Tamworth FC v Needham Market
Tamworth FC
1-2
Needham Market
Match Report
Saturday’s near last minute winner at second placed Banbury had extended the winning run to seven league games, the lead at the top of the table to six points and with three games in hand over the Puritans.
In the only non-postponed fixture on the night, Tamworth quickly returned to league action as they welcomed the 15th placed Marketmen, without a win in six, to The Lamb for the third ever meeting between the two sides.
The Lambs management made four changes to the side that ran out at the Spencer Stadium with all three played subs starting (Forde, Kaziboni and Lait) and Thame came in for Little who was still recovering from his clash at Banbury.
Tamworth got the match underway attacking the Meadow Street End in the first half and we’re immediately pegged back by the visitors who had arrived just 45 minutes prior to kick off.
The Lambs tried to take control and put some balls upfield but were unable to capitalise. Needham forced a corner on 5 which was eventually cleared, and Tamworth broke through Forde to the other end.
He fed Kaziboni and he made space to shoot on 7 forcgin Garnham into a one handed save to push the ball around the post.
From the right sided corner Wilder glanced a header but it went off a defender and out for aocnrer which went long past Waite and out.
Needham countered and pulled the ball into the box via Sturgess and it took a brave block from Wilder to deny any shot from the attacking visitors.
Lait picked up the ball on the left corner of the box on 15 and lifted it towards goal but Garnham took it easily at head height.
Lait tried his luck from the edge of the area on a couple of occasions and Waite also hit a shot but none of them really tested Garnham too much as the minutes ticked by.
The visitors continued to frustrate Tamworth and it took a few crunching tackles from the likes of Wilder and Lait to get the blood flowing on the terraces again.
A Beswick freekick on the left on 36 was twice hooked away by the Marketmen back line and at the other end Marsden ran into Waite down the Needham right and the deadball was glanced behind for a left sided freekick which Tamworth broke from.
Lait found Beswick in the box and his chip into the area was headed behind for a corner.
Needham broke from the flagkick and when the ball looked to be going back to Singh, Ingram pounced, picked his spot from 18 yards and beat Singh at his left hand upright for the opening goal of the game (0-1, 39 mins)
One minute added time was shown at the end of the first half.
HT: TAMWORTH 0 1 NEEDHAM MARKET
Tamworth restarted proceedings and forced a couple of corners in the first couple of minutes.
Fry then fed Waite and the number 9 looked to be going to slot home the equaliser but Garnham made a good stop on the floor to deny him.
At the other end Singh was called into action by Marsden who found space and shot on target from the left of the area and the loose ball was prodded off the line by Wilder and the follow up shot smothered by Singh.
The Lambs made a double change on 55/56 and changed formation to accommodate for the final third of the game.
Creaney flicked the ball through to Waite on the hour and his shot was deflected out for a corner on the right which Creaney couldn’t direct goalward past the far post.
Needham had the ball in the net on 62 but it didn’t stand as the final pass found the last man in an offside position.
Needham doubles their advantage on 74 through D. Morphew’s far post header, unmarked at the far post (1-2, 74 mins)
Creaney pulled one back on 76 though, Forde sent the ball through for Yafai into the right of the box and he pulled it back for Creaney to rifle home from a yard out (1-2, 76 mins)
Tamworth huffed and puffed but had to await until the 88th minute for their next chance and it fell to Lait who saw his low shot pushed away, and Yafai was unable to keep the follow up down and cleared the target from 18 yards.
Beswick then planted a left sided cross onto the head of Creaney on 89 but his effort came back off the post and was cleared on the rebound by the Needham defence.
Deep into an unknown period of added time Beswick launched a freekick from the left channel into the box but it was cleared and it took Forde to halt the surge of three against one.
Mills made headway and rolled his shot diagonally past the right hand upright on 93 and after the visitors made a substitution on 95 before running down the clock to the final whistle.
Tamworth Team:
Singh, Thame (Yafai 55), Wilder, Beswick (c.), Gough (Hoenes 68), Rowe-Turner, Kaziboni (Creaney 56), Fry, Waite, Forde, Lait
Unused: Obeng, Walton R.
YC: Gough 62, Wilder 72
Needham Market Team:
Garnham, Dye, Sturgess, Squire, Morphew K., Morphew D., Marsden (Page 85, De La Paz 95), Heath (c.), Ingran, Parker, Mills
Subs (4 only): Short, Elsdon
Attendance: 450
Man of the Match: Tamworth Ladies chose Aaron Forde
Referee: Mr. R. Cattell
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