Tamworth
V
Wealdstone
Rushall Olympic v Tamworth
Rushall Olympic
2-2
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Tamworth
Match Report
Following FA Trophy success at the weekend, The Lambs returned to league action with a the shortest trip of the season to Dales Lane to face former Tamworth player Liam McDonald’s Pics side who featured two ex-Lambs in their ranks, Jordaan Brown and Kristian Green and were enjoying a good spell of form.
Andy Peaks made two changes to the side that beat Boston United with Ben Bailey coming in for the injured Alex Collard, and Luke Fairlamb returning while Eoin McKeown took a place on the bench.
Tamworth kicked off proceedings attacking the clubhouse end of the ground in the first half and quickly forced a throw in the bottom left corner but a foul in the box halted play and the chance of an early strike.
It took until the 10th minute for the next chance to present itself and it fell to Finn on the edge of the area but his low strike curled well wide of the right hand post past Weaver in the Rushall goal.
Curley forced Coyle to put the ball behind for a corner on the right on 13 and a low ball into the path of Jones nearly fooled Weaver but it was slowed on it’s travels and the keeper dropped to smother it.
Jones advanced past the Rushall defence in the left channel and into the box on 15 and was clearly tripped, which the referee acknowledged with an immediate blow of his whistle, but perplexed everyone with a freekick being awarded just on the edge of the area, rather than a penalty. Jones’ deadball went under the jumping defensive wall but was taken by Weaver.
Rushall forced their first corner on 18 and Brown headed it down on target only to see it cleared away off Singh’s goalline.
And so Tamworth broke upfield with Finn receiving the ball 25 yards out and able to go one on one against Weaver and as the keeper advanced Finn used the momentum of the bouncing ball to lift it over the keeper into the back of the net after a bounce a few yards out (0-1, 19 mins)
And it was doubled three minutes later when Jones pounced on a defensive mistake to take it past his marker and fire with aplomb past Weaver from 18 yards (0-2, 22 mins)
Jellis nearly released Finn with a threaded through ball from midfield on 24 but it was too fast for the Lambs number 7 to reach.
Jones was in the action again on 27 sprinting onto the ball in the box and Waver denied him with a low block, and although the ball clearly touched the keeper before it went over the touchline no corner was awarded.
Fairlamb got his boot around the ball on the touch line on the left of the goal 35 and the Rushall defence had to put it behind last the far post for a corner on the right and the home defence managed to get it away at the third attempt.
Towards the end of the first half, Rushall enjoyed a little more possession in the Tamworth half and foul by Cockerill-Mollett set up the home side with a freekick in the right channel, 20 yards out. After receiving treatment for a nose bleed, Cockerill-Mollett returned to the action as Mantom’s freekick came off the wall and went out for a corner on the right which Whittall headed down and wide of the far post and the half time whistle blew after three additional minutes.
HT 0-2
Rushall restarted the game with the temperature dropping and players exhalations now clearly visible as they ran around the 3G surface, and on 47 Finn’s burst of speed earned a corner off the Olympic defender which Bradley planted onto Dolman’s head and down for Bailey, but his shot was blocked for another other the left until a foul halted play.
Singh was called into action for the first time on 52 when Shorrock, who had replaced Fletcher at the break, got the better of The Lambs defence and fired at the keeper from the right of the box.
Carvalho-Landell was booked on 57 for a challenge on Bailey in the centre circle after a strong challenge had occurred in the previous move, and the home side made another change before play restarted.
Cockerill-Mollett was also booked, for a foul on Shorrock, and before the dead ball could be struck Olympic made their final change.
Rushall pushed from the deadball forcing Tamworth to defend a corner and clear to the halfway line when a foul on Finn halted progression.
On 67 a penalty was awarded to the home side when Shorrock was brought own under a clumsy challenge in the right of the area and although Singh got some of his body to the ball Whittall reduced the arrears from the spot as it squirmed under him (1-2, 68 mins)
Challenges in separate areas of the pitch incensed both managers and another freekick on the right on 75 was headed home from a yard out by home captain Batchelor to level the tie (2-2, 75 mins)
McKeown replaced Cockerill-Mollett with 7 remaining and the minutes ticked down with neither side able to get into a position to test either keeper, until the 88th minute when a some good interplay allowed Finn to get sight of goal but his shot was straight at Weaver.
Milnes replaced Bradley in the 90th minute, and on 93 Fairlamb made headway into the area but he was ell tackled to give Bradley a corner on the left and Bailey rose high to head it towards goal but it dropped three feet wide of the left hand post.
Bailey took one for the team on 94 with a foul on Mitchell as he tried to break over the halfway line and it allowed Olympic to push forward as the clock ticked into 97, with a corner on the right which landed on top of the net in the final action of the game, ahead of the trip to Liberty Way on Saturday.
Rushall Olympic
Weaver, Green, Mitchell, Fletcher (Shorrock HT), Brown, Whittall, Masidi, Mantom, Carvalho-Landell (Cameron 61), Coyle (Cook 57), Batchelor (c.)
Subs: Daly, Riley
YC: Carvalho-Landell 57, Masidi 84
Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett (McKeown 83), Mussa (c.), Bailey, Dolman, Finn, Bradley (Milnes 90), Jones, Jellis, Fairlamb
Subs: Hart, Clement, George
YC: Cockerill-Mollett 61, Bailey 94
Referee: Mr. A. Clarke
Att: 388
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