Tamworth
V
FC Halifax Town
Leiston
1-3
Tamworth
A fortnight after the last round of the Emirates FA Cup, and in their first run out since, The Lambs made the long journey to Victory Road to face fellow Southern League Central side Leiston with £5,625 prize money on offer and a place in the 4th Qualifying Round and a potential tie against Nation League opposition in a fortnights time.
Jaz Singh made his 100th appearance between the sticks for The Lambs, while Ryan Beswick and Jordaan Brown came back into the side while Dexter Walters started again after his brace at Belper in the last round.
And despite the best intentions of the gale force wind and driving rain lashing down on the well maintained grass pitch, The Lambs progressed into the fourth round in front of 225 fans, around a 50 of whom had made the trip from Staffordshire.
Tamworth kicked off the match with the wind at their backs in the first half and went in search ofn an early opener. An early corner forced keeper Donkin to tip the ball over his bar and then a flowing move starting with Pendley through Walters to Wilder and then Waite saw the latter shoot side of the mark.
At the other end influential wingman Mills supplied Quentrell with the ball and he forced Singh in a low stop on 9.
A Lambs right wing cross was taken well by Donkin on 13 and Sing prevent Mills a couple of minutes later as both sides battled the conditions.
The Lambs took the lead on 18 though from a move that started with Brown who found Walters on the left and his drilled cross was turned home by Creaney from 8 yards out (1-0, 18 mins)
Yeomans lifted the ball through to Creaney in the next Lambs move after the restart but the home defence was able to get hi the way of his shot, and Tamworth kept their momentum up as Thomas combined with Creaney on 25 but Forde was unable to finish the move.
A corner on the left from Walters eventually fell to Beswick on 27 but the Lambs captain was unable to keep his effort down and didn’t trouble Donkin.
As the first half progressed and the conditions worsened, Tamworth played the ball on the floor as best they could, and Leiston did all they could to clear their lines against a wind that did what it liked with balls above head height.
There was no second goal before the break though and one minute added time ended and allowed everyone to try and dry down for more of the same in the second half!
There was slightly less of a down pour as the Blue kicked off the second half but the wind was just as strong and it was The Lambs who had to deal with it this time.
Leiston used the gale to their advantage as Tamworth had done playing incisive passes and hoping for accuracy to be maintained but truth be told The Lambs were in control and started the brighter of the two sides.
Donkin denied Thomas from a Walters ball from the left on 49 and Creaney headed onto the roof of the net from a Walters corner on 54.
But Leiston capitalised on a momentary lapse in concentration allowing Mills to steal in unmarked in the left of the area and rifle the ball past the despairing dive of Singh to equalise (1-1, 56 mins)
This gave Leiston some impetus and for the next ten minutes Tamworth were forced to defend but nothing came of the home side's push forwards and a counter attack from the Lambs put them back into the driving seat on 64 when Forde, Thomas and Creaney combined with the latter dragging the ball into the box from the right for Waite to divert the home (2-1, 64 mins)
Walters made way for Tait on 65 and the first booking of the game came on 69 when Mills fouled Thomas on the halfway line.
With play becoming a little more difficult chances were limited, but Mills left his side with an extra problem for the final 12 minutes. The ball was played out of the Leiston midfield to the edge of the Tamworth box and Singh was forced to come forwards to try and smother it before Mills could get there but Mills got there first, the conditions played a part in his slide into the Lambs keeper but with his feet first he caught Singh and gave the referee no option but to show him a second yellow and send him from the field of play.
Yeomans was booked for a niggle with Marsden on 81 before Riley came on for his debut on 83.
A few minutes later Taylor entered the fray and four minutes added time was shown as Odelusi and Taylor both picked up bookings.
And it was left to Taylor to have the last word placing the ball home from the left of the box after Forde had supplied Creaney to set up his fellow striker for his third FA Cup goal of the season, and make certain of a place in the next round (3-1, 90+2 mins)
Singh, Yeomans, Wilder, Beswick (c.), Pendley, Brown, Waite (Taylor 86), Forde, Thomas (Riley 83), Walters (Tait-Moran 65)
Subs: Concannon, Clement, Fallows
YC: Yeomans 81, Taylor 90
Donkin, Eaton-Collins (Marsden 50), Dunbar (c.), Eagle (Bailey-Denis 75), Odelusi, Hutchings, Barnes, Quentell, Davies, Hunter (Ocran 77), Mills
Subs: Saunders, Switters, Podd (GK)
YC: Mills 69+78=sent off, Odelusi 90
Referee: Mr. Harry Wager
Attendance: 225