Boston United  v  Tamworth

Tue 15 Aug - 19:45 National League North

Boston United

0-2

Tamworth

Match Report

After the resounding 4-1 win at The Brewery Field, Spennymoor, at the weekend Andy Peaks took his squad to the Jakemans Community Stadium, home of Ian Culverhouse’s the Pilgrims of Boston United – the Lambs’ debut visit to the impressive new stadium after many previous trips to their previous York Street home, although sadly the famous town centre ‘stump’ isn’t visible from the ground like it was previously.

Peaks made no changes to the side that started against the Moors looking for more of the same against a United side that had picked up four points from their opening two games, to The Lambs three.

An early attack forced Singh, in his new red keeper’s kit, to pluck the ball out of the air from a right sided cross on 4 and a similar cross in the next move found the head of Knowles, but he directed it onto the roof of the net.
Singh was in action again on 5 punching the ball away from danger for a throw, which forced a corner on the right and Woods ball eventually found Nicholson who brought a powerful parry from the keeper and another corner.
Dolman glanced it away for Mills to build again but this time the final ball way lacking.
The Lambs keeper plucked another cross out of the box from home captain Bostock on 10 and Tamworth countered as former Pilgrim Milnes saw his shot blocked, and the resulting ball looking for Creaney was too close to keeper Gregory.
A bizarrely unnecessary handball in the middle of the park saw McLintock booked on 14 and Tamworth built an attack from it but neither the hard work of Tshikuna, Finn nor Creaney could force the ball goalward.
The first meaningful strike for Tamworth came on 19 through Acquaye’s left footed drive from the left of the area but it failed to trouble Gregory and got lost in the open end rubble behind the low hoardings.
At the other end McLintock threaded it through to Richards who played Knowles in on the left but he couldn’t get his shot on target and fired past the left hand upright.
Culinane-Liburd squeezed a near inch perfect cross from the left into the box on 25, but Creaney was beaten to the header by a gnat’s whisker.
Woods then picked up a booking for a clumsy tackle on Acquaye on the halfway line on 29.
Cockerill-Mollett played a short pass to Finn from the left wing on 35 and the latter tried a cheeky shot come cross at Gregory, forcing the keeper to palm it away from going under the bar or inside the post unexpectedly.
Boston forged a chance of their own on 39 following a right sided corner, but Woods’ header past the far post continued on it’s journey and failed to trouble the target or Singh.
It looked like Creaney would get a shot on target from 8 yards on 42, but after Tshikuna’s ball from the left to his feet there referee spotted an infringement and denied both him and Finn a shooting chance.
Knowles appeared to have beaten the offside trap a few yards over the halfway line on 43, but the flag went up quickly to deny him his potential one on one with Singh.
Dolman’s ball down the left line to Acquaye allowed the midfielder to nip it through to Creaney and his shot on the turn got turned behind, but an optical illusion rippled the net and set soe of the travelling fans celebrating, however it was a corner instead which was just over the head of Creaney and Finn.
​One minute added time was shown at the end of the first half and Finn fired on target from 18 yards forcing Gregory to tip it away and the same player’s corner came back out to him, and Milnes’ forced another flagkick which went long, and the whistle blew on an enjoyable first 45 minutes.

HT 0-0

Tamworth restarted proceedings with three sides of yellow and black ahead of them, and the 91 Lambs behind them to the right of Singh, and Knowles drilled the ball across the box on 48, which Tamworth cleared long up field.
Creaney passed to Jellis down the right side of the box on 52, and he nearly found Tshikuna in the middle, but had to be happy with a throw which was flicked on and headed home at right angles to goal, on 53 by Creaney to the delight of everyone from the Staffordshire club (0-1, 53 mins)
Cockerill-Mollett and Milnes were called into defensive action on 57 as the home side, spurred on by a disgruntled home crowd since the Lambs goal, pushed up the field, but Jellis was on hand to skip it out of defence.
Knowles struck low from distance on 58 forcing Singh to drop and smother his on target effort, and The Lambs raced to the other end with Finn able to force a corner which made Boston defend strongly themselves.
Finn then cut in and found Creaney with a low pass into the area on 62 and the striker shot, but it took a couple of deflections to take it back to Gregory.
Tshikuna and Acquaye combined on 63 for the latter to drill the ball into the penalty area and Finn connected but sent it over the bar from 12 yards, and a great cross field move out of midfield all the way through to Creaney ended only when the Pilgrims defence got in the way of the final ball.
Creaney was then booked for chipping the ball into the seated stand after racing to the kick it away from the Boston midfielder in close attendance.
Tshikuna pounced on a dreadful clearance from Gregory on 69 and made headway into the area, but his cross was put behind for a corner before Creaney got get a touch and he did get a touch from Finn’s drilled right sided cross a minute later, but the offside flag would have denied a second goal.
Singh pulled off a great one handed close range stop to deny Woods equalising on 72, and then Finn put a challenge in to give the home side a freekick on the edge of the D which Bostwick smashed into the wall.
Nicholson fouled Milnes on the right on 75 and was booked for his efforts, and Milnes’ freekick was put behind by Woods for a corner when he really could have left it go out for a goal kick, so Milnes’ corner came in and was drilled home through the crowded box by Acquaye for The Lambs deserved second of the game (0-2, 76 mins)
The United assistant boss was sent off following words to the referee on 77, as the home side made their final change of the game.
Tshikuna made mincemeat of the United back line in the next move but was thwarted again by the final defender, as the Chicken Tikka Masala song rang out around the ground.
Milnes then cut in down the right byline and Tshikuna swept his shot the right way but it lifted over the bar.
Peaks made his first change with a couple of minutes to go replacing Creaney with Jones but it was Jellis with the next (blocked) chance as four minutes added time was shown and Arlott-John replaced Finn.
And so the final whistle blew on a second full points haul on the road, ahead of the next game against Alfreton Town at The Lambs at the weekend.

Boston United
Gregory, Nicholson, Bostwick (c.), Leak, Ward, Woods, Martin (Edge 67), J. Knowles, Richards, McLintock (Gyasi 62), Mills
Subs: Wilson, T. Knowles, Lovelace
YC: McLintock 14, Woods 29, Nicholson 74

Tamworth:
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Finn (Arlott-John 90), Milnes (c.), Acquaye, Cullinane-Liburd, Dolman, Tshikuna, Jellis, Creaney (Jones 88)
Subs: Deacon, Willets, Phillips
YC: Milnes 58, Creaney 66

Att: 1662 (91 from Tamworth)

Referee: Alex Sawden
Assistant Referees: Matthew Jackson and Tom Hales