Tamworth
V
FC Halifax Town
Notts County
4-0
Tamworth
Fresh from the weekend’s pulsating goalless draw at The Lamb, Tamworth travelled to Meadow Lane, home of National League side Notts County, last season’s beaten play off finalists, instead of Alvechurch in the league.
The management trio made no changes to the side that worked hard for the right to take The Magpies to FA Cup replay and there were no changes to the subs bench either as both sides went in search of a place in the 1st Round Proper and a trip to Rochdale of League 2.
With £9,375 prize money on offer too, the former League clubs impressive surroundings would undoubtedly live long in the memory of the visiting faithful who took their seats in the Jimmy Sirrel Stand.
As light drizzly rain continued to blow around the between the stands, the sides swapped ends before kick off meaning the home side would kick off attacking the Haydn Green Stand in the first half.
The home side tried to take the early initiative and got the ball into the area, but a foul halted things and allowed Singh to calm things a little.
Singh’s ball to Waite down the left resulted in a corner off his deflected shot and Concannon took the left sided flagkick infront of the vociferous Lambs fans, but a handball by Creaney as the ball came into the box earned the Lambs number 9 an early booking.
A cross from Taylor for County forced a similar corner on 4 from which his side pressed, but Hart dug the ball out to the halfway line to relieve the pressure.
A superb one handed save from Singh, in his bright orange kit, denied a right footed strike from Vincent on 7 and there were appeals for a penalty on 8 when Wooton went over under a fair challenge but the referee was not moved.
Kelly-Evans forced a right sided corner on 11 off Wilder’s deflection and Hart defended strongly again.
Mitchell forced another save from Singh, with a shot from the right of the box on 12 which he pushed over the bar, and once again the corner was dealt with and then Rodrigues got his first sight of goal on 13, but span his shot high over the target from 18 yards.
Good combination play from the home side down the left forced another corner on 15 which Pendley and Creaney quickly got rid of, but County got back into the final third and Singh denied Vincent again with a low save to his right when it looked odds on the low shot may sneak inside the far post.
Singh punched the ball away from a cross on the right from Kelly-Evans and Hart was on hand to deny Taylor’s left sided ball into the danger area on 20 which resulted in a corner and Singh plucked it out of the air.
The pace of the game was being largely dictated by the home side and it did not relent as the clock ticked to midway through the first half. The County lines continued to press high up the field, and on 22 there was nothing anyone could do about the long range strike from Mitchell which flew into the far corner from fully 35 yards out. (0-1, 22 mins)
The Lambs looked to respond quickly, and a freekick from Beswick was headed, allowing Tamworth some possession but County quickly countered and a long ball for Rodrigues had to be headed away by Singh, a few yards out of his area on 26.
Vincent tried his luck from slightly closer to goal than Mitchell, on 27, and it curled just wide of the mark.
Waite was booked for a challenge on Kelly-Evans inside his own half on the half hour as The Lambs tried hard to break the pattern of forward possessional play of their hosts, but County forced them back again, pushing the midfield almost into defence and another corner cane on 33, which came to nothing.
Mitchell was unable to get a header on target as the ball flew over the bar while at the other end Thomas got a header on target after good work from Waite, but it was easy for Patterson to deal with and Mitchell’s shot from 25 yards on 37 was equally as comfortable for Singh to smother.
Concannon went down under a challenge from Francis on 39 and picked up a booking in the process setting up Beswick from 30 yards in the left channel. His freekick was fumbled by Patterson but the keeper booted the loose ball away and saved his blushes.
Wilder then got in the way of a strike on target from Wooton who swung a boot at the dropping ball as the minutes quickly, but there was time for Concannon to force a mistake from County and a corner on the right on 44 but it was quickly cleared before the referee has a word with a few players about .
Two minutes added time were shown at the end of the first half and although Hart forced another corner, the referee blew his whistle without allowing the flagkick to be taken.
The Lambs restarted proceedings and tried to work the ball upfield but County gained possession and Hart was forced to head behind for a corner. It came to nothing but County continued in the same vein and Mitchell robbed Wilder and then pulled it back for Rodrigues who tried a clever flick but could only take it past the far post.
Pendley headed behind for another corner on 48 as the pressure mounted again and when a cross from Kelly-Evans on the right was diverted past Singh by a deft header from Mitchell he celebrated his second of the night along with teammates and the home fans in the main stand lifted the roof (0-2, 49 mins)
This brought a quick change for The Lambs with Taylor replacing Concannon but it was 3-0 on 53 when Kelly-Evans turned provider again, sliding it through to Wooton to fire home past Singh (0-3, 53 mins)
Despite the obvious Tamworth continued to work hard and try and get something from the game, if only a consolation, moving the ball around crisply as County relaxed a little and Taylor nearly set up Creaney with a cushioned pass on the edge of the area but it fell short and the home defence dealt with the threat.
A fourth goal came on 57 though, Vincent firing low from the left of the area straight into the back of the net with Singh unable to react to prevent him this time (0-4, 57 mins)
In a lapse by the home side, Creaney exposed an opening in the home defence and was allowed to get space and time to glance a header just wide of the part post from Wilder’s left wing cross on 59 as the travelling faithful willed the ball in to no avail.
Walters replaced Waite on the hour giving Tamworth pace on the left, and he linked with Beswick and Wilder to force a left sided corner on 62. The substitutes flagkick was booted away and Rodrigues found Wooton as Pendley threw his body at the ball twice to prevent powerful strikes on goal.
After a spell of Lambs movement when Creaney, Walters and Taylor tried to forge a way through, Chicksen reminded Tamworth that County were still capable of scoring more with a curled shot from the left channel which went just wide of the upright on 66.
Mitchell looked for his hat-trick on 70 but dragged his shot, taken at the third attempt to evade the covering defenders, wide of the right hand post from the edge of the area.
O’Brien then opened his body and fired a low shot from the right channel which Singh was happy to drop and gather without much trouble and Mitchell fired high and wide of the mark, shortly before Birch replaced Forde.
Vincent thought he spotted a chance and hit a hopeful effort wide of the goal from 25 yards on 76 and a combination of Mitchell and Nemane failed to hit the target in the next move.
O’Brien’s ball from the right whipped past Singh and out past the far post on 86 much to the disdain of the County man as the rain continued to fall on the playing surface.
Taylor made a nuisance of himself in the right of the box on 87 and it took an intervention from Rawlinson to prevent the ball making it into the centre of the area and presenting a half chance as the clock ran down on The Lambs time in the 2021-22 FA Cup.
A minimum of two minutes added time was shown at the end of the game as tired legs started to take their toll until the final whistle blew and both sets of fans applauded both sides from the field.
Singh, Hart, Wilder, Beswick (capt.), Pendley, Riley, Concannon (Taylor 52), Forde (Birch 73), Creaney Thomas, Waite (Walters 60)
Subs: Clement, Cox, Cockerill-Mollett, Tait
YC: Creaney 3, Waite 30, Hart 90+1
Patterson, Brindley, Taylor, Rawlinson, Mitchell, Wooton (capt.), Francis, Kelly-Evans (Nemane 74), Vincent (Sam 81), Rodrigues (O’Brien 63), Chicksen
Subs: Kean, Cameron, Brennan, Lacey
YC: Francis 39
Referee: Mr. Scott Tallis
Attendance: 2594