AFC Rushden and Diamonds  v  Tamworth

Tue 6 Dec - 19:45 Southern League Premier Central

AFC Rushden and Diamonds

1-3

Tamworth

Match Report

On the back of the 2-2 home draw with Bedford Town at the weekend, the top of the table Lambs made their second trip of the season to Hayden Road, home of Tamworth boss Andy Peaks’ former team AFC Rushden and Diamonds.
A lot of water had quickly passed under the bridge in the short time since his move to The Lamb and the home side had parted company with their second manager since then, in the last couple of weeks.
When Peaks squad visited in the FA Trophy earlier in the season they had ran out convincing 4-0 winners and we looking for more of the same on their travels in the Southern League fixture.

Peaks made two changes to the side that had to settle for a point against The Eagles, with Kyle Finn and Dan Creaney returning to the starting eleven.

Tamworth got the game underway attacking the higher end of the ground in the first half, and worked the ball into the top of final third with every opportunity in the opening exchanges.
Cockerill-Mollett threaded it through to Mussa on 6 but his low shot went back to Snedker and at the other end of the pitch Ngwa caused problems down the Rushden left.
Finn put in a couple of good tackles to deny his runs and on 12 White direct a header from a flagkick wide of the mark.
The Lambs countered and when Finn’s header fell kindly for Creaney, the Lambs leading scorer struck sweetly from 25 yards into the bottom right corner past the home keeper for his 24^th of the season (0-1, 12 mins)
And two minutes later, Finn doubled the lead when the home defence half cleared a cross into the area and he popped up a struck it first time into a similar area of the goal past Snedker again (0-2, 14 mins)
Finn showed some great skill to travel with the ball to the edge of the area on 21 and nearly added a second but struck the outside of the left hand post and rebounded back into play, but the resultant cross was cleared.
Fairlamb made a mazy run past the home defence and was fouled on the right on 33, and Finn’s freekick was mishandled by Snedker and it rebounded off the crossbar before he could put it out for a corner.
Pino-Leite managed to get space on the right on 35 and forced Singh into a low stop to prevent the ball from reaching a fellow teammate, and then a foul by Cockerill-Mollett set up Kanga and Tee with the deadball which the latter struck straight at Singh.
Fairlamb drilled the ball from the left into the area on 37 and it took a deflection to take it away from Creaney and Finn in the box as the chance came and went.
Jones was booked for a pull on Dawkins on 41 but Tamworth responded and Cockerill-Mollett threaded a pass through to Finn whose shot on the turn on 43 went over the target.
Tee launched a freekick into the box on 44 which went of Bailey for a corner, which caused some problems and Fairlamb sprinted upfield but his ball to Bradley found him offside.
Curley pulled Mgwa back and picked a card for his efforts, and when it dropped to Dawkins he struck from fully 35 yards into the bottom left corner to reduce the arrears at the break (1-2, 45+2 mins)

HT 1-2

The home side restarted proceedings and Dawkins was booked for a trip on Jones on 46.
Both sides worked to get the ball into the respective final thirds, and when Dawkins pulled Curley back on 52 the referee Mr Hartley made it clear that next time it would not be a warning and he was substituted shortly after.
Diamonds were enjoying more of the ball after the restart than they had in the first, and pushed The Lambs back around the hour and Collard had to glance a freekick header away for a corner which Bunga got his head to but a foul halted play.
The Lambs nearly hit a third on 66 when Jones ran onto a Creaney header but the home defence closed him down quickly and put it behind for a corner.
Tamworth had the ball in the back of the net via a low sweep into the back of the net by former R&D defender Collard on 68 after a knock down by Creaney , and although it was initially called offside after discussion with the linesman a goal was awarded and Bunga was booked for his protestations (1-3, 68 mins)
McKeown replaced Jones for the final 20 minutes and Milnes came on, on 77, for Bradley as Curley launched a long throw fell for the substitute who hit a right footed volley and forced SNedker to protect his goal with a parry away from the top corner.
McKeown crossed low for Creaney but his flick failed to beat the height of Snedkers, and Finn struck a low shot on 80 which the keeper dropped to smother.
Curley was handed the ball on 83 and his long throw was headed towards the near post by Creaney but dropped the wrong side of it and Snedker was called into action on 84 with a self made half volley that forced the keeper to protect his goal.
Deakin replaced Creaney with a couple of minutes remaining, and got a shot away as added time ticked into view, but his shot was blocked and a corner resulted which Collard and Bailey rose to head but off target in the final action of the game before the final whistle blew on 3 points.

AFC Rushden & Diamonds
Snedker, Pinto-Leite, Hughes (Lashley 52), Dawkins (Abimbola 55), Empochontsif, Bunga, Ngwa, White, Manangu (Connor 75), Tee, Kanga
Subs: Black, Agemoh-Davies
YC: Bunga 70

Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Mussa (c.), Collard, Bailey, Finn, Bradley (Milnes 77), Creaney (Deacon 88), Jones (McKeown 70), Fairlamb
Subs: George, Hart
YC: Jones 41, Curley 45

Referee: Mr. Hartley