Tamworth
V
York City
Hednesford Town v Tamworth
Hednesford Town
0-1
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Tamworth
Match Report
Matchday 15:
The top of the table Lambs made the short journey up the A5 to take on Steve Burr’s bottom of the league Pitmen with the opportunity to go six points clear at the top of the league as not other sides in the Southern Premier League were in action until the weekend.
Andy Peaks made no changes to the starting eleven that defeat Bromsgrove a week previously while Burr’s side featured Ben Bailey as captain who had enjoyed a spell at The Lamb before returning to his ‘spiritual home’ of Keys Park.
Tamworth, looking for a Warrior like performance, got the game underway with the Lambs fans segregated, behind Jas Singh’s goal in the first half and there was an early freekick to the home side which Bennett rolled out and it struck the wall and was cleared.
Finn then found space on 3 and hit a hopeful effort over high the target in the next move as both sides started brightly.
Parker forced Singh into the first save of the game with a driven right footed shot on 9 which the Lambs keeper palmed away.
Curley was forced to concede a corner the left on 17 and Collard cleared whilst being fouled so play stopped as quickly as it had started from the flagkick.
Hart needed treatment after he put his body in the line denying a home side attack on 25 and although he tried to play on he was unable to continue and had to be helped from the field, bringing Dolman back into the defensive line after a game out through injury himself.
The first half continued in much the same fashion with Tamworth unable to muster much more than a passing glance at Brooks’ goal, while Singh was called into more meaningful action a couple of times but there was no real surprise the end finished goalless after two minutes added time.
HT 0-0
The Pitmen restarted proceedings and it was a similar fare to the first half although The Lambs did seem more applied to their part in the game in the opening exchanges of the second half.
On 51, Finn was booked for a thumping clash with Ludford-Ison and from the restart Dolman pulled a shirt 10 yards out of the penalty are in the right channel so Bennett sent his deadball into the area and Ludford-Ison met it with his header but it struck the outside edge of the right hand post and went to safety to give The Lambs a reprieve.
Finn’s strike from 20 yards took a deflection on Brooks took it over the line for a corner on the left on 55 which was cleared, and then in the next move Finn ran through one on one on the left of the area with the keeper to beat on his right side but his shot was saved twice by the legs of Brooks to deny him the opening goal of the evening.
At the other end Bennett struck from 25 yards and curled his shot past the eft hand upright with Singh at full stretch, while Bradley’s right sided shot went straight into the grateful arms of Brooks on 62.
Fairlamb was booked for a shirt pull on Bennett on the halfway line on 64 and from the freekick Hednesford work the ball around the box until Creaney was adjudged to have fouled Cuff on the left wing, so another deadball forced Singh to punch it clear.
Bailey nearly smashed his shot from the edge of the box into the back of the net on 66 but was denied by a one handed push over the bar by Singh and Tamworth were forced to defend strongly once again.
Another home attack through Hartley forced a corner from his cross which went out off Dolman on 69 but The Lambs went close in the next move as the ball came back out to Creaney from a snap shot but he fired the rebound wide of the mark.
Finn sprinted down the right to try and get his cross in on 74 but it was cut out for a corner and his flagkick was met by the head of Collard who forced a fine stop from Brooks. However, the home celebrations were short lived as Creaney span on the ball and fired it home through a crowded area to give Tamworth the lead which came as a visible relief to the Lambs around the ground and stunned the home side who had worked tremendously hard work up to that point.
George replaced Cockerill-Mollett, suffering with cramp, before the restart and he was involved in a flowing move which ended with Finn crossing and Brooks knocking it over the bar for a corner.
Bennett was booked for a clumsy challenge on Bradley as the Lambs player advanced into the left of the final third on 83 and he found the head of Collard but he nodded it wide of the far post from the back of the box.
Bailey tripped George on the left of the area on 86 and earned himself a booking too, and as The Lambs looked to finish on a high by pressing their hosts, four minutes added time was shown.
A deflected clearance past Singh’s far post on 93 gave Hednesford one last chance to get something back for Burr’s side but a header from Lowe was easy for the keeper to gather in the final action of another hard fought three points.
Hednesford Town
Brooks, Ludford-Ison, Hartley, Bailey (c.), Lowe, Clements (Rowe 71), Cuff (Anaebonam 72), Parker (Ibrahim 80), Nesbitt, Bennett, Livingstone
Subs: McQuilkin, Clayton
YC: Bennett 82, Bailey 86
Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett (George 76), Mussa, Collard, Hart (Dolman 29), Finn, Bradley, Creaney, Deacon, Fairlamb
Subs: Yeomans, Howkins, Clement
YC: Finn 51, Fairlamb 64
Referee: Mr. Perry
Attendance: 668 including 207 travelling Lambs fans
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