Tamworth
V
FC Halifax Town
Tamworth
3-1
Alvechurch
The Lambs took a break from league action to welcome fellow Southern League Premier Central side Alvechurch to the CR MOT Community Stadium for their FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round match and with £2,250 on offer for the 121 round winners and £750 for the 121 round losers, and both sides were hoping to progress to the next round.
Tamworth made a handful of changes to the side that ran out against Nuneaton Borough on Bank Holiday Monday with new young signing Griffin making his first appearance on the bench for The Lambs after progressing from the academy.
For the visitors, former players, goalkeeper, Dan Jezeph, Anthony Dwyer and Tristan Dunkley featured.
Alvechurch got the game underway and both sides worked hard to move the ball around the pitch in the opening exchanges.
Yates struck from distance and cleared the fence behind the Castle End on 6 with his right footed effort, and when the vall fell to Waite on 7 his low curling shot was easy for Jezeph to gather.
Creaney forced Jezeph into a near post save on 9 and from the corner Waite beat Jezeph with a sliced, looping shot from 12 yards which went over the diving keeper (1-0, 9 mins)
The Lambs were enjoying the lion’s share of possession and on 15 Forder nearly completed a move into the box after a drag back from Beswick but his shot curled past the target from the left of the area.
Beswick’s ball to Creaney was perfect for the flick on to Concannon on 22, but an Alvechurch defender clear his lines quicker than The Lambs midfielder could get his shot away and from the left sided corner Creaney headed wide of the near post much to the annoyance of the marksman.
There was a break in play around 26 when Beswick required treatment on the field and was OK to continue a few minutes later.
Pendley got in the way of a powerful shot from MCLintlock on 30 and on 33 Hart was booked for pulling Kinina back as he tried to run onto the through ball out of defence towards the half way line.
Waite as upended as he went through down the left, but the referee played on as a corner resulted and Concannon’s 35th minute left sided flag kick deflected behind for another on the right.
This time Beswick took the deadball and Wards header looked goalbound but it was cleared off the line at the far post by McLintlock.
There was a call for handball when Concannon fired a shot after a jinking run, into the box and it rebounded quickly up onto an unsuspecting defenders limb on 37.
Wilder was adjudged to have brought down Yates as he took a step into the area on 43 giving Dwyer the penalty at the Castle End and it was saved expertly by Singh with a low dive to his left to push it out for a corner.
And in the next move Dwyer put the ball into the back of the net from close range after a cross from the left, but that was ruled out for offside by the linesman’s flag.
Hart was unable to continue in added time at the end of the first half and so was replaced by Yeomans.
Forde’s deep cross from the right on 50 was headed on target by Creaney, but Jezeph was equal to it shortly before the whistle blew for half time.
Tamworth restarted proceedings attacking the Castle End but it was the visitor who went in search of an equaliser in the opening minutes and fired a shot from 25 yards high over the target after a spell of pressure.
A misdirected pass from Yeomans gave Alvechurch a corner on the left on 50 which was cleared, and on 52 Yates overhead kick was simple for Singh but reminded The Lambs to stay alert.
Waite was upended by Kinina on 53 to earn him a booking and from Beswick’s freekick Creaney doubled The Lambs lead. His header from 6 yards struck the bar went up in the air and fell for him to follow up from close range with Jezeph unable to prevent him netting his eighth of the season. (2-0, 53 mins)
Creaney ran through and shot for his second of the afternoon on the hour, but Jezeph was equal to it, while at the other end Dwyer forced Singh to protect his near post.
Thomas was booked for kicking the ball away after a foul by Forde on the halfway line on 63.
Yeomans worked hard to win the ball back in the bottom right corner on 65 and a freekick was awarded when Sephton brought him down in the process.
Beswick nearly beat Jezeph at his near post with a quickly taken freekick but the keeper pushed it round the post for a corner on the right which went out to Forde and his strike brought shouts from the home faithful, but there was no penalty, however the ball went back into the box and Pendley rifled it home from close range to extend the lead (3-0, 66 mins)
After a couple of substitutions Ezwele forced Singh into a one handed save at full stretch to preserve the clean sheet but on 73 Yates did fire into the net from the right of the box, past Singh, to give Alvechurch a slither of hope (3-1, 73 mins)
A freekick on the right wing set up the visitors with a deadball chance on 76 and Hull had a free header which he planted powerfully against the post and the ball rebounded behind for a goal kick.
Substitute Walters forced a corner on the left after beating his man twice in the process, on 81, and the ball fell to Clement on the edge of the area but he lifted his shot over the target.
At the other end, Ezewele fired wide of the goal with a diagonal right footed effort on 82 and then Waite struck from 25 yards on 84 but was off target.
A surging run from Yeomans on 86 saw him advance into the box and cut it back for Creaney who fired on target, but he was prevented a second goal of the afternoon by what looked like a deliberate handball from the Alvechurch man on the line, diving to his right, but with his arm by his side, however no penalty was awarded.
Walters forced another corner with a blocked drive on 88 and he received the ball back before setting up Waite but his goalbound effort was blocked.
Four minutes added time was shown at the end of the game and Tamworth kept the ball in the Alvechurch final third, forcing another corner.
Walters and Ward picked up a booking each as the minutes ticked down
Singh, Hart (Yeomans 45+2), Wilder, Beswick, Ward, Pendley, Concannon (Walters 78), Forde (Clement 70), Creaney, Thomas, Waite
Subs: Taylor, Brogan, Griffin
YC, Hart, Thomas, Walters, Ward, Wilder
Jezeph, Ezwele, Sephton, Turton (Dowd 70), Hull (Dunkley 82), Carter, Kinina (Brown 61), McLintlock, Dwyer, Yates, Waldron
Subs: Ashmore, Phillips, Patterson
YC: Kinina
Referee: Mr. A. Ellis
Attendance: 597
MOM: Chosen by Josh Green - Jas Singh