Tamworth v Mickelover
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Tamworth
0-1
Mickelover
Match Report
168 days since the last game in front of a crowd, Tamworth welcomed former player John McGrath’s Northern Premier side to The Lamb.
There were no surprises for the Lambs other than perhaps who started the match and who sat on the bench in a couple of key positions.
The visitors got the game underway with Tamworth attacking the Meadow Street End in the first half.
Tamworth started very much on the front foot with the right back trialist firing a ball for Walters past the far post on 6 which forced a corner and a shooting chance for the same player, but his shot was wide of the mark.
Forde thumped a shot into the visiting defence on 10 and Walters spotted the keeper off his line but the ball stopped and the visiting custodian plucked it out of the air with relative ease.
Yafai met a cross from the left with a smart volley on 16 which brought the best out of Wolves U23 keeper Pardington.
Beswick’s corner curled under the bar but was headed away and Walters followed up with a cross, cleared to Forde whose shot over the defence was taken by the keeper.
Beswick’s freekick from 30 yards was taken well by the keeper at his left hand post on 20. Gowling’s latest foul was one too many on 22 and earned a booking shortly before a drinks break was called by the referee.
Another Beswick freekick came on 29 on the front right edge of the box but a deflection took it over the bar for a corner on the left but a defensive header took it away from Waite’s head.
The result8ing corner was met by Wilder, but his header went wide of the mark.
At the other end on 34 the visitors took the lead from the penalty spot when Gowling was adjudged to have been bundled over by Forde and Warren slotted the penalty home low to Singh’s right (0-1, 34 mins)
Webb struck powerfully wide of the mark on 39 and then a trip of Forde on the edge of the box set up Beswick with another freekick which cannoned off the wall in the final action of the first half.
Second half stalemate
The Lambs restarted the second half and it took until 51 for them to get a shot away with Walters striking high and wide of the mark.
Wilder forced a corner on the left on 56 and Walters dead ball fell to Beswick on the edge of the box but he struck left footed, over the target.
Beswick was denied by a smart save by Pardington on 58 and from the corner the ball was glanced away from Wilder's attempted header.
Waite made a great run into the box from the left on the hour and Yafai met it with a volley but it struck a covering defender and was cleared.
Yafai and Watt received strong yellow cards after a late challenge on the Lambs man saw a feisty reaction on 67 and after a break for drinks, Gough replaced Yafai.
Miekle was then pulled back after advancing over the half way line and Milner kicked the ball away (and managed to strike Verma!) so was booked for his actions.
The freekick came to nothing though and Singh got a rare touch of the ball as The Lambs tried to rebuild from the back.
The Lambs right back trialist forged his way into the box on 86 but his shot rolled wide of the near post but there was no last minute equaliser as Tonks long throw into the box was punched away by the impressive visiting keeper and the final whistle blew.
Tamworth Team:
Singh, trialist, Wilder (Parker 87), Beswick (c.) (Tonks 61), Cullinane-Liburd (Fry HT), Rowe-Turner, Miekle, Forde (Magunda HT), Waite, Yafai (Gough 71), Walters (trialist 61)
Subs: Fitzgerald, Tait
YC: Yafai 67
Mickleover F.C. Team:
Pardington, Bennett, Morris, Warren (Ravenhill HT), Butler, Watt (Murray 86), Aman Verma, Gowling, Webb (Satchwell 83), Bevan, Wright (Milner 59)
Subs: Mills, Ellis (?)
YC: Gowling 22, Watt 67
Attendance: 150
Referee: Mr. T. Reeves
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