Barwell  v  Tamworth

Sat 18 Feb - 15:00 Southern League Premier Central

Barwell

0-2

Tamworth

Match Report

After a week since the previous away trip, one of the longer of the season, which brought a point back from Kings Langley the table topping Lambs made the much shorter journey to Kirkby Road to take on the Canaries of Barwell.

With a Alex Collard and Ben Milnes out, Andy Peaks made a couple of changes, brining Jamie Jellis in for his first start since returning on loan and Ty Deacon made his first start since November while Eoin McKeown took a spot on the bench alongside sub goalkeeper Jack Hitchman.

On the 3G surface, which The Lambs had played the opening fixture on back in November 2021, Tamworth got the game underway attacking the Bowling Club end of the ground, but it was the home side who forced two quick corners to signal their intention, and a clash between Jellis and Hickey left the home captain needed an early visit from the physio.
ON 5, a deep cross from Cockerill-Mollett from the left was met by the head of Willets but it was straight into the chest and grasp of Wycherley.
Singh was forced to leave his area no 7 when former Lamb Taylor went head to head with him, and the keeper cleared his lines in time and then on Enoru turned and threaded the ball through The Lambs back line for Taylor but he was unable to get control to take a strike at Singh.
A foul by Jellis on Bodnar on the right wing on 12 set up the same player with the deadball which took flick off a teammate’s head but not enough to change its flight path as it went out for a goalkick,
The ball dropped nicely for Creaney to smash a long range diagonal shot from the right on 14, but Wycherley was happy to let it fly into the side netting, and on 16 Curley cross from the right for Creaney to jump and head on target but the keeper touched it onto the bar before snatching it cleanly to prevent a goal.
The ball skipped through to Creaney again on 20 and he got a couple of bites at the ball, but neither too clean and Wycherley was able to get something in the way to deny his notionally goalbound prods.
Fairlamb did well to get the ball into the area on 22 but it went behind Creaney and so Tamworth had to rebuild, and in the next move the Lambs striker saw the ball drop invitingly ahead of him, but it was quickly closed down and when Cockerill-Mollett went down in the ensuing play there were some shouts for a penalty but they were waved away by the referee.
Wycherley jumped high to try and take the ball above his own defender on 28 but didn’t manage to take it cleanly and landed awkwardly, so play had to be halted while he received treatment.
When play resumed Fairlamb sent a cross in from the left and earned a corner from the keeper and defenders mix up but Willets was unable to get the right direction on his header from the overhit flagkick.
Although The Lambs held the upperhand in terms of possession, neither side could really get a grip on the game and so there was no surprise that both keepers remained almost spectators as the minutes passed as chances in the final third came at a premium and the first half ended goalless.

HT 0-0

The Canaries restarted proceedings and Singh found the ball in his hands from a powerful cross come shot on target from the right by Enoru inside the first 30 seconds of the half.
Fairlamb forced a corner on the left in response and Jellis’ low ball caused some problems but the Barwell defence survived without too much trouble.
Creaney was back to help out defend and head a Bodnar freekick away on 52 but Enoru picked it up and Mussa pulled him down on the edge of the D earning himself a yellow card in the process, setting up Hickey to fire low and force Singh to palm it away for a corner with a low save to his right, and from the corner Hickey headed wide of the mark at the far post.
Brown-Hill was then booked for a challenge on Jellis as The Lambs tried to break from a spell of Barwell possession but from the freekick the home side disrupted play and moved it quickly around to add to The Lambs frustrations.
Creaney and Tomlinson clashed heads on the hour and the Barwell man needed treatment, and when play resumed Curley launched a long throw in to the area and a corner resulted from Creaney’s turn and shot.
Jellis continued to offer his teammates diverse corners and from this one Deacon’s header was cleared away and from the ball back in Creaney powered his just header a foot over the bar in the best and only chance of the second half.
From another freekick on 66 the ball was headed back out to Jellis and he picked his spot, but curled his shot just wide of the right hand post.
McKeown replaced Fairlamb on 68 and The Lambs advanced down the right with Curley crossing high into the box, and it was met by the head of Deacon at the far post but he saw his effort strike the outside of the post.
At the other end of the 3G surface Enoru threaded the ball into the path of Bodnar on the right and he rifled a shot over Singh and into the fencing behind his goal, and as was the way of the game Tamworth responded through a strike from Cockerill-Mollett which cannoed up and ballooned out for a corner which Jellis planted onto the head of Willets at the back of the area but it had gone out of play.
Finn released Deacon down the right channel on 73 and forced another flagkick for Finn to plant onto Willetts head and it was clearer away from danger again.
Jellis was upended and again Willetts found himself with the ball in the box and he got the better of Bushaj but his low cross went straight to Wycherely with no one running in at the near post.
Deacon made way for Jones on 78, the latters first appearance since sustaining and injury away at Ilkeston in December, and on 82 Cater came on for Finn.
Cater spotted an opening after a good set up from Jellis on 85 but it curled a foot or so wide of Wycherley’s left hand post but there was no close call on 87 when Cater and Cockerill-Mollett combined to get the ball into the box and McKeown’s low header from no more than a foot off the floor and six yards out somehow trickled past Wycherley and inside the far post to allow Tamworth’s pressure relief valve to lift, if only a little. (0-1, 87 mins)
And it was all over as a contest on 90 with Cater involved again, setting up Jones in space on the edge of the area to fire low inside the left hand post to double the lead (0-2, 90 mins)
Four minutes added time was shown at the end of the game in which Cater picked up a booking for a foul on the right and from the freekick Singh protected his goal with a timely stop shortly before the final whistle blew on a very important three points, with Leiston and Coalville drawing, and Tuesday’s opponents Nuneaton being held to a point at Hitchin.

Barwell
Wycherley, Tomlinson, Bushaj, Brown-Hill (Edwards 81), Rowley, Ward, Enoru, Gallagher, Taylor, Hickey (c.), Bodnar (Davidson-Millar 84)
Subs: S. Master, D. Master, Donnery
YC: Brown-Hill 57

Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Mussa (c.), Willets, Dolman, Finn (Cater 82), Jellis, Creaney, Deacon (Jones 78), Fairlamb (McKeown 68)
Subs: Hitchman (GK), Hart
YC: Jellis 52, Cater 90

Referee: Mr. Jack Shepherd
Assistants: Mr. Mariusz Tomon, Mr. James Strumidlo

Att: 479