Tamworth
V
FC Halifax Town
Tamworth
3-3
Hednesford Town
Matchday 42:
The Lambs were back in action at the CR MOT Centre Community Stadium on the back of seven points from nine as Andy Peaks’ side and The Lambs fans enjoyed a resurgence. The team had now entered the ‘business end’ of the season with nine to play, including the visit of Hednesford Town, and one still to rearrange, on the chilly and crisp Tuesday night.
Tamworth had moved up into 15th position, and the visitors were in 13th three points ahead and a Lambs victory would see them level pegging with The Pitmen on an inferior goal-difference.
Peaks made two changes to the side that ran out against Bromsgrove Sport with Ben Bailey and Dexter Walters not featuring as Jordaan Brown and Jack Concannon took spots in the starting eleven while Dan Bradley made a return to the squad, albeit on the bench, after injury.
Hednesford kicked off proceedings with Tamworth attacking the Meadow Street End in the first half and the game started at quite a pace, with the Pitmen shading their share of possession in the opening 10 minutes.
Beswick forced a corner on the left on 9 though and Concannon’s ball in found it’s way to Beswick and back to Concannon but Hednesford cleared the danger.
Cater made a darting run behind Hurst on 13 but the pass was too strong for him to get onto and when Bennett tried to get through the Lambs midfield, Brown brought him down and earned himself a booking and from the freekick Ebbutt went down under close attention from Wilder but the referee waved away his claims for a penalty.
A long throw from Cox on 17 was flicked on by Creaney towards the far post but it was dealt with and the visitors broke quickly to the other end with the ball coming across the box for O’Sullivan to powerfully side foot home into the back of the net (0-1, 17 mins)
After spotting O’Shaughnessy off his line on 18 Thomas tried his luck from almost the half way line but was off target with his effort, and Hednesford broke quickly to the other end again Hurst was beaten allowing the visitors to nearly force the ball home from 8 yards however a combination of Cox, Wilder and Singh prevented a couple of efforts doubling their advantage.
Singh was forced to head the ball away of the edge of the box on 22 when a long goal kick bounced dangerously and Hednesford kept up the pressure until an overhit pass skipped out of play.
Some Lambs forward play was halted by a foul on Whittingham on the right wing on 27 and Beswick’s freekick found the head of Hurst at the far post but he couldn’t keep it down and cleared the cross bar.
Thomas was unlucky not to get a clean shot away after a mazy run into the area from the left channel on the half hour and more positive pressure forced a left sided flagkick on 32 and Concannon found Hurst past the far post but The Pitmen defended his back-into-the-box header.
A deep ball into the box found Creaney on 39, but his header came to nothing as Hurst was adjudged to have raised his boot against the defender and on 40 Creaney connected perfectly with Cox’s left wig cross, but O’Shaughnessy was equal to it and plucked it out of the air on route to the back of the net.
Creaney and Concannon combined on 45 but it was nipped off the toes of the latter and O’Shaughnessy punched the corner clear in the final action of the first half.
The Lambs restarted the game and went in search of an equaliser at the Castle End. An early long throw from Cox was flicked on but punched away by the keeper again
A clumsy foul in a crowded area on Concannon gave the referee no option but to award a penalty which Creaney struck and O’Shaughnessy parried but only back into his path and he rifled the bouncing ball into the back of the net for the equaliser. (1-1, 48 mins)
After containing a quick response from The Pitmen, Tamworth forced a right sided corner and Beswick found Hurst whose header was booted away off the line and another throw from the right from Cox was flicked on by Brown into the keeper’s arms.
But the visitors were soon back in front when Cater found a gap at the back and ran onto a threaded pass before sliding it past Singh who had come out to narrow the angle (1-2, 53 mins)
Hednesford took their first corner on the game on 56 and The Lambs cleared the danger, before making the first change of the game in a straight swap between Hurst and Yeomans at right back.
O’Sullivan forged a path through The Lambs defence on the hour and struck from the left of the box high and wide of the target, but there was no miss for Creaney who turned on a neat short pass from Mussa before firing home from 8 yards (2-2, 60 mins)
Concannon teasingly floated a cross from the left onto the roof of the net on 65, with Creaney following in and on 67 Whittingham whipped the ball low into the near post and forced Hayden to turn it behind for a corner a yard from the post. Beswick’s corner causer problems as a combination of Brown and Creaney put the ball goalward and drew a quick reaction from the Hednesford defence.
Tilt upended Cox on the left on 68 and earned himself a booking, and both sides made changes on 71 as the pace continued and the hunger for a third goal continued from both sides.
Clement ran onto a through ball from the left on 78 and forced O’Shaughnessy to push his shot ove the bar for a left sided corner which Concannon nearly planted onto the head of Creaney but it whistled out for a throw on the opposite side.
The PItmen regained the lead for a third time though on 82 when Cater found himself in space in the box and cut back past the Lambs defence before rolling a low shot inside the far right post (2-3, 82 mins).
There was nearly a quick equaliser when a forceful strike cannon back off a Hednesford defender and nearly snuck past the man on the line, and then Clement shot from 20 yards and clipped the top of the bar with his strike.
Mussa and Whittingham combined after a strong run from the former into the right channel but the resulting cross was taken at height by O’Shaughnessy.
Tahra entered play for the final few minutes as a roving striker alongside Creaney in a bid to get something from the game but it was substitute defender Yeomans who turned the ball home from close range from a corner to the delight of the home faithful (3-3, 89 mins)
Four minutes added time were shown at the end of the game and The Lambs, full of a visible confidence, kept digging away at The Pitmen and Tahra fed Concannon who knocked the ball off a Hednesford defender for a corner on 94 which Brown threw himself at and his header had to be cleared off the line in the final action of a great game of football.
Tamworth
Singh, Hurst (Yeomans 57), Wilder, Beswick (c.) (Clement 71), Cox, Brown, Thomas (Tahra 87), Mussa, Creaney, Whittingham, Concannon
Subs: Fallows, Bradley
YC: Brown 14
Hednesford Town
O’Shaughnessy, Hayden (Ward 71), Lycett, Portman, Ludford-Ison (c.), Flanagan, Ebbutt (Tilt 61), Parker, O’Sullivan, Bennett (Atkinson 71), Cater
Subs: Brown-Jones, Williams
YC: Tilt 68
Referee: Mr Jake Allsopp
Attendance: 502