Tamworth v Bromsgrove Sporting
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Tamworth
1-0
Bromsgrove Sporting
Match Report
Matchday 41:
The Lambs returned to the CR MOT Centre Community Stadium on the back of a 4 point haul, with the 6-0 victory over Barwell 7 days previously still at the forefront of home fans minds. Those that travelled to Hitchin on Monday were impressed at the rejuvenated application and attitude of the squad and Andy Peaks was looking for more of the same for his third game in charge.
One stat that Tamworth would be wanting to put to bed was that they had not beaten Bromsgrove Sporting in all of the previous encounters, so a concerted effort to make it fifth time lucky was required, as the 16th placed Lambs took on the 18th placed Rouslers, with just two points separating them and there was a three point gap between Bromsgrove and Hitchin in the drop zone.
Peaks made no changes to the side that had been named on the wet evening at Top Field for the third game running. meanwhile former Lamb Gavin Hurren’s visitors featured a couple of ex Lambs with Joel Kettle in the XI and Connor Taylor.
Sporting got the game underway, with the Lambs attacking the Meadow Street End in the first half and a half chance fell to Creaney on 5 when Whittingham robbed the ball off Quaynor at left back but the former’s shot was charged down.
Ebanks fired a low shot from the edge of the box at Singh on 8 after squeezing past Bailey and Whittingham’s low ball in from the right a minute later nearly caught keeper Clayton out as the Bromsgrove defence cleared it off his fingertips.
Quaynor’s right sided deadball on 10 was loaded into a the box and eventually cleared, but only as far as the changing room area by Bailey as the visitors enjoyed more of the play and forced The Lambs back into their own half.
Walters nearly found Creaney with a cross form the left on 17, but it was knocked away from him until Gift threaded it back to him and he tried his luck from 20 yards, but his rising shot cleared Clayton’s goal.
And on 19 Shorrock perhaps should have done better when the ball ran free 18 yards out, but he smashed his shot over the target with just Singh to beat.
Walters curled a right footed strike into the grateful hands of Clayton on 23 and he made a darting run and pass to Thomas on 27, but the latter’s ball through deflected back to the keeper to halt the threat in its tracks.
Taylor was booked for a wayward challenge on Mussa was he tried to advance over the half way line on 29 and from the freekick Hurst nearly turned the loose ball home but fired into the side netting from the right of the box.
Neither side could muster a meaningful attack over the next ten or so minutes, and Creaney needed some treatment on the field with five first half minutes remaining.
A freekick for Bromsgrove by Quaynor on 43 was caught well by a perfectly positioned Singh as there continued to be little to choose between the sides.
On 45 Clayton jumped over the back of Creaney and the covering defender and dropped the ball on landing but the whistle blew as Thomas tried to pounce in the final meaningful action of the first half.
HT 0-0
The Lambs restarted proceedings and Singh was forced out of his box inside the first 30 seconds when a clearance rebounded and Ebanks tried to race onto it, but the keeper got there first.
Ebanks made progress through the Lambs back line after a slip by Cox on 50 and Singh parried his right footed shot but only as far as Candlin, 12 yards out, and he transpired to blast it over the target when it looked odds on the visitors would open the scoring.
Thomas managed to get his boot onto a dropping ball on 55 but it ballooned high over the bar and Wise needed treatment for a blow to the head on the edge of the area before play could resume. After five minutes of attention he was able to leave the field and necessarily was substituted.
Walters forced a corner by the clubhouse on 65 but it was cleared away from danger and Mussa conceded a freekick 25 yards out from Singh’s goal on 67, which set up Quaynor with the deadball with fell to Kettle, but his shot on the turn was easy enough for Singh to drop and smother.
Concannon replaced Whittingham on 69 and when play resumed, Cox’s throw, launched from the left by the clubhouse, was flicked on by Beswick and slammed home by Creaney from a few yards out to give The Lambs the lead (1-0, 70 mins)
As expected The Lambs felt more pressure from The Rouslers after the goal and Shorrock lifted a shot from the edge of the box into the grasp on Singh on 77.
Thomas was booked for a foul inside the Lambs half on 79 which appeared to see him get the ball and from it, Sporting forced the Lambs to defend strongly as Kettle’s final shot went over the bar from 8 yards out.
Concannon worked the ball into the corner and out again to cut it back for Beswick on 85 but the captain’s strike was not clean and Clayton was able to gather it at the near post as Tamworth went in search of a second, and Ebanks forced Singh to push the ball round the post with a right footed strike from 18 yards on 86.
A couple of Bromsgrove corners kept Tamworth on their guard at the back as the minutes ticked by and Walters was replaced by Clement on 89 after going down with cramp.
There was still time for Bromsgrove to threaten as the game ticked into added time as Molyneux fired over the target from the right of the area, and Wilder was booked on 90 for kicking the ball away, and Thomas was replaced by Brown who was immediately called upon to head Quaynor’s deadball away.
Clement nearly made his way through from a Concannon short pass on 95 but was foiled by Raison on the edge of Clayton’s box and despite the hbest efforts of both sides to
Tamworth
Singh, Hurst, Wilder, Beswick (c.), Cox (Concannon 69), Bailey, Thomas (Brown 93), Mussa, Creaney, Whittingham, Walters (Clement 89)
Subs: Yeomans, Tahra
YC: Thomas 79
Bromsgrove Sporting
Clayton, Dugmore, Quaynor, Hayward, Wise (Raison 56), Kettle (c.), Molyneux, Taylor T (Willis 79), Ebanks, Candlin (Letford 73), Shorrock
Subs: Goddard, Taylor C.
YC: Taylor T 29
Referee: Mr H. Warner
Attendance: 608
MOM: Chosen by Classic Roofing – Dan Creaney
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