Tamworth FC v Biggleswade Town
Tamworth FC
4-0
Biggleswade Town
Match Report
After a Saturday off while storms Ciara and Dennis had wreaked havoc across the country and forced the game at Rushden to be postponed, Tamworth returned to action some 11 days after the midweek Staffordshire Senior Cup exit to Kidsgrove Athletic refreshed and raring to go against The Waders of Biggleswade Town, positioned at 15th in the table having won just one in their last nine league outings.
The Lambs, topping the table by two points and with two games in hand going into the match, had fallen by the odd goal in three in the reverse fixture earlier in the season and had yet to record a win against the visitors in all three previous attempts.
Tamworth’s starting eleven featured one player making his debut – Ben Hart, on youth loan from Burton Albion, and one making his second league start of the season – Chris Lait, having bagged eight goals in nine games, with six strikes coming from the off bench.
The Lambs on loan keeper Richard Walton did not feature for the visitors as per the contractual agreement and the home side got the game underway, attacking the Castle End in the first half.
The Lambs defence were pushed back in the early exchanges with Gough protecting and then clearing the danger as Edwards tried to pounce on the loose ball.
Bush couldn’t keep his shot down and lifted the ball into Meadow Street on 7 then a foul in the Waders right channel earned Rowe-Turner a booking and Edwards strike deflected over the target. At the other end, Lait was upended by Stanley and booked for his efforts.
Beswick lined up the dead ball and struck the deadball into the side netting with Teixeira in mid flight. An attempted shot from Edwards was blocked strongly by Magunda on 14 and a corner on the right resulted, but a foul in the ensuing play against The Lambs halted the game quickly.
Waite met a Lait cross from the left with a powerful header on 19 but couldn’t keep it down to test the keeper. Rowe-Turner slid in to clear a low cross from Charles and the corner came to nothing and Magunda was booked for his reaction to possible foul on Hart.
Tamworth responded by storming down the other and when the ball popped up in front of Beswick on 27 he struck it on the half volley from 30 yards and it flew past Teixeira with the aid of a slight deflection (1-0, 27 mins) Lait forced a corner on the left on 34 and The Lambs got the ball into the box from Beswick’s cross but the offside flag curtailed Waite’s finish from 6 yards.
Biggleswade mounted an attack on 28 which saw Edwards header at the far post call Singh into action, and from the corner the same player headed over the target by a couple of feet.
The visitors forced another corner on 43 and the ball skipped across the box begging for a touch for the equaliser but it evaded everyone and went out for a goalkick.
Yafai was brought down in front of the clubhouse on 44 and Ball was booked for his efforts as added appeared and ended without further incident.
HT: TAMWORTH 1 0 BIGGLESWADE TOWN
The Waders restarted proceedings with The lambs attacking the Meadow Street end and forced an early corner when Hart was beaten and Rowe-Turner got in the way of the cross and the corner was cleared.
Beswick fed Lait on 54 and the latter beat two on the edge of the area before striking on target but it was easy for the keeper to smother.
Obeng’s run onto the through ball from midfield saw the Lambs number 7 free down the right and his cross was put behind for a corner.
Obeng was then upended on 61 and Beswick’s freekick on the right was headed past the keeper by the Biggleswade man Edwards, on the near post, with Gough behind him, for a own goal in The Lambs favour. (2-0, 61 mins)
Lait curled a shot from the left of the box on 62 Obeng was involved again two minutes later, dragging the ball back to the edge of the box for Fry to strike and it flew into the goal with aid of a deflection (3-0, 62 mins)
Beswick was brought down in the box on 67 by Swain and stepped up for the penalty, but saw his spot kick saved at his left hand post to deny The Lambs fourth of the afternoon.
From a right sided position, Beswick made amends for his miss on 74 with an inch perfect freekick over the keeper to add another to his tally for the season and extend the lead even further (4-0, 74 mins)
As the rain started to drive down Beswick made way for Hoenes and the Lambs nearly added another in the next two moves but Obeng was unable to turn the ball home and Fry turned the ball over the bar from a yard out.
Robinson came onto the field on 79 and was sent off 30 seconds later, elbowing Kerins as the ball bounced past them to earn a straight red card and reduce The Lambs to ten men for the final ten minutes.
This invited the visitors into the game a little as shots from both substitute Bell and then Williams forced Singh into action, the first one coming back off the post after Singh got his fingertips to it.
Fry picked up a knock to his head and required treatment causing a prolonged stoppage in play as the final minutes came into view and play restarted with the player suitably bandaged up.
And after a lengthy period of added time, the final whistle blew on a deserved victory and another three points to keep The Lambs at the top of the table.
Tamworth Team:
Singh, Hart, Gough, Beswick (Wilder 74), Magunda (Robinson 79), Rowe-Turner, Obeng, Fry, Waite, Yafai, Lait (Hoenes 68)
Subs: Clement, Little
YC: Rowe-Turner 8, Magunda 26
RC: Robinson 80
Biggleswade Town Team:
Teixeira, Stanley, Kerins, Peters, Ferrell, Swain, Williams, Bush, Edwards, Ball (Bell 74), Charles (Richardson 82)
Subs: Griffith, Beckwith, Crowter
YC: Stanley 12, Ball 44, Swain 73
Attendance: 601
Man of the Match: Footsteps Treatment Clinic chose Beswick
Referee: Mr. L. Watson
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