Biggleswade Town v Tamworth

Tue 30 Nov - 19:45 Southern League Premier Central

Biggleswade Town

2-2

Tamworth

Match Report

The Lambs made the trip to Langford Road to take on the Waders with the aim to score some goals and get back to winning ways after the Trophy defeat away to Radcliffe at the weekend.

And so two new signings made their Tamworth debut’s for the managements 97^th competitive game at the helm as Liam Cross and Matthew Stenson took places on the starting eleven in four changes to the side from Saturday which saw Lucas Yeomans and Orrin Pendley not feature, the latter due to suspension, while Jack Concannon took a spot on the bench. Captain Ryan Beswick also made his 97^th appearance and would be looking for his teammates to respond to his post match plea in the LambsMedia post match interview on Saturday.

The small largely partisan crowd observed a minute’s silence for former Waders boss Kenny Davidson who recently passed away before The Lambs got the game underway attacking the open end of the ground further away from the A1.

With the home team in their usual green and white, The Lambs played in the usual red, and Cross was fouled on the right but no freekick was given so Forde restarted with a throw in which he received back, whipped into the far post and Waite headed it over Alley into the back of the net for the opening goal of the night (1-0, 3 mins) which was roundly celebrated by the team and the small band of travelling fans who had been able to make the journey.
Biggleswade forced a corner on the left on 5 and Tamworth eventually cleared their lines although a clash between Stenson and Neal resulted in the home number 9 needing treatment.
Stenson and Cross combined down the right on 8 and it took a last ditch tackle to force a corner, which went low to Stenson at the near post who span and shot wide of the mark, but only by a couple of feet.
As the minutes ticked by the home side pressed The Lambs deeper into their own half but a deep ball for Stenson was put behind for a right sided corner on 19 and Beswick planted the ball onto the head of Waite but his glancing effort shaved the upright as it went out just past the far post.
Creaney fed the ball through to Waite on the left of the area on 21, and he got a second chance at the shot on the angle but Alley managed to dive backwards onto the ball and smother the chance.
After nearly extended the lead twice, play switched quickly to the other end, Biggleswade found a gap in the Lambs defence and Silva got to the ball first to prod it past Singh and level the tie (1-1, 21 mins)
A minute after taking to the field, Waders substitute Shaw was booked for a stomp down the leg of Creaney on the half way line and Wilder’s freekick was hoofed into the air, down to Cross on the right and his ball into the box went just over the head of Creaney and fell kindly for Waite who struck on target but Alley pushed it away for a corner. It flew to the far post and Stenson headed it down as Shaw had to be on his mettle to clear it off the line.
Stenson then made a tidy finish into the net past Alley from a through ball from Creaney on 33 but the flag had been raised as the ball was played, but it did appear to be a tight call.
After Shaw fouled Beswick on the left on 38 the captain lined up the deadball, found Creaney and his header looped over the keeper but also went out past the near post. Waite worked hard on the ball in a similar position on the left on 39 and Shaw was the culprit once again, bundling him over for another freekick. Beswick put the ball into the mix and there were shouts for handball, but Biggleswade cleared their lines.

Tamworth moved the ball around with pace over the halfway line on 41 and Bush brought Wilder down, earning himself a booking, and setting up Beswick once again. The deep ball was directed for Stenson in the box, but he wasn’t able to keep it under control or in play.
Waite linked up with Cross on 45, sliding the ball out of midfield into the right channel, but the latter was unable to find any of his teammates, as it was far too high for Creaney and too long for Stenson rushing into the box.
Added time came and went with a couple of deep balls into the Lambs back third which Singh was happy to clear long, including a couple of niggly fouls, the second of which earned Neal booking on 45+3.
Waite picked the ball up on the edge of the area on 45+4 but was unable to get his first touch right and by the time he had set himself up the home defence were on top of him and cleared it before the whistle blew.

HT 1-1

The home side restarted proceedings after making a change and although The Lambs enjoyed the possession more in the first 5 minutes, a trip on Stevens on 51 set up the same player with a freekick 25 yards out and his deadball was headed behind for are right sided corner which Hart and Stenson and combined to clear over the halfway line.
On 53, Thomas was inexplicably shown a straight red card for a clean two footed take of the ball, before the Biggleswade man, Farrell, found himself in the way. There was no intent as far as those watching were concerned, but it did leave the Biggleswade man requiring a visit from the physio.
Stenson was also booked for protestations and this forced The Lambs to make a change, bringing Shaw on for Cross.
Tamworth responded with Stenson firing a low curling shot which Alley pushed away, and then Waite struck low and powerfully wide of the left hand upright on 59.
Waite nearly half volleyed on target 8 yards out on the hour but the Waders defence got in the way and a tug on Stenson gave Beswick the deadball on the right wing on 61, that one was cleared but another Beswick freekick on 62 was planted onto the head of Stenson and he powerfully finished past Alley, into the back of the net, for a goal on his debut to put the 10 men Lambs back in front. (2-1, 62 mins)
Beswick continued to play a captains game and on 66 he found Creaney in the center of the area from a left sided corner but his header went a whisker wide of the near hand post.
In a rare home attack on 67 Stevens forced a corner off Wilder’s block but it was headed away and defended strongly.
Hart was booked on 69 when Farrell fell under pressure on the half way line and the freekick found Squire who tried a volley chip but Singh was perfectly positioned to catch it at head height.
Singh was in the right place to deny a header from captain Bush from close range on 71.
Stenson needed treatment and Cox replaced him before play resumed on 73 and the home side rallied, with Singh dropping to smother a low strike from Short from 20 yards on 78.
In the latest in a long line of niggly freekicks Silva dropped under pressure from Wilder on the left wing and the freekick was whipped into the area but eventually booted away by Beswick.
Waite was unable to keep possession of the ball on the left and pulled back the covering defender to see his name go into the book too as Riley replaced Forde for the final 10 or so minutes.
A low struck freekick forced Singh into a stop at his right hand upright and Wilder mopped up the loose ball, but the Lambs couldn’t do similarly in the next Biggleswade move when Silva pounced to double his tally with a rising shot over Singh from the left of the box. (2-2, 84 mins)
Wilder conceded a freekick on the right which Singh punched away, Short headed back in on 88 and Peters tried to turn it past the post but a corner was the result and Biggleswade continued to press.
Silva forced Singh into another low stop from distance on 89 and Farrell then followed up a clearance with a left footed strike past the left hand upright from the ensuing play.
Brown was then booked for a blocking tackle on the halfway line as five minutes added time was shown.
Biggleswade mounted an attack in the 95^th minute and halted play when a couple of tackle went in, when it seemed that they were setting themselves up for a grandstand finish but Singh was in no mood to be beaten from the deadball and the final whistle blew on a point a piece when he launched the ball towards the halfway line.