Tamworth  v  Stourbridge

Tue 22 Sep - 19:45 FA Cup

Tamworth

Tamworth

3-3

Stourbridge

Stourbridge

Match Report

The Lambs welcomed the Glassboys in the 100th meeting between the two sides, in the Emirates FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round at the CR MOT Community Stadium.

Tamworth made one change to the starting line from Saturday’s opening day league point at Peterborough Sports with McDonald making way for Walters.

Stourbridge got the game underway attacking the Castle End in the first half, but it was The Lambs who had the first chance with a freekick on the right of the box for Beswick and with just one minute six seconds on the clock the ball took a slight deflection over the top of the visiting keeper and in at the far post. (1-0, 2 mins)
A flowing move out of midfield saw Walters send a fine cross field ball for Gordon to thread though to Yafai but his final pass into the box was a foot or so away from Meikle’s run and Stourbridge survived.
The visitors forced a corner on the left on 11 which Beswick headed behind at the near post for another and Morris headed it down at the far post for Singh to collect.
Mills sent in a cross from the left on 14 but Singh was equal to that too. At the other end Forde threaded the ball through to Gordon on the edge of the box and his stabbed shot was deflected behind by the Stourbridge defence for a corner on the left.
The ball eventually fell to Beswick via a freekick and he placed it onto the head of Wilder but Price was equal to it at his far post. Tamworth continued to play quick flowing attacking football but were unable to capitalise on some good positioning, as the visitors continued defended strongly as the midway point of the first half came into view.
Forde forced a right sided corner off his covering defender on 25 and Beswick’s ball into the box was glanced behind for another on the opposite side but a foul halted the second flagkick.
A strike by Landell from 20 yards bounced kindly for Singh to bounce and catch on 28 and the same player forced Singh into a flying save on 28 off a left sided cross from Mills.
And Mills chipped the ball into the area from the left on 32 for Singh to catch at height. On 33 Green flashed his header from a left sided corner past Singh’s far post and play quickly switched to the other end with Walter feeding Forde on the edge of the area.
His smashed shot forced the keeper into a parry, and Gordon was unable to get to the rebound before Price. Then, O’Hanlon was booked for a challenge on Yafai on the halfway line on 36.
Rowe-Turner slid into Landell on the right by the corner flag on 41 and conceded a freekick which Nights passed to O’Hanlon but the move quickly broke down.
After 2 minutes added time the first half whistle blew on a decent first half show from The Lambs.

Second half comeback

Stourbridge replaced Peniket at the break before The Lambs got the second half underway and it made a different as the visitors looked brighter and quicker in the opening exchanges.
Fletcher dipped a volley over the bar on 48 and then Mills curled his shot inside the right hand post through a crowded box to equalise on 50 (1-1, 50 mins)
Singh tipped over a speculative cross / shot from the right on 56 from Green and took the corner at height in a very tight box.
Then, on 57, one of the other former Lambs, Knights, struck a sweet right footed effort from distance past Singh which gave the Lambs keeper no chance. (1-2, 57 mins)
Mills tried to skip past his covering defenders on 67 but found his way blocked and Singh covered the loose ball, allowing The Lambs to regain possession for a time.
A fine run by Walters nearly resulted in a header from Meikle from the resulting cross but it was put behind for a corner and when the ball went out of play from the flag kick, The Lambs made three changes.
O’Hanlon’s run into the box was denied by a hefty clearance on 74, but Mills repeated the run into the box from the left and this time managed to cut it back to Landell to finish from less than six yards out and extend the Glassboys lead (1-3, 75 mins)
Another run from Mills forced another left sided corner on 78 and Singh pushed it out for a flagkick on the opposite side which Morris headed down and was cleared.
Tamworth pulled a goal back on 80 through Graham who back flicked the ball off the far post and it cross the line before McDonagh made sure and blasted it home (2-3, 80 mins)
Wilder crossed for Yafai to strike on target but also straight at Price on 84 but Graham netted his second of the evening to make it all square on 89 with a sublime header from a right sided cross (3-3, 89 mins)
In added time Beswick was handed a deadball on the left front edge of the area but he put it straight into the hands of Price and a foul on Walters, but much further out, gave Tamworth another chance in the 94th minute.
Beswick’s ball into the box found the head of Cullinane-Liburd but the flag stopped play. And the final whistle brought penalties rather than extra time or a replay which panned out as follows…

Mills, Beswick, Landell, Rowe-Turner, Deeney, Forde, Fletcher and Graham all netted to make it 4-4 from 12 yards but when O’Hanlon missed the target it was left to former Stourbridge man Tonks to do the honours for Tamworth and he did just that seeing The Lambs through 5-4 on spot-kicks

Tamworth Team:

Singh, Stabana (Tonks 69), Wilder, Beswick (c.), Cullinane-Liburd, Rowe-Turner, Meikle (Graham 70), Forde, Gordon (McDonagh 70), Yafai, Walters

Subs: Gough, O’Connor, McDonald, Magunda

Stourbridge Team:

Price, Green, O’Hanlon, Fletcher, Morris, Brown, Knights (Riley 88), Deeney (c.), Peniket (Brown HT), Landell, Mills

Subs: Greer, Dwyer, Derrick, Buston, Birch

YC: O’Hanlon 36

Attendance: 380

Man of the Match: Footsteps Treatment Clinic chose Yafai

Referee: Mr. Ashley Clarke

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