Tamworth
V
FC Halifax Town
Tamworth
5-2
Needham Market
Matchday 45:
The Lambs returned home after a couple of trips down the A14 had brought back two much needed points and extended Andy Peaks unbeaten six games, with the Lambs actually or 7 unbeaten including the Scott Rickards / Robbie Banks draw back in early February made it 2 wins and 5 draws, or 11 points from 21.
The Marketmen visited the CR MOT Community Stadium in 13th position, one point and one place above Tamworth on 39, eight points ahead of Biggleswade Town in the drop zone who had demolished Needham 5-1 in midweek.
So, with England in friendly action against Switzerland the Non League Day 2022 crowd were hopeful of seeing a similar result for the resurgent home side as the clocks got ready to go forward and season got ready to enter its final month.
Peaks made two changes to the side that came back from 2 down at Rushden and Diamonds a week previously, with Ryan Bewsick coming in for the since departed Jordaan Brown and Eoin McKeown took Dexter Walters spot at number eleven.
In the glorious sunshine The Lambs got the game underway attacking the Meadow Street End in the first half and after a long range wayward freekick from the visitors Beswick floated a dangerous deadball into the box but it was too high for Creaney and McKweon however the pair combined on 8 when a long ball was knocked down by Creaney and McKeown knocked it past Garnham on the angle from the left of the box for the opening goal of the afternoon (1-0, 8 mins)
The Marketmen forced a couple of corners around the 12 minute mark but The Lambs defence dealt with it sufficiently to break over the half way line through McKeown and although he only had the keeper to beat, he perhaps should have found Clement in the centre rather than roll his shot past the far post.
Clement and Mussa combined on 14 for the latter to force a right sided corner with a blocked right footed shot and Clement put it into the near post at head height, a defender got in the way and it ballooned up over the keeper for Creaney to head home through a crowded box from 8 yards – his 18th goal of the season. (2-0, 15 mins)
Singh was forced to bat away a strike from Dye on 21 after the number 2 had burst through down the Needham right and got a sight of the target from the right of the box.
Mussa was booked for a challenge midway into the Lambs half on 21 and Maycock received the ball in the box in the ensuing play, firing a low, but simple to smother, shot at Singh.
Needham pressed but found their final balls into the box lacking until the 26th minute when Dye latched onto a low ball to feet and turned his angled shot from the right of the area past Singh’s dive to his right, and in off the far post (2-1, 26 mins)
Another corner for the visitors on 32 had to be plucked out of the air by Singh after a goalbound header from captain Morphew.
At the other end, on 37, Clement volleyed on target but couldn’t force it past Garnham and Needham responded by forcing another corner on the left which captain Morphew glanced high over the bar.
As the Lambs tried to regain their early game impetus, Creaney turned and shot at Garnham from 18 yards on 41 but it was the visitors who were doing more of the attacking and as the clocked ticked towards the end of the first half but didn’t threaten Singh and after 3 added minutes the referee blew his whistle on proceedings.
The Marketmen got the second half underway and continues where they left off, frustrating The Lambs and keeping the ball in Singh’s half of the field in the opening exchanges.
A foul on Clement just over the half way line on 49 set up Beswick with a deep deadball which Needham dealt with and raced to the other end with Maycock firing low straight at Singh.
The Lambs countered though and with an incisive pass through the Needham back line Whittingham turned it past Garnham to give Tamworth the breathing space of a two goal advantage once again.
Brothers fired high and wide of the left of the target on 55 after finding some space, but the presence of Yeomans caused enough of a distraction to put him off his stride.
Whittingham made mincement of his marker to advance over the halfway line on 59 and his cross from the right was nearly met by McKeown, forcing the visiting defence to put it behind for a corner on the left which Beswick put on the head of Hurst only to see it headed off the line and Creaney picked up the loose ball wide of the target but lifted his attempt on goal over the bar on a tight angle.
Needham made two changes before the game restarted and Tamworth continued to press, going in search of a fourth goal of the afternoon.
The Lambs did just that on 66 with a slightly deflected effort from Whittingham’s right sided cross come shot which went over the outstretched arm of Garnham and nestled in the far corner of the net. (4-1, 66 mins)
Needham pulled one back though with a low angled shot from the left of a Tamworth crowded box from Fowkes on 67 to add another net ripple to afternoon’s enjoyment (4-2, 67 mins).
Wilder was booked for a challenge on Sayer in front of the home dugout on 75 and Peaks made a change in midfield with Concannon replacing Mussa for the final 15.
Beswick spotted Garnham off his line on 82 and tried an audacious lob from 40 yards but the keeper was able to get back and catch it at head height without too much trouble, despite the crowds willingness for it to drop over him, and at the other end Singh had to drop and smother a right wing cross from Sayer in the next move.
Tahra replaced McKeown for the final few minutes of the tie but it was Singh who was called into action again to deny a Marketmen attack on 85.
Singh pulled off a superb one handed save to deny Fowkes strike from the left of the area, towards the near post, on 88 and there was nearly a fifth goal in added time when Clement saw his powerful strike saved by Garnham after Tahra unselfishly rolled it across the box to allow him to run onto it.
But there was a fifth, via Concannon deep into added time a shot from the left of the box which rounded off a hard worked, and nervous at times, but fully deserved victory.
Tamworth
Singh, Yeomans, Wilder, Beswick, Hurst, Bailey, Clement, Mussa (Concannon 75), Creaney, Whittingham (Parker 90), McKeown (Tahra 84)
Subs: Howkins, Cox
YC: Mussa 21, Wilder 75
Needham Market
Garnham, Dye, Brothers, Hammond, Morphew K., Morphew D, Clark (Sayer 60), Collard (Kudiabar 88), Ingram, Maycock (Page 60), Fowkes
Subs: Exworth, Chambers
YC: Dye 90, Brothers 90
Referee: Mr. R. Eley
Attendance: 630