Brackley Town  v  Tamworth

Mon 1 Apr - 15:00 National League North

Brackley Town

3-0

Tamworth

Match Report

After the home win over bottom club Bishop’s Stortford on Good Friday, The Lambs made the short journey to St James’s Park, home of Brackley Town, on Easter Monday.

To be crowned Champions, Andy Peaks’ side needed just one point from the game if Chorley won against Blyth Spartans, or if Chorley didn’t win The Lambs didn’t even need to score to lift the trophy.
However, it would be a tough test against the third placed home side who, with former Lambs Danny Newton in their ranks, were chasing Scunthorpe for second and the more preferential top-play off place.

Peaks made two changes to the side that ran out before the Easter weekend, with a swap of forward line as Chris Wreh and Nathan Tshikuna taking a place on the bench and Dan Creaney and Ty Deacon started up front.

In the April sunshine and in front of the live streaming National League TV cameras, the home side got the game underway with Tamworth attacking the packed out away end in the first half.
But it was the home fans who celebrated when the Saints took the lead inside the second minute when Creaney was unable to head the ball away at the second attempt, and Roberts stole in to fire home past Singh from 12 yards. (1-0, 2 mins)
A long throw from Cullinane-Liburd forced a left sided corner on 9, and Milnes loaded it but Lewis punched it away and then gathered the loose ball when Knight-Percival headed Finn’s cross goalward.
Newton got his head onto a Lyttle cross and looped his header towards goal but Singh took it at height on the line with Hall pressing.
The home side doubled their advantage on 12 when Newton’s header could only be parried away by Singh and it was followed up at the near post by Carline (2-0, 12 mins), the first time The Lambs had conceded two goals since the Chester away defeat in early December.
Creaney was beaten to a header from a Finn cross on 15, and it was cleared out for a Cullinane-Liburd throw which came back out to Milnes, but his shot rose over the target and struck the hoardings above the goal.
Newton and Cullinane-Liburd locked legs on 18 as the striker tried get the better of the defender and the referee awarded a freekick in Tamworth’s favour which allowed The Lambs to try and press.
A through ball to Hall in the left channel on 20 needed Singh to come out of his comfort zone and sweep the ball away, but from the ensuing play Newton caught Fairlamb in the box so play halted.
Roberts turned provider on 25 but his flicked header to O’Sullivan in the box caught the latter just offside, and a few moments later Chorley scored to take the lead in their match.
And the home side nearly notched another when Hall chipped forwards for Roberts to run on to and head toward goal, but he lifted it over the bar and the flag went up too.
The Lambs responded from the restart and Lilly was penalised for tackling Acquaye as he went towards goal. This set up Milnes with the deadball from 25 yards out slightly to the left of the D, but Brackley’s wall blocked his initial effort and then dealt with the danger.
Acquaye smashed a cross against Lyttle on 34 for a corner on the left and it was touched behind for another, on the right, but Lewis caught Finn’s inward curling effort to deny the inrushing Creaney.
Lilly got in the way of a Finn run towards goal on 37 but the Lambs leading scorer was penalised for a trip, and then O’Sullivan saw his curling shot headed up and over his own bar by Curley, from 12 yards out, and the corner came to nothing.
Chorley extended their lead at Victory Road, making a comeback from either The Lambs or Blyth now a requirement for the title to be settled by 5pm, and a Cullinane-Liburd throw from the left made the home side defend on 43 but when Acquaye and Lyttle became entwined on the touch line, the referee needed to have a word with both players before play could restart.
And in added time Newton should perhaps have hit the target when Murombedzi played the short ball to him in the left of the box but the striker could only find the side netting in the final action of the first half.

HT 2-0

The Lambs emerged from the changing rooms well ahead of their hosts in readiness but were the final game of the National League North to get back underway, and although they kicked off proceedings Singh had to watch a floated cross headed at him tamely by O’Sullivan.
There was a half chance for Finn on 49 when he picked up the ball from Acquaye in the box, but saw his shot blocked and pop up invitingly for Lewis.
Tamworth escaped a third when Curley got in the way of a low shot from Hall from 12 yards which looked to be on target but it was three on 51 from the corner when Lilly was given an acre of space got power his header down and under Singh (3-0, 51 mins) for the first 3 goal against tally in the league, all season.
The Lambs came close on 54 when Acquaye got past his marker and flashed a cross into the area which was flicked up onto the top of the cross bar, but despite Deacon and Finn chasing it down and hoping for it to drop quickly for a simple header, it was cleared by the home defence.
Singh pulled off a superb save from a flowing move by the home side which saw Roberts play a speedy one two with Hall and the latter drove it low from 18 yards but found Singh in no mood to be beaten again.
Sundire picked a spot for a shot from distance on 57 but his effort drifted wide of the left hand upright and play stopped when Singh felt cramp allowing both sets of players to take a drinks break.
Another blocked cross from Acquaye gave Milnes the flagkick on the left on 64 and it flicked out to Knight-Percival but his dinked pass back into the box carried too much weight and floated out of play.
Deacon was replaced by Tshikuna with just over 20 minutes of normal time remaining and Cullinane-Liburd picked up a booking on 73 for a foul on the halfway line.
Tshikuna was brought down by substitute Armson 25 yards from goal on 75 and Milnes whipped the ball over the wall and Finn was then replaced by Enoru.
Tshikuna cleared the ball off the line from a Hall header from a right sided corner on 78 and as The Lambs advanced Enoru was upended by Murombedzi earning the Brackley man a booking. And from Milnes dead ball into the box Cullinane-Liburd glanced his header wide of the mark.
Tonks gave Milnes a rest for the final 6 minutes and Fairlamb’s cross from the left was met by the head of Creaney when play resumed, but his effort failed to trouble Lewis.
Cullinane-Liburd was booked for a second time on 87, after clashing with Hall 25 yards out, so left The Lambs a man short for the remainder of the game and Lyttle forced Singh into a flying stop from the deadball, the keeper pushing it away from his left hand post and out for a corner.
Enoru weaved his was through the right wing as the clock ticked down and sent a teasing cross over but it was long and out of play and five minutes added time was shown at the end of the second half.
There was a late chance for Tamworth when Tshikuna whipped a dead ball in but Newton was able to clear the danger at the far post in the final act of a disappointing run out, but in the bigger picture with three games to play The Lambs could celebrate life at the top and still just need a point to be crowned.

TEAMS

Brackley Town
Lewis, Calder, Dean (c.), Lilly, Carline, Murombedzi (Bates 85), O’Sullivan, Roberts (Armson 71), Newton, Hall (Cross 89), Lyttle
Subs: Turner, Gudger
YC: Lilly 33

Tamworth
Singh (c.), Curley, Cullinane-Liburd, Knight-Percival, Fairlamb, Finn (Enoru 75), Milnes (c.) (Tonks 84), Sundire, Acquaye, Creaney, Deacon (Tshikuna 69)
Subs: Wreh, Gascoigne
YC: Cullinane-Liburd 73 + 84 = RC

Referee: Mr. Jon Maskrey
Assistant: Mr. Josh Brookland, Mr. Narry Hetherington

Att: 1731 (748 from TFC)