Tamworth
V
Wealdstone
Liversedge v Tamworth
Liversedge
0-2
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Tamworth
Match Report
Matchday 18:
The Lambs took a break from League action to make a first ever trip to the Clayborn Stadium, home of ‘The Sedge’ in the FA Trophy 1st Round Proper.
Andy Peaks’ side, top of the Southern League Premier Central, came into the game 8 unbeaten in all competitions, while the home side, at the equivalent step having been promoted to the Premier division of the Northern Premier League, were not doing quite so well with no home wins in eight attempts and a lowly league position that way bolstered somewhat by a very good form away from home.
Tamworth started proceedings attacking the clubhouse end of the friendly and tidy rurally set ground, with damp autumnal air enveloping the surrounding fields and trees of green, yellows and reds, but it was the home side who made headway in the opening exchanges without testing Singh.
The pitch had been inspected at 9.30am and was fine to play on, but was definitely not the lush surface of The Lamb, and linesman tracks started to show quickly along both touchlines, and Tamworth attacked on 8 minutes with Creaney, nursing a black eye gained during the win over Royston on Tuesday, unable to turn and it was cleared.
A freekick following a foul on Liversedge’s Amponsah, on the right, was fired high and wide of the mark, on 10 and Collard got his head to another deep deadball on 14 as the home side continued to frustrate and it took an intervention from Finn to deny Hardacre a shot on 16.
Mussa got himself into a good position but couldn’t get the curl on his attempted long range lob on 19 and when the ball held up from Deacon’s pass into the box on 20 George cut the ball back but Huddersfield loanee keeper Mazfari gathered it easily.
George then ran through into the area on 23 and tumbled under pressure but no penalty was given and from the corner Deacon headed just wide of the near post.
The Lambs kept the pressure up with Finn nearly pouncing on the loose ball on 24 but it was cleared off his toes and Bradley’s corner was inexplicably punched away by home defender and captain Harris, handing the Lambs a penalty which Creaney dispatched, sending the keeper the wrong way (0-1, 25 mins)
Curley sent a fine ball into the area from the right for Creaney on 30 but he was unable to take his advantage as claims of offside were waved away by the officials and Sedge made headway on 34 and worked to get the ball into the box for Smythe, but a bobble saw his shot go high over the target.
Creaney was getting constant attention from Harris, and a foul on the Lambs striker in the left channel on 41 set up Bradley with the deadball which took a deflection out for a corner on the left.
The flagkick fell to the feet of Creaney but the path of his low shot was blocked and from the resulting corner Collard’s header was cleared.
Dearnely managed a rare on target chance at Singh with a tame glanced header on 43 and Howkins put a strong and well timed sliding challenge in to prevent the same player advancing in the area on 45.
The travelling thought Creaney had added a second, but his shot on the turn was denied by a superb one handed save from Mazfari deep into added time, and from the corner the ball was cleared before the whistle blew.
HT 0-1
Liversedge restarted proceedings and went on the attack but failed to threaten with their initial foray’s forwards.
A Bradley freekick from the left on 49 was taken by Mazfari, and the keeper also plucked a right side freekick away at the near post in the next move, before Bradley was caught by Cartman’s studs on 52 and needed some treatment.
Mussa was penalised for shirt pulling to set up a home freekick just outside the D on 54 and Smythe struck it straight at Singh as the floodlights came on.
George and Deacon combined to set Fairlamb free in the left of the area on the hour but his low shot was deflected away by the home defence and Mazfari punched the corner away as Creaney lurked at the back of the box.
Bradley then struck from outside the area on 64 and a deflection took it out for another corner which Mazfari launched downfield for his side to take into the Tamworth half and resulted in Khan whipping a dangerous cross into and through the box on 66 bringing the home support into voice.
Atkinson did similarly on 69 but this time it was put behind by Fairlamb and the corner caused some problems but Tamworth cleared and George was upended by the halfway line, with play restarting after Creaney had been replaced by Jones on 70.
Jones got straight into the game, finding Finn on 72 but his shot from 18 yards was blocked and the home side broke but options were limited when Amponsah reached the area and his hopeful shot went well wide of the mark.
Tamworth made sure of their place in the next though, when Finn sprinted down the right and his low cross was put behind for a corner which Collard headed back into the box and Deacon fired into the net from 6 yards despite the very best efforts of Mazfari to keep it out (0-2, 77 mins)
Finn was then replaced by Whittingham with 6 remaining and Clement replaced George shortly afterwards as the minutes ticked by.
Clement’s first touch was a corner when Curley’s cross had been booted away and it came out to Whittingham who struck powerfully for the target but caught Hardacre in a sensitive area leaving him writhing on the damp turf for a prolonged moment.
In the play after the restart Bradley fired low diagonally out past the left hand post from 18 yards and two minutes added time was shown before the final whistle blew, putting The Lambs in Monday’s draw for the 2nd Round Proper ane £3,000 in prize money better off.
Liversedge
Mazfari, Raw, Hardacre, Smythe, Barrett, Harris, Khan, Atkinson, Cartman, Dearnley (Walton 85), Amponsah (Hurtley 85)
​Subs (4 only): Proctor, Porter
Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Fairlamb, Mussa, Collard (c.), Finn (Whittingham 84), Bradley, Creaney (Jones 70), Deacon, George (Clement 86), Howkins
Subs (7 max): Fallows, Dolman, Hart, Cockerill-Mollett
Referee: Mr. S.Robinson
Attendance: 241
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