Solicitors chose Chris Lait
Referee: Mr. R. Williams
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