Nuneaton Borough  v  Tamworth

Sat 26 Nov - 15:00 Southern League Premier Central

Nuneaton Borough

1-1

Tamworth

Match Report

Tamworth travelled to Liberty Way for their next Southern Premier Central League encounter, taking on Jimmy Ginnelley’s Borough side on their own turf in a near top of the table clash.

Andy Peaks Lambs started the day in top spot with 37 points from 18 games, while Nuneaton started in third, five points behind having played a game less, with Leiston in between on 34 and two games in hand over Tamworth so it was all to play for at the summit of the league.

Mindful of the fact that Tamworth had never won at Liberty Way in eight attempts stretching back to 2008, the 3-400 or so expectant travelling fans who made their way down the A4(!!) were looking forward to a hard fought contest between the local rivals who featured seven recent Lambs in the starting eleven and four on the bench too!

Peaks made just one change to the side that surrendered a two goal half time advantage at Rushall in midweek, with Alex Collard coming in at the back for Ben Bailey who took a spot on the bench.

Tamworth got the game underway, attacking the Nuneaton end of the ground and made forays forwards from the kick off.
Finn forced Breeden into an early stop when the ball fell to him from a long Dolman throw and it was put behind for a corner on the left, which was defended away for another on the opposite side.
After good work from Stenson and Mancinelli to bring the home side forwards on 9, Beswick placed a shot from the edge of the box on target but it was easy for Singh.
Fairlamb drilled a low cross into the area and McManus was on hand to divert it over the bar for a corner on 11 which Bradley planted onto Cockerill-Mollett’s head but he couldn’t keep it down or on target.
A wayward back pass towards Breeden on 16 nearly beat the keeper but he was able to clear it off the line by the far post, and then Jones went through but Magunda was toe to toe with him and put the ball behind for a corner which was cleared, but The Lambs regained possession.
From an incisive Jellis pass, Cockerill-Mollett whipped a quick ball into the area from the left on 22 and Collard was sliding in at the far post but a slight deflection took it away from him and out for a corner on the right which came to nothing as Nuneaton cleared the ball.
Former Borough player Mussa perhaps saw the headlines on 25 when Jones pass came to him 25 yards out, and his well intended strike was off target.
Cox denied Fairlamb’s shot in the left of the area on 34, but he won the ball back and drove a shot on target, however Jones was beaten to the ball by Breeden as it dropped into the area.
A deep freekick from Bradley rebounded out to Jellis and although he struck the shot cleanly, the flag was raised for his offside teammates, and The Lambs had to work to mount another attack, with Jellis lifting a shot at Breeden from the right of the box on 37.
Finn was played through into the box on 44 and it took a good blocking save from Breeden to deny him the opening goal of the game but The Lambs responded in similar fashion and Fairlamb threaded it through to Jellis in the left of the area in the next move but his shot whistled past the far post and out.
One minute added time was shown at the end of the first half and with it came the decisive strike to beat Breeden with Jones spinning on the ball after hard work from Fairlamb and Jellis, and firing low into the bottom corner (0-1, 45 mins)

HT 0-1

Borough restarted the game, with both sides now attacking the ends that their respective fans populated, and Forde and Waite replaced Magunda and McManus as the home side reshaped before the game got back underway and Dolman quickly felt unable to continue, so Bailey had to come off the bench on 47.
Beswick tripped Jellis as he tried to advance over the halfway line on 50 so Bradley floated the freekick into the are and Bailey set up Jellis with a strike from distance, but it only troubled the visiting fans behind Breeden’s goal.
Jones played Jellis through on 52 but the Breeden tipped it away at full stretch and the flag also denied what would have been a well worked second for The Lambs who continued to look the better of the two sides.
Borough started to enjoy more possession as the minutes passed but without testing Singh at all as The Lambs keeper’s defensive line held strong, however a foul by Mussa on the Nuneaton right on the hour gave Beswick the deadball and it took a couple of hefty boots to clear the danger.
Singh raced off his line to get to the ball before Richards could close down Forde’s through pass on 63 almost as quickly as former Lambs.
On 67 Stenson connected with a very deep cross field ball and headed on target but it cannoned off Collard and went out for a corner, which Mancinelli connected with too, but his header went high and over the bar.
Bradley was booked for a foul on Magunda on 69 which prevented the defender advancing, but the referee sensibly allowed play to continue as the home side had the advantage, and showed the Lambs man a card when the ball went out of play.
The home side equalised on 72 though, when Stenson drilled the ball into the area and under pressure from The Lambs defence Richards turned the ball home (1-1, 72 mins)
Milnes replaced Bradley with 16 to go, and on 77 Waite nearly connected with a right sided cross, but his attempted shot went wayward.
Both sides made their final changes with 12 to go, as McKeown replaced Cockerill-Mollett for The Lambs.
Bailey gave the referee no choice but to book him for a challenge on Richards on 79 on the right wing however Tamworth won the ball and played it through for Finn, bringing Breeden almost to the halfway line to clear the advance as The Lambs pushed up.
Mussa was booked on 83 for another challenge on Richards, but again Tamworth raced upfield and Jones, and Jellis combined but couldn’t get a clear sight of goal as the ball was blocked and cleared.
At the other end, Nuneaton caused problems when Osbourne broke forwards and tried to find a teammate in a better position in the box, and five minutes added time was shown as a Tamworth freekick was headed down into the ground by Collard and taken by Breeden.
Richards raced down the Nuneaton right on 92 and Fairlamb caught him to bring him to the floor, earning a yellow card in the process and a freekick which no one could connect with but another freekick was given away on the same side and a wayward backpass handed Nuneaton a corner with 15 seconds to play, which Bailey headed away as the full time whistle blew on a point a piece.

Nuneaton Borough
Breeden, Cox, Beswick (Brogan 78), Rowe-Turner, Magunda, McManus (Waite HT), Richards, Dowd (Forde HT), Stenson, Osbourne, Mancinelli
Subs: Castle, James

Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett (McKeown 78), Mussa, Collard (c.), Dolman (Bailey 47), Finn, Bradley (Milnes 74), Jones, Jellis, Fairlamb
Subs: Hart, George
YC: Bradley 69, Bailey 79, Mussa 83, Fairlamb 90+

Referee: Mr. N. Smith

Att: 1124