Bromsgrove Sporting  v  Tamworth

Tue 11 Oct - 19:45 Southern League Premier Central

Bromsgrove Sporting

0-1

Tamworth

Match Report

Matchday 14:

On the back of the Lambs 4-0 FA Trophy victory over Andy Peaks’ former side Rushden, table topping Tamworth returned to Southern Premier Central League action at Sporting’s Victoria Ground. They faced the previous Lambs management duo of Thomas Baillie and assistant Gary Smith whose new side sat in 8^th just one point outside the playoffs with Mikey Taylor upfront ahead of kick off.

Peaks made two changes to the side from the weekend as Ben Hart made his first full appearance of the season, with Alex Bradley, coming in for Ben Milnes and Liam Dolman, as The Lambs looked for their first win at the Victoria Ground since September 2002 under Darron Gee (v Bromsgrove Rovers).

Tamworth got the game underway attacking the town end of the ground emblazoned with the clubs name and housing the travelling faithful who willed a long throw into the danger area inside the first minute and on 3 Deacon ran through down the left channel but fired at Taylor in the home goal.
Creaney fed Deacon who set up Finn on 4 but his shot deflected off the covering defender to the keeper and then some how the home side missed a golden opportunity to take the lead on 5.
Singh dropped his catch in the left of his area and Oliver Taylor stole the ball away from The Lambs keeper before he unselfishly squared for Sweeney to side foot home from 12 yards out but he lifted the ball over the target and into the stand behind the goal.
The Lambs had the ball in the back of the net on 13 but it didn’t count as play was stopped for a foul in the build up much to the dismay of the Lambs players and fans. Mussa had challenged and beaten Oliver Taylor to the loose ball in the six yard box and the referee appear to wave play on before Deacon chipped the ball over the prostrate keeper and into the back of the net but the linesman’s flag changed the ‘foul or no foul’ decision and the goal did not stand.
Cockerill-Mollett spotted a chance of a long range dip at goal on 18 but his strike went over the target and failed to trouble Taylor, before a stoppage in play was required for Mikey Taylor to get treatment.
Fairlamb fired a diagonal ball across from the left past the right hand post on 20 and on 25 Creaney crossed for Cockerill-Mollett but his header dropped just over the corner of bar and post.
The home side pressed Tamworth back in the next move and forced The Lambs to defend strongly before Forsyth struck from the edge of the box and out wide.
Finn nearly found the run of Deacon on 35 with an incisive ball through to the middle from the right but it was cut out by McGrath and then Bradley powered a right footed shot from 25 yards but only troubled the fans directly behind the goal.
Fairlamb then robbed Dawes on the Bromsgrove right on 39 and drilled the ball into the danger area looking for Creaney near the far post but it was just too long for a touch or lunge.
Finn and Curley combined down the left on 40 and got the ball into the box for Fairlamb but his shot was off target, and then an intervention by Mussa threaded it for Curley to try again but his ball into space found no-one at the far post.
Finn was involved again in the next move sprinting onto the ball down the right wing and crossing for Deacon but it was nodded away by the covering Sporting defender off his head.
Three minutes added time were shown at the end of the first half and with it came an incredibly long range drive from fully 40 yards by Bradley which whistled low and just past the right hand upright.
As the first half drew to a close, Bromsgrove advanced and after not giving a foul for the first challenge on the edge of the area, the referee did give it for the second as Sporting set up a deadball which McGrath fired low into the arms of Singh and in the final action of the half Curley nipped the ball off the toes of Sweeney&

HT 0-0

After the crowd had moved halfway around the ground in a clockwise fashion, Sporting restarted the match but it was home keeper Taylor who got the first touch from a tame shot by Curley on 47 and Creaney ran onto a good through ball but his first touch ran the ball back to the keeper.
News of second place Nuneaton conceding two goals in quick succession away at Rushden filtered through to the Lambs fans as they pushed forward and forced a corner, but it was easy for Taylor to take, and the Sweeney tried to test Singh from distance but missed the target.
Fairlamb linked with Creaney on 54 who backheeled to Bradley and he picked his spot but the shot was blocked and it ballooned over for a corner on the left and although Cockerill-Mollett got to it past the far post Taylor smothered it.
Sporting enjoyed a spell of possession around the hour and Mikey Taylor was brought down on the left of the D setting up a freekick which Forsyth sent over the target.
Another freekick was awarded for another niggly foul on 63 and Edmunds sent it into the box but there was no Bromsgrove player close to connecting and the home side forced a last ditch clearance for a corner on 64 which Creaney headed away.
Creaney was unable to get his cross from the over to Deacon on 67 and from the break down field Sweeney’s shot deflected out for a corner, which was put behind for a second on the left and Mikey Taylor span on the half cleared ball to volley it over the wall at the back of the terrace.
The Lambs took the lead on 69 though when Finn’s right wing cross was met by Creaney well enough but his shot smashed against the underside of the bar and it came back out for Finn who had got himself into a perfect position to rifle home the shot into the back of the net from 18 yards (0-1, 69 mins)
Deacon worked hard to make headway up the left and past Thomas Taylor on 74 but got everything wrong with his shot which span off target past the far post.
Sweeney and Mikey Taylor put pressure on the Lambs defence on 77 and it took a brave double save from Singh to deny the follow up from Taylor when the ball popped out of his grasp.
At the other end, on 80, Finn fired a shot from the right of the box and it was pushed away from going in by Taylor catching Deacon unaware at the far post as it skipped past him when he perhaps expected it to have already gone in at the far post.
Dyer was booked for a foul on Mussa as the midfielder tried to go around him on the half way line on 82, and Sporting made two changes before the freekick was taken.
Sporting made one more change as the minutes passed, and Fairlamb nearly made it 2-0 on 89 but despite getting oast Tom Taylor his ball into the center was blocked and cleared away.
Deacon made way for Jones as four minutes added time was shown and Creaney beat the offside trap but found his way blocked by Tom Taylor. Bromsgrove advanced and it took a timely intervention from Hart to disrupt a flowing move into Singh’s box.
Curley did similarly well to prevent another Sporting attack a minute later, and so Tamworth responded by pushing upfield but a pull on Finn halted the surge. Bradley lined up the freekick but there was no appetite to lose the ball so it was played into the corner and another foul halted play by the flag and the final whistle blew on another three points to put The Lambs three points clear at the top.

Bromsgrove Sporting
O. Taylor, Dawes (Byrne 87), Dyer, Curtis, T. Taylor, McGrath (c.), Gregson (King-Harmes 82), Forsyth, Sweeney, M. Taylor, Edmunds (Sutherland 82)
Subs: Pratt, Perkins
YC: Dyer 82

Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Mussa, Collard, Hart, Finn, Bradley, Creaney, Deacon (Jones 90), Fairlamb
Subs: George, Yeomans, Howkins, Clement

Referee: Mr. Smith

Attendance: 568