Leiston  v  Tamworth

Tue 15 Mar - 19:45 Southern League Premier Central

Leiston

Leiston

1-1

Tamworth

Tamworth

Match Report

Matchday 43:

The Lambs made the long trip to Victory Road for the rearranged fixture against The Blues after the originally planned fixture on Feb 19 had been postponed, an hour before kick off with teams and fans in attendance. Including the postponed game it was the third time Tamworth had travelled to Suffolk during the 2021-22 season with The Lambs having got the better of the home side 3-1 in the early rounds of the FA Cup, but they had lost by the same scoreline in the reverse league fixture in October in Staffordshire.

The 7th placed home side were 7 points behind the play offs and came into the game on the back of a two league game winning streak after five league games without a wi.
Andy Peaks meanwhile was looking to keep his unbeaten run going but had to make four changes to the side that had come back three times against Hednesford to earn a well deserved point, with Yeomans, Clement, Walters and Thomas in for Beswick, Cox, Brown and Concannon – the latter being the only one making the journey and took a spot on the bench

Leiston got the game underway attacking the Victory Road end of the ground and after a quick paced start had the ball in the back of the net at the other end on 8 when Davies headed home a left sided cross which was thankfully, for the small number of travelling Lambs fans and those following the action via LambsMedia, ruled out for offside.
Saunders fired a shot from 25 yards over the bar a minute later as the home side exerted some pressure on The Lambs again and it looked like the home side were setting out their stall early on, but Tamworth responded and Walters cut in down the left and curled a cross-come-shot over the far corner of bar and post.
Leiston almost took the lead again on 20 though, when a left sided corner from Odeulsi was knocked on by Hutchings and Mills met it only to be thwarted by Wilder on the goal line.
But it was The Lambs who opened the scoring in unexpected circumstances when a poor clearance from keeper Donkin went short and low to Creaney a few yards away from him on the right of the area and with the goalmouth exposed the Tamworth striker took great delight in bagging his 17th of the season with a shot into the empty net in what was probably the easiest finish he will have had for a long time. (0-1, 25 mins)
However, Leiston were back on level terms on the half hour when Davies got just between two Lambs defenders to finish a left sided cross into the box past Singh with a powerful finish from 8 yards (1-1, 30 mins)
The home side continued to push Tamworth back and forced a number of corners but didn’t really test Singh, while his opposite number, Donkin, also remaining largely untroubled as the one minute added time at the end of the half came to a close.

HT 1-1

Tamworth got the second half underway and an early chance fell to Barnes who turned on the right of the area and fired wide of the mark.
On 50 a Lambs attack nearly proved dividends when a low ball through to Donkin saw him fumble it on the edge of area under pressure from Clement and Creaney tried to lob it over the stranded custodian but despite his best efforts with less than a millisecond to think about his reaction it went high and wide of the right hand post.
A couple of minutes later Davies got the better of Yeomans and tried a shot at Singh and on 57 Barnes shot wide from the left past far post and it took a deflection out for a corner.
The subsequent flagkick came in to the box and Odelusi tried an overhead shot on goal but only managed to put it over the crossbar.
McKeown, returning from injury, replaced the tiring Walters on 65 and this gave The Lambs more impetus going forwards as he and Creaney combined but not before Mills was booked for a foul on Yeomans on 66.
Another corner for Leiston caused problems on 72 but it looked increasingly likely that it would take something special from either side to force a winner.
With five left, a deep ball towards the box found Creaney but his right footed strike went over the target and despite plenty of continued effort from both sides with saw Keller shoot straight at Singh on 87 and Clement send a freekick onto almost perfectly onto the head of Hurst with a minute to go the three added mins elapsed and both sides had to be happy with a point a piece.

Leiston
Donkin, Saunders, Dunbar, Fernandes, Altintop, Hutchings, Barnes, Quantrell, Davies, Odelusi, Mills (Keller 83)
Subs (4 only): Eagle, Ocran, Fletcher

YC: Mills 61

Tamworth
Singh, Yeomans, Wilder, Thomas, Hurst, Bailey, Clement, Mussa, Creaney, Whittingham, Walters (McKeown 65)
Subs (4 only): Fallows, Tahra, Concannon

YC: None

Referee: Ms. Emily Heaslip

Attendance: 168

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