Tamworth
V
Wealdstone
Coalville Town v Tamworth
Coalville Town
1-0
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Tamworth
Match Report
With a three point gap separating Andy Peaks’ Lambs at the top of the table squad from second placed Nuneaton, and with third place Leiston two six points behind and with two games in hand, The Lambs made the short journey to Owen Street home of the Raven of Adam Stevens’ Coalville Town side, who were themselves in the play off places, 13 points behind The Lambs with four games in hand.
So it was all to play for following the 3-0 home win over Alvechurch on New Years Bank Holiday and Peaks fielded an unchanged starting eleven.
As the low winter sun dropped over the far terrace, The Ravens, in black and white stripes, got the game underway with Tamworth in their blue away kit attacked the clubhouse end of the ground.
The home side kept possession in the opening exchanges and an early strike took a deflection back to Singh on 4.
But Singh was unable to stop Chambers slotting home in the next move, running onto a through ball from Kee and lifting it over the diving Lambs keeper from 12 yards out. (1-0, 5 mins)
A long throw from Curley on 8 span out and over Collard at the near post and Singh needed treatment for cramp on 11 giving the players and early drinks break.
When play resumed a foul set up Milnes with a deadball from 25 yards out but it went straight to White in the home goal.
A deep freekick on 17 fell to Cockerill-Mollett but he was unable to get a shot away, however when play continued Creaney and Fairlamb combined to thread it to Finn who drilled the ball into the box and Creaney was unable to get a clean shot as White went to ground to try and smother the ball, but Mussa’s follow up was judged to be dangerous and he was booked for seemingly catching the keeper as he tried to prod the ball goalward.
Tamworth forced a corner on the left on 22 minutes but it came to nothing and it took a timely challenge from Fairlamb to halt the run of Coalville’s Wilson down the left from the ensuring play, and Kee forced Singh into a telling parry on 25 with a drive from 25 yards.
The ball bounced up and struck Chitiza on the forearm on 27 but the referee waved away any claims of a foul or possible penalty (as he was positioned just on the edge of the box) but a card was show to Curley for a foul on McGlinchey as he advanced over the halfway line on the half hour.
Wilson ran through on a telling pass from Robertson on 33 but couldn’t control it with Singh ahead of him, and from this point Tamworth retained possession and pushed forward but struggled to get a shot away at White despite keeping the ball over the half way line for the majority.
Creaney forced a left sided corner on 40 and Finn’s ball in was just taken way from the latter’s head. Tamworth continued to look for a strike on target and when Finn had the ball at his feet, he turned and shot but it was blocked and cleared. And then when McKeown stole in and knocked it away from the grasp of White it looked like Fairlamb was odds on to net the equaliser, but the home defence powered in and cleared it away before he could get a touch.
Three minutes added time was shown at the end of the first half and Fairlamb made headway down the left, crossed in for Creaney and his ball into the area was met by McKeown but it took a defensive touch to take it away and White to put it behind for a corner which came to nothing in the final action of the first half.
HT 1-0
Before Tamworth got the game back underway George replaced McKeown and from the first whistle The Lambs advanced and Finn tried a host which was blocked out for a corner on the left.
Cockerill-Mollett struck on the half volley from 25 yards and forced White to catch at head height on 48 and Fairlamb’s cross also ensure the keeper was alert to proceedings.
At the other end Chambers shot on the turn could only find Dolman and earn a corner and Curley had to slide in and prevent Chitiza’s run into the area with a timely challenge on 52.
Doyle-Charles ended a pressing move by the home side on 53 with a rifled shot from 20 yards which at Singh after Kee Chambers and McGlinchley had found their way blocked and, as the rain came down in sheets causing fans to look for shelter around the Owen Street ground, a long Tamworth throw went into the area but Collard caught his head in the crowded box and needed treatment before play could continue.
A strong run by Chambers resulted in a low ball into the area and McGlinchley prodded it goalward and it somehow stayed out by virtue of deflecting off both of Singh’s ankles as it went through his legs and the keeper was able to smother it.
The rain got worse as play continued but the pitch held up well as neither side really took control of the game as the minutes ticked by.
Creaney struck low from the left when White ventured out of his comfort zone on 65 but it went straight into the keeper’s grasp and a through pass from Creaney to Finn stuck before he could strike.
Chambers shot on 67 was strongly defended, and then Chitiza’s attempt from the other side on 70 went behind for a flagkick which also required a concerted effort from Collard and Curley to clear.
Tamworth advanced Finn pulled the ball back to Creaney on 73 and he made space on the left of the area before shooting just wide of the far post as The Lambs got ready to make a second change of the afternoon with Deacon replacing Fairlamb..
George made strides into the area on 75 but found his way quickly blocked, for a corner, and from the flagkick Creaney got onto the ball at the back of the box but it went out past the far post.
A deep cross from Cockerill-Mollett on 80 was headed down invitingly for Creaney to strike from 18 yards but he got under his half volley and skied the chance, at his obvious disappointment at wasting a great chance.
Berridge, Kee and Wilson combined for the latter to strike diagonally across the face of goal and out on 83 and when Singh went to retrieve the ball an ‘off the ball incident’ occurred which gave the referee no choice but to give Curley his second yellow card and hence a red card, and leave The Lambs a man short for the remainder of the game.
And so ten man Tamworth were forced to look work harder in the final few minutes of the game, and from a right sided corner Coalville broke downfield with Berridge taking the lead over the halfway line, and his unselfish pass into the area needed a perfectly time intervention from Mussa to clear the danger.
Five minutes added time was shown at the end of the second half and Creaney got his head to a Cockerill-Mollett ball into the area but the glancing header went back to White.
Tamworth continued to press as the clock ticked down but a late Coalville attack saw the ball finish the game in the final third at the opposite end of the field and the home side took the points.
Coalville Town
White, Dean, Putman, Eggleton, Robertson, Wilson, Chitiza, Doyle-Charles (c.), Kee, Chambers ( Berridge 73), McGlinchey
Subs: Laban, Shaw, Smith, Pepe-Ngoma
YC: (none)
Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Mussa, Collard (c.), Dolman, McKeown (George HT), Milnes, Creaney, Finn, Fairlamb (Deacon 73)
Subs: Hart, Clement, Cater
YC: Mussa 18, Curley 30+83
RC: Curley 83
Referee: Mr. A. Clarke
Att: 1050
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