Tamworth
V
Newcastle Utd PL2
Chasetown
2-3
Tamworth
Preseason matchday 08:
The Lambs final run out before the season proper started at the weekend was a trip down the A5 to The Scholars to face on Chasetown of the Northern Premier League Midlands Division, managed by ex-Lamb Mark Swann.
At the well maintained ground and on an equally well maintained grass surface, a minutes applause for recently departed arguably the most successful former Scholars and Lambs boss, Graham Smith, was observed by all fans present, and the home side got the game underway.
Edwards got into a good position from a low left sided cross from Taylor on 4 but could only fire at Singh, and on 10 Creaney turned on a flick on from McKeown but fired into the Chasetown defenece, and from the corner Collard headed wide of the far post.
A fine ball through from McKeown to Creaney on 12 set the Lambs striker up again but again it was block with Bradley following up but it was deflected out for a corner. Clement’s flagkick was looking for Creaney but was headed wide for a corner on the other side and Creaney headed on target but Pond cleared, although only as far as Dolman who dragged his low shot wide of the left hand post from 18 yards.
Mussa unleashed a strike from the left of the box on 20 which whistled past the left hand upright and another chance came and went on 24 from a deep freekick which Creaney headed down for McKeown but he couldn’t get his shot on target and went over the bar.
Creaney gave The Lambs the lead on 27 with his fourth preseason strike, in a move that came out of nothing, the striker picking the ball up on the edge of the area and his on target strike took a deflection past Pond to open the scoring (0-1, 27 mins)
The Lambs doubled the lead on 31 with a tidy finish from McKeown who netted his fourth of pre-season too, picking up the loose ball in a gap at the back a few yards out before sending it through Pond’s legs with a well timed finish. (0-2, 31 mins)
Mussa tried his luck from the left of the box in the next move but lifted his curling effort over the far corner of bar and post
Creaney tried an audacious lob over Pond, scampering back into his goalmouth, on 38, but it was not quite powerful enough and Pond was happy to bat it away from no real danger.
Although it was ruled offside, The Lambs number 9 had the ball in the net on 40 from a pinpoint cross from the right by Whittingham, knocking it past Pond, but both players caught each other in the process and Creaney needed treatment before the game could continue with the Lambs playing with 10 men for a time before he rejoined play and struck for goal into Pond’s arms from distance.
Creaney and Clement combined well in the next move but Pond was equal to the latter’s shot in what was the last action of the first half.
After making four changes and with the floodlights on, Tamworth restarted proceedings with Fairlamb and Deacon quickly pushing forwards along with the rest of the side in the opening exchanges.
But it was the Scholars who netted next when a low cross from the left Kirton was turned past Singh at his near post by Collard, sliding in to try and cut the ball out. (1-2, 50 mins)
Lund hit right footed directly at Singh which forced The Lambs keeper to take it at the second attempt before the home side made two double changes in 5 minutes.
There were two more sets of changes on 64, two and then one each for each side as Curley, Howkins and then Jones joined the fray by the 70th minute mark.
After a run into the right channel, Jones made it three on 75 with a powerful shot which squeezed between keeper and post and it took a moment for it to register around the ground as the Lambs players gathered around to celebrate. (1-3, 75 mins)
Bradley released Jones through the midfield on 78 and he got a shot away which Pond dropped to smother before Bradley could pounce, and it was the latter’s last involvement as Peaks made two more changes.
Hemeagou beat Fairlamb to the ball in the right of the Tamworth area as time ticked down but couldn’t test Singh with his effort, but he made amends with a close range finish on the turn on 90 with the final kick of the game after a deep freekick by the homeside fell for him and he made no mistake (2-3, 90 mins)
Tamworth
Singh, Yeomans (Curley 64), Cockerill-Mollett (Howkins 64), Mussa (Milnes HT), Collard (George 84), Whittingham (Fairlamb HT), Bradley (Hart 78), Creaney (Deacon HT), Clement (Griffin 78), McKeown (Jones 68), Dolman (Hurst HT)
Subs: Finn, Bailey
Chasetown
Pond, Burroughs (Mansell 60), Foster (Evans 60), Taylor (Unwin 64), Wynter (Cox), Hayward, Edwards (Burke 70), Yates, Lund (McGinnell 55), O’Callaghan (Trialist 55), Kirton (Hemagou 71)
Subs: Cool (GK)
Referee: Mr. Alex Rolfe