Tamworth
V
Wealdstone
Tamworth v Needham Market
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Tamworth
0-1
Needham Market
Match Report
After a near fortnight without a game, in which the chasing pack picked up some ‘useful’ points in their games in hand, The Lambs returned to the CR MOT Community Stadium to welcome The Marketmen, one of only a handful of sides who had got the better of Andy Peaks team during the season, by virtue of a 3-2 win at Bloomfields in early November. All four teams beneath the table topping Lambs, five points clear before kick off, were in action and with Nuneaton facing Coalville there could be a subtle change of positions in the playoff places by the end of the day.
With the rain coming down in varying amounts and force, Peaks made one change to the side that defeated Hitchin with Kyle Finn coming in for Luke Fairlamb.
The Lambs got the game underway attacking the Castle End in the first half and quickly made a foray forwards but the ball through to Creaney was just too long for the striker to get cleanly.
The next chance of the game came on 7 when a freekick was headed into the danger area by Willets and on by McKeown but Garnham plucked it out of the air before Dolman could connect at the far post.
McKeown rode a tackle on the left wing on 15 and forced a corner with his low cross which was looking for Creaney in the middle, but Milnes flagkick was too long.
Creaney released Jellis who in turn fed McKeown on 24 but Dan Morphew was able to get in the way of his low diagonal strike and the corner made it’s way back to Garnham.
A ball into the middle of the final third for Meikle saw the Lambs midfielder pushed away and so a freekick was awarded, disputed by Keiran Morphew, the Needham captain, until Milnes stepped up to plant it into the area but a foul in the box halted play.
McKeown’s tenacity against captain Morphew forced another clubhouse sided corner on 29 and Milnes’ ball in came back to him and his second caused problems but Lay was able to clear his lines at the far post.
Tamworth continued to enjoy the majority of the play and possession without really threatening Garnham’s goal as the visitor packed ten men into their area at times and then on 41, with the visitors took the lead with their first meaningful attack and shot of the game.
A long ball from the Needham half was taken down on the left by Lay and pulled back for Brown who cut in along the edge of the area and found the bottom right corner via a slight deflection to take it past Singh (0-1, 41 mins)
Williams picked up a booking for a foul on 45 but the resulting freekick skipped past Creaney and out for a goalkick and after a couple of minutes added time the halftime whistle blew.
HT 0-1
The Marketmen restarted proceedings and the rain had forced the crowd from the open terracing under shelter but there was none for the players who soon became wet through from the continual downpour / hail storm.
Despite the conditions, The Lambs tried their best to take control of the game from the restart and the closest the home side came in the opening 10 minutes was a rifled strike from Jellis from the left of the box which rose up and over Garnham’s goal without testing the keeper.
The rain slowed to a drizzle as McKeown fired diagonally from the right on 57, forcing the keeper to push it away and out for a corner on the left which Garnham got to for a corner on the opposite side, however it came to nothing as Dan Morphew shepherded it out of play.
A golden opportunity for Tamworth presented itself from a shot pass which Creaney picked up but his ball to McKeown racing down into the box was too close to Garnham and the keeper thwarted the partisan home crowd’s expectations.
Peaks made a double change introducing Cater and Jones for Finn and Meikle just past the hour as the skies continued to brighten and the visitors continued to pack out their defence leaving just Brown alone on the halfway line.
Jones threaded the ball through to Cater on 66 but Garnham was closer and smothered the half chance and Jones nearly worked his way through the back line on 70 but a defensive boot disrupted his run.
Ingram’s shot on 71 took a deflection off Dolman for a right sided corner and the same player glanced his header well wide of the mark from the flagkick, and Deacon came on for Creaney with just over 15 remaining.
The Marketmen continued to frustrate The Lambs both on and off the field as the minutes ticked down and although a couple of corners on 82 caused problems Garnham’s goal was protected well enough to keep the visitors in front.
Five minutes added time was shown at the end of the second half and with nine yellow shirts in the box as McKeown tried to get through, a corner from Cockerill-Mollett’s strike was a good outcome but there was no way through from the flagkick.
Then, from Cockerill-Molletts’ nod back on 93 Willets glanced his header past the keeper but also the right hand post and Curley’s ball into the area was headed away from Milnes by the Needham defence.
And despite one final push there was no late equaliser as the Marketmen completed the double over The Lambs.
Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Meikle (Jones 63), Willets, Dolman, Finn (Cater 62), Milnes (c.), Jellis, Creaney (Deacon 74), McKeown
Subs: Mussa, Collard
YC: Dolman 49
Needham Market
Garnham, Dye, Brothers, Frimpong, K. Morphew (c.), D. Morphew, Ingram, Williams Brown, Fitzgerald, Lay
Subs (3 only): Clark, Cullum, Fraser
YC: Williams 45
Referee: Mr. W. Cavanagh
Assistants: Mr. Cliffe, Mr. Thrower
Att: 757
MOM: Chosen by sponsors Graphic Wizard – Liam Dolman
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