Banbury United v Tamworth FC
Banbury United
0-1
Tamworth FC
Match Report
Table topping Tamworth travelled to The Spencer Stadium to take on second placed Banbury on their own turf. Tamworth came into the game on the back of 6 league wins in a row, while Banbury had seen defeat only once in the previous 6 but drawn two. The home side had not lost at home in the league since August though, so a tight and competitive affair was expected. Smith, Danylyszyn and Baillie made one change to the starting eleven with Fry replacing Forde, while Lait took a place on the bench after his brace in midweek in the Birmingham Senior Cup and new Wrexham loanee Thame also took a spot.
Tamworth got the game underway attacking the Shed End of the ground and after a quick start from The Lambs, The Puritans pushed up field but were unable to get through the Lambs back line.
Shamzi dragged a shot from 20 yards well wide of the mark after finding some space in the middle of the back line on 5.
Shamzi then found Roberts in the left of the box and his shot was headed behind for a left sided corner which Singh caught at height.
A well timed flicked on header from Creaney nearly found Hoenes but the ball held up on the damp grass and Banbury managed to clear their lines as did Gough at the other end when Shamsi beat Rowe-Turner to the quick through pass.
Tamworth responded by attacking quickly with Waite and Creaney and Hoenes all involved in neat moves and even Little got forwards but was unable to get a ball into the box.
The home side moved the ball around well around 17 and Singh was called into action from Dias’ right footed swipe at goal which the keeper parried and Wilder cleared away.
A well worked move by the home side ended with a header from Hawtin at the far post which went wide of the mark, but The Lambs were continually being made to work for the ball and the balance of play probably sat slightly in the home side’s favour.
A trip by Beswick in the middle of the park gave Banbury possession and they kept the ball even after Gough had booted it clear, but Waite managed to bring it up field and eventually it ran long to the keeper. Isaac tripped Yafai on the right of the box on 32 so Beswick set himself up with the deadball but it was gathered by the keeper at the feet of three attacking Lambs.
Beswick threaded a pass through to Waite on 38 but the resulting shot was blocked y two Banbury defenders just outside the six yard box.
A freekick in the left channel on 40 then saw Beswick fire into the path of three Lambs players but it was always going to be too long for them to reach before it ran out of play.
One minute added time was shown before the break and in the final action of the first half Shamsi rifled a shot from the right of the box wide of the near post but it was closer than it was far away and the half ended goalless.
HT: BANBURY UNITED 0 0 TAMWORTH
Banbury restarted proceedings and were quickly awarded a freekick which made its way back to Singh via a low shot from distance.
Roberts’ trip of Yafai 25 yards out earned the Banbury man a booking and Beswick stepped up but lifted the deadball over the cross bar into the travelling faithful in the Puritans Radio Stand behind the goal.
Rowe-Turner spread himself to deny a shot from the left of the box from Mills on 50 and Roberts shot was then blocked by the same Lambs defender a minute later. A deep accurate pass from Beswick found Hoenes on 51 and the latter was upended on the edge of the box.
Beswick lined up the deadball once again and it struck the inside of the right hand post but the follow up was lifted over the target.
A pass out of the back was left and not dealt with properly on 58 allowing Shamsi to steal in and rob the ball and shoot but thankfully for Singh the strike went well wide of the near post.
Banbury had the ball int the back of the net on the hour but Shamsi’s 8 yards finish didn’t count after Roberts had forced Singh into a save which came back out to the home striker, in an offside position.
Lait replaced Creaney on the hour and The Lambs changed formation to accommodate.
With the final third of the pitch seeming a little difficult to penetrate, another Beswick freekick on 65 provided a chance but the strike was easy for Harding to catch at the near post.
After a couple of changes Lait picked up the ball on the left and pulled it into the box for Kaziboni to shoot but his effort was blocked as Tamworth kept up the pressure.
Rasulo picked up a booking on 82 and fouled again on 85 but didn’t see red for a second offence, so Beswick lined up the freekick from the right corner of the box, 18 yards out.
It whipped in and Forde headed it on target but Harding batted it away and Gough couldn’t cleanly follow it in to force the ball home.
Tamworth then forced a left sided corner on 88 and the ball fell to Lait who fired home from 6 yards out to send the visiting fans delirious! (1-0, 88 mins)
Injury to Luke Little required a stretcher for the Walsall youngster to leave the field and Tamworth finished the game with 10 men.
Banbury went close in the 100th minute with three shots that were either blocked, miscued or over the target and Awadh was booked for protesting the referee’s decisions.
A long kick from Harding fell into the box and Wilder did well to see the ball back to Singh before the final whistle blew on a hard worked victory.
Tamworth Team:
Singh, Little, Wilder, Beswick (c.), Gough, Rowe-Turner, Waite, Fry, Creaney (Lait 60), Yafai (Forde 77), Hoenes (Kaziboni 76)
Unused: Thame, Obeng
YC: Forde 98
Banbury United Team:
Harding, Roberts, Isaac, Westbrook, Hawtin, Rasulo, Dias (Awadh 60), Henderson, Mills (Haysham 80), Roberts, Shamsi (Fasanmade 82)
Subs: Okito, Ahmed
YC: Roberts 48, Rasulo 84
Attendance: 561
Referee: Mr. R. Walker
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