Tamworth
V
Macclesfield
Tamworth v Boston United
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Tamworth
1*-1
Boston United
Match Report
For The Lambs 126th FA Trophy game since entering the competition in 1970 (and with a brief period when we entered and won The FA Vase), Andy Peaks’ squad welcomed The Pilgrims to the CR MOT Community Stadium for a 2nd Round tie with £3,750 up for grabs for the team that progressed, and £1,000 to the team that didn’t.
Peaks was looking for a return to winning ways after a run of a goalless draw, two league defeats and a midweek Birmingham Senior Cup defeat disrupted the previously seemingly endless run of victories that took the to the top of the league, as Nuneaton and Mickleover looked to close the gap in their league fixtures.
Ian Culverhouse’s National League North United side sat effectively 9 places above The Lambs in the pyramid, and featured former Lamb Jaanai Gordon, who made his Lambs debut in January 2019 under former Boston boss Dennis Greene, amongst their ranks.
In front of a bumper crowd, United, in their blue and white away kit kicked off attacking the Castle End in the first half, with the autumn sun slowly dropping behind the advertising hoardings and trees above the terracing as both sets of fans started the game in fine voice.
An early long throw from The Lambs caused some problems for the United defence, and then Gordon made headway into the Lambs left but his cross was found wanting.
Tamworth forced a corner on the right on 9 and Bradley played it low for Jones but his flick into the danger area was cleared at the back of the box as nether side was able to create a clean breakthrough in the opening quarter of an hour.
Visiting captain Platt, playing in a face guard, brought Jellis down on the left and although the ball did fall to Cockerill-Mollett on the edge of the box it span away from him and Long gathered it.
But on 20, McLintock played Gordon through The Lambs back line amid shouts of offside which were not reciprocated by the linesman on the main stand side of the ground, and the striker lifted his shot from 18 yards over Singh to give the visitors the lead (0-1, 20 mins). Gordon had last scored at The Lamb for Tamworth against Evesham in the FA Cup in the curtailed 2020-1 season.
Finn was booked for a late challenge on the Shed side of the ground on 24 and Boston pressed from McLintock’s deadball, but Tamworth responded and worked hard to win the ball back and move it around on the floor.
When McKeown was upended on the left on 33, Bradley stepped up and after a Collard header and Dolman pass, McKeown’s shot was turned behind for a right sided corner. Long punched it away from Collard and behind for a corner on the other side, but it was too long and came to nothing.
Finn was brought down as he tried to make his way towards the Boston area on 39 so Bradley faced a four man wall and lifted it over the wall but also the goal and troubled the visiting fans’ Bovrils more than keeper Long.
Boston responded quickly with Crawford striking from the left of the area and a deflection took it behind for a flagkick which Singh plucked out of the air.
Jones then forced a flagkick on the right as the floodlights came on to destroy the incoming darkness, and Bradley’s ball evaded everyone’s best efforts to connect. The ball came back in, and Finn glanced his header goalward but it was dealt with by Ben Pollock in the final action of the half.
HT 0-1
Tamworth restarted proceedings but it was the visitors who looked for a second goal of the afternoon first, with McLintock firing wide form distance, while Finn was beaten to a pass through by the outcoming slide of Long at his feet on 52.
Bradley half volleyed into the area on 56 and Jones did tremendously well to turn in the box and fire low but his goalbound shot was denied by the defender. A foul by the tunnel gave Jellis the deadball on the hour, but that was cleared by the United defence too.
However when the ball came back out from a Lambs attack on 62 it fell for Bradley and he picked his spot from fully 25 yards and curled it past Long into the far right for his first Lambs goa, to lift the roof on The Shed (1-1, 62 mins)
A shot from Finn ballooned into the box off the covering defender in the next move, and McKeown rose to head it goalward but it was easy for Long to smother.
The Lambs continued to press, with the volume of the home vociferous support behind them, and Finn directed a 67th minute freekick from the right into the box as the visitors were kept penned back.
Gordon almost restored the United advantage on 70, but his placed shot from the D clipped the outside of Singh’s right hand post.
Bradley wa broght down by Gyamfi on 73 and so Finn set up the deadball on the right corner of the box, forcing a corner with the teasing freekick and Finn found Collard in the box but his volley from 8 yards went over the target
Jones tried a groundshot from range on 76 but it was off target and Jellis cross from the left inside the same minute but Finn’s header under pressure was difficult and didn’t test Long.
Prior to making a second and third change, McLintock lofted a freekick into the area and Collard had to put it behind for a corner, which, once the changes had been made, the same Boston player launched into the area. Dolman dealt with it initially but the return cross was headed on target by Cummings and Singh tipped it over the bar for another flagkick. This time it fell to substitute Wright but he volleyed off target.
As the minutes ticked by with penalties on the horizon, Collard took a knock and required treatment and could not continue, so Hart replaced him and Mussa took the captains armband, and George also came into the fray for McKeown.
Seven minutes added time was shown at the end of normal time and McLintock forced Singh into a low stop to the keepers left on 92.
Finn made headway down the right on 95 and planted the ball into the box but it was half cleared away and Cockerill-Mollett followed up with a shot in stride, but only managed to find the land behind the Castle End of the ground.
Milnes replaced Mussa in the 96th minute so the armband was passed to Singh as man of the match Dolman booted the danger away before the final whistle blew and the teams decided who the penalty takers would be
Penalties!
taken at the Meadow Street end
1 – McLintlock - scored // Jones – scored (in off the post!) 1-1
2 – Platt – scored // Bradley – scored (rolled home) 2-2
3 – Atkinson – saved by Singh // Jellis – saved by Long 2-2
4 – Wright – saved by Singh // Milnes – scored (blasted home) 2-3
5 – Long – blazed his penalty over the bar.. // The Lambs celebrated victory
Lambs progress to Round 3, 3-2 on penalties.
Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Mussa (Milnes 96), Collard (c.) (Hart87), Dolman, Finn, Bradley, Jones, Jellis, McKeown (George 88)
Subs: Fallows, Clement, Whittingham, Griffin
YC: Curley, Finn 24
Boston United
Long, Platt (c.), S. Pollock (Atkinson 81), Ferguson, Crawford, B. Pollock, Gordon (Wright 80), McLintock, Cummings, Gyamfi (Hinds 75), Nixon
Subs: Davies, Brown, Schriff, Stevens
YC:
Referee: Mr. Davis
Attendance: 944
MOM: Laguna Properties Limited chose Liam Dolman
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