Spennymoor Town  v  Tamworth

Sat 12 Aug - 15:00 National League North

Spennymoor Town

1-4

Tamworth

Match Report

A week after the opening weekend home defeat to Scunthorpe United, The Lambs made the long trip North to The Brewery Field for their next National League North encounter. Their hosts had defeated Banbury 3-0 on the opening day and made some improvements to their tight ground since the last (and first) visit to Spennymoor’s some five and a half years previously.

Andy Peaks was without the services of Brad Gascoigne, serving the first of a three match ban following his late sending off again The Iron and so Callum Cockerill-Mollett came in as the only change to the starting eleven who took to the field in the new white and blue away kit sponsored by Stadium sponsors Compare The Build.

And Tshikuna kicked the game off, up the Brewery Field hill and the home side tried a quick rob and attack at goal but it came to nothing and Singh, in his new orange keeper’s kit was untroubled.
Tamworth countered with Finn finding Acquaye who also saw his shot blocked and then a pull on Acquaye by Greenfield earned the home midfielder a booking on 7.
Despite a good interception in the middle of the park on 10, Acquaye ultimately lost out and the home side countered with Ferguson forcing a corner on the right which was headed on and then flicked over the bar.
The Lambs forged a golden opportunity on 15 when Finn drilled the ball into the box from the right and Creaney ghosted past it to allow Acquaye to bear down but his shot from 18 yards rose too quickly to test Montgomery and went over the bar.
When play resumed Greenfield, mindful of his earlier booking, was spoken to at length by the referee for a challenge on Jellis.
Cockerill-Mollet made headway down the left and found space in the box with his deep cross on 22, which Finn got his head to but didn’t manage to get it on target.
Town boss Chandler then made a change, replacing Greenfield perhaps fearing what may happen if a mistimed challenge went in.
Acquaye was then booked for a shirt pull on Ferguson, just outside the area which resulted in both going to ground in the area, and the Lambs wall did it’s job superbly to prevent the freekick from Taylor causing any damage.
The ball threaded through to Harris a yard outside the box on 29 and he span and turned and shot on target, forcing Singh to palm away for a corner on the left which the same player got his head to but sent it high over the low covered terrace behind the goal.
Cockerill-Mollett was forced to turn the ball behind past his far post on 32 when Doherty’s cross from the left skipped into the box but Jellis was on hand to take it in his stride and advance upfield, finding Finn who was tripped on the right wing and this set up Milnes with the deadball but Pollock headed it away.
Ramshaw picked up a booking 40 for a foul on Jellis on the right and a minute or so later when the ball dropped on the edge of the box he struck a powerful volley on target forcing Montgomery to drop and bat the ball away and concede a corner.
Milnes’ flagkick was headed away for another one before Creaney could get to it but a foul from the second forced play to halt for the freekick.
Four minutes added time were shown at the end of the first half and Harris went through in the right of the box and fired home on the angle past Singh but the offside flag was rightly raised by the linesman to deny his strike.
The Lambs responded perfectly by racing to the other end and when the cross came in and was only half cleared by Montgomery, it floated perfectly for Tshikuna on the edge of the box to place his header over the stranded keeper and take a slender lead into the dressing room (1-0, 45+3 mins)

HT 0-1

The Moors restarted the game with the electronic scoreboard reminding the traveling faithful of the advantage and a one two between Acquaye and Tshikuna gave Spennymoor problems in the box and when the ball came back out to Acquaye he unleashed a rocket of a finish from 18 yards into the top right corner to set the Lambs celebrations going once again (0-2, 49 mins)
Acquaye threaded the ball through to Creaney on 54 and he tried to prod it under the advancing keeper but Montgomery was able to deny him his first of the season, and The Lambs third of the afternoon, and then Jellis was booked in midfield as the home side pushed out / upfield.
Spennymoor’s first chance of the second half fell to substitute Shanks on 58 although his shot was blocked and deflected back to Singh and his counterpart at the other end miscued his kick to give Cullinane-Liburd a throw on the right which fell to Acquaye again but this time his drive was blocked.
Finn cut in from the right on the hour and directed a low shot at the keeper with the Lambs fans behind Montgomery, and the 200 or so listening on LambsMedia’s MIxLR channel, hoping for another net ripple, and on 63 another shot from the number 7 was diverted behind for another corner.
Then, following a foul on Acquaye on the left, Milnes sent the ball into the box and the home side failed to deal with Finn who cut left and fired diagonally into the bottom right (0-3, 68 mins)
Anderson managed to get the ball to his feet on 70 despite suspicions of offside in the build up and fired straight into the grateful arms of Singh in a rare home attack which was followed a minute or so later in a change of tactic by The Moors who played a deep cross into the far post forcing Singh to pluck it out of the air under the watch of Docherty.
Then, with Spennymoor’s inability to defend effectively was shown up once again as captain Milnes added a fourth of the afternoon with a dipping strike from the edge of the box after Finn’s similar attempt had been charged down and dropped invitingly for the midfielder (0-4, 75 mins)
Spennymoor showed that they could score spectacular strikes too though, with Harris rifling home a right footed volley from the edge of the area past a flat footed Singh (1-4, 77 mins)
Anderson picked up his sides fourth booking of the afternoon on 88 and seven minutes added time were shown as Andy Peaks made one final change to put another body at the back with Willets playing in front of the back four.
Singh was called into action more to smother the ball from a half chance rather than deny a golden one, deep into added time and with The Lambs Academy Development side hitting eleven goals at home in the Midland Reserve League at the same time, there were cheers all round when the final whistle blew ahead of the midweek trip to Boston United.

Spennymoor Town
Montgomery, Ross, Curtis (c.) (Mbeka 65), Harris, Taylor, Ramshaw, Pollock, Ferguson (Shanks 49), Greenfield (Anderson 22), Ledger, Doherty
Subs: Staunton, Fielding
YC: Greenfield 7, Ramshaw 40, Ross 67, Anderson 88

Tamworth:
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Finn, Milnes (c.), Acquaye (Arlott-John 81), Cullinane-Liburd, Dolman, Tshikuna (Willets 90), Jellis, Creaney (Jones 78)
Subs: Phillips (GK), Griffin
YC: Acquaye 26, Jellis 55, Creaney 73

Att: 1032

Referee: James Bancroft
Assistant Referees: Paul Mosley and Stephen Birkett