Stourbridge  v  Tamworth

Sat 5 Feb - 14:30 Southern League Premier Central

Stourbridge

4-0

Tamworth

Match Report

Matchday 37:
The Lambs travelled across the Midlands to take on The Glassboys at The War Memorial Ground, a week after the home defeat to high flying Rushall Olympic.

Tamworth in 17^th were welcomed by 13^th placed Stourbridge for an early (2.30pm) kick off due to floodlight problems at the home ground and the travelling fans were hopeful that there could be a repeat of the (4-0 would be nice) victory over their hosts at The Lamb in October to get some much needed points on the board.

New signing, striker Eoin McKeown started in a side that had four changes from the previous weekend which was without Ben Bailey due to suspension following his straight red card against The Pics. The three other changes were Chris Cox, Ryan Bell and Callum Cockerill-Mollett out of the starting XI, with James Hurst, Jack Concannon and Dan Bradley coming in.

Stourbridge kicked off the game attacking the covered terrace end at the opposite end of the ground to the clubhouse and for the first 15 minutes it looked like either of the two sides could open their account, with The Lambs perhaps more likely, taking the game to Stourbridge.
Walters and Concannon worked the ball down the wings but Price was not really tested as right back home captain Vaughan marshalled his defence accordingly.
And it was Vaughan who unexpectedly turned provider for the opening goal of the afternoon with his cross from the right which got caught in the wind, dropped over Singh, struck the far post and rebound perfectly for former Lamb Styche to fire home from 8 yards out. (1-0, 14 mins)
Vaughan tried two similar attempts in the ensuing minutes and both times the crowd held their breath but there was no repeat or extension of the lead.
Five minutes later Styche was bundled over in the area by Bradley and took the resultant penalty himself, but Singh was in no mood to be beaten and dived to his right (Styche’s left) and smothered the spot kick.
However, the home side doubled their lead on 34 when a corner from the left was nodded down and another former Tamworth player, Rowe-Turner, flicked the ball home from close range to double the lead. (2-0, 34 mins)
Bradley pulled up before half time forcing The Lambs into an early change in personnel, as Yeomans came in at right back and the side shuffled before the half time whistle blew.

HT 2-0

Tamworth restarted proceedings having made two changes but it was the home side that nearly hit the back of the net again as another ex-Lamb, Knights, called upon Singh to make himself unbeatable when he found the Stourbridge man coming at him and was able to get in the way of two separate, but very similar attempts.
Styche notched his second of the afternoon just past the hour to give The Lambs a seemingly insurmountable task (3-0, 61 mins) and Singh was called upon to deny O’Hanlon’s goalbound strike late on as The Lambs were forced to play the last ten minutes of the game with only ten men when Brown went down, clearly dazed, and necessarily was unable to continue.
In added time at the end of the second half, The Lambs were unable to stop a fourth goal going in via substitute Moran’s low finish which took a wicked deflection to take it past Singh and into the bottom corner (4-0, 90+2 mins).

Tamworth
Singh, Thomas, Wilder, Beswick (c.), Hurst, Brown, Walters, Clement (Creaney HT), McKeown, Bradley (Yeomans 38), Concannon (Pendley HT)
Subs: Cockerill-Mollett, Whittingham

YC: Hurst 25, McKeown 29

Stourbridge
Price, Vaughan (O’Hanlon 46), Wilson, Hull, Rowe-Turner, King, Knights, McQuilkin, Styche (Cowley 72), Cook (Moran 66), Forsyth
Subs: Willock, Brown

YC: Vaughan 19

Referee: Mr Pattison

Attendance: 725