Farsley Celtic  v  Tamworth

Sat 26 Aug - 15:00 National League North

Farsley Celtic

2-2

Tamworth

Match Report

A week after the home tie against Alfreton, Andy Peak took his squad to The Citadel, the rebranded Throstle’s Net ground that had seen Tamworth visit twice before and return from unbeaten, a 3-1 win under Gary Mills in the Conference North in 2008, and a 2-2 FAT Trophy tie in 2016 under Andy Morrell.

The Lambs hosts were managed by Clayton Donaldson who had experienced a defat at the hands of Tamworth back in 2010 while playing for Crewe Alexandra in a memorable FA Cup win at The Lamb.

This time, in the fifth game of the National League North campaign, Peaks made two changes to the side with Jas Singh unavailable and Callum Cockerill-Mollett serving a one match ban so Leon Phillips came in for debut in goal, and Jamie Willets made his first start of the season.

Tamworth in their red home kit (forcing a quick wash and wear turnaround on Sunday ahead of the home game against Hereford), got the game underway attacking the uncovered end of the ground and kept the pressure on in the opening 2 minutes. And none moreso when Curley whipped a perfect ball into the box from the left for Creaney, but he was unable to direct his downward header inside the near post much to his visible annoyance.
Tshikuna took time to set himself up with a number of turns on the ball on the edge of the area on 4, but was also unable to hit the target with his shot as the travelling Lambs fans added some much needed noise to the otherwise humble surroundings.
Finn whipped the ball into the box on 6 and Creaney’s connection just wasn’t enough to take it goalward, and he received the ball on 8 after good work down the left from Arlott-John to get into the box and drill the ball into the danger area, although Creaney’s shot on the turn went into the hoardings behind Leban’s goal.
The Lambs continued to press and force Celtic to appear quite disjointed as the 10 minute mark passed, but a great move by the home side released Blair in the left of the box and it took a double save from Phillips to deny him.
Tamworth raced to the other end from this scare, and Milnes forced a corner from Arlott-John’s persistence. Willet’s got his boot to the ball as it dropped into the six yard box, but the home side were able to clear the danger.
In another quick move upfield, Tshikuna threaded it through to Finn on 14 but he was quickly closed down and a corner on the left was the result which Willet’s leapt to meet but headed over the target.

Cullinane-Liburd twice loaded the ball in from the right in quick succession as Tamworth kept on pressuring their hosts, almost unrelenting, and Curley found himself in a position on 18 to strike low from 25 yards, forcing Leban to push it around the post for a corner and this time Willets made now mistake with a powerful header from 8 yards to give Tamworth a deserved lead (0-1, 20 mins)
After a short stoppage while a Farsley player received treatment on the field Celtic seemed to have woken up a little more although Arlott-John and Curley showed it was short lived with long range attempts on the angle which Leban was happy to watch go wide.
Home captain Atkinson sent a teasing ball into the area from around 30 yards out on 28, forcing Dolman to head the ball away for a corner, and Curley headed it away only as far as Ben Atkinson who drilled it low at Phillips from 25 yards.
Cullinane-Liburd and Arlott-John continued to press ad another corner came on 32 and the latter nearly made it two, firing low into the side netting from the left wing although the home keeper would probably have had it covered.
Donaldson showed though, on 35, that despite all the Tamworth pressure, it was not enough to stop the hosts intentions as his shot cannoned back off the crossbar and struck Ben Atkinson before being cleared acrobatically by Curley and and although the raised flag off the linesman on the far side denied Ben Atkinson’s strike from 8 yards on 36, it was another wake up call for Tamworth.
And then at the other end, Creaney was found a foot offside from Finn’s low ball through the Celtic defence and the duo swapped roles on 38 as Finn rolled a low shot at Leban which the keeper was happy to smother.
A superb one handed save from Phillips tipped a looping header from Misambo over the bar on 40 and from the corner, Tamworth countered quickly through Arlott-John and Tshukuna who forced a foul on the right which Finn floated high into the danger area and Leban had to punch it away from dropping under the bar for another flag-kick which just missed Creaney at the far post.
Branson picked up a booking for a challenge from behind on Jellis as the clocked ticked into added time at the end of the first half, and Dolman was called upon to defend and concede a corner which Misambo got his head to but he was pressured by Willets and got no direction on it.
Misamba picked the ball up from a long clearance in the last action of the half, and rifled his shot well wide of the mark before the whistle blew on a pulsating 45 minutes of action.

HT 0-1

Farsley restarted proceedings and went on the attack with Stevenson drilling the ball low into the box and Curley was able to get it away from danger before Celtic could get a touch, and Phillips had to snatch the ball out of the area from a right sided cross on 48.
And then both Arlott-John and Tshikuna wriggled their way through the last men on the left wing but the final shot curled the wrong way past Leban and went out past the far post.
Jellis was then on the receiving end of another hefty challenge and Chris Atkinson was booked for his efforts and Celtic made two changes before play restarted.
The Lambs were caught out on 54 though, with a ball from the right evading everyone to allow Stevenson the relatively simple finish at the far post (1-1, 54 mins)
The home side worked the ball through to Donaldson on the right in the next move, but his shot went high over the fencing designed to prevent it going into the trees behind the terracing, and then Curley put the ball behind under pressure from Donaldson and Phillips was grateful for the tame header to come back to him.
Dolman needed treatment on the field on the hour and was unable to continue so Gascoigne replaced him and Reilly, making his first appearance of the season, replaced Tshikuna a minute later.
Re-jigged Tamworth worked to get the ball forwards after the changes, and the tenaciousness of Jellis kept the ball in play and Arlott-John’s shot rebounded to Willets who was unable to get purchase on his shot from the left of the box.
At the other end though, there was more threat from Celtic, and Curley had no option but to head it away and behind with Donaldson bearing down on him at in the box on 71 and then on 75, the home side took the lead.
Carroll was allowed to make headway from the right along the front edge of the box and eventually decided he had enough angle to try a shot and fired low into the bottom right corner (2-1, 75 mins)
From the restart, after the home side won possession advanced, Creaney and Disambo were booked after clashing off the ball in the middle of the park on 77.
After good work from Cullinane-Liburd to keep the ball in play on the right, despite the best efforts of Creaney and Finn the loose and ricocheting ball into the net, Leban eventually managed to get it in his hands.
The hardworking and clearly struggling Arlott-John made way for Jones with 7 remaining to add more fire power, as it was all or nothing, and a cross from Finn found Jellis past the far post on 86 but it came back in too far behind Creaney to bring any threat to Leban’s goal.
With Tamworth now playing three at the back, added time came and Farsley were forced to clear their lines with a hefty boot and when Creaney smashed a shot goalward it struck a Farsley arm and the referee immediately pointed to the spot.
After discussion between Milnes and Creaney about who should take responsibility for the 93^rd minute spot kick, the Lambs captain duly stepped up and smashed it into the bottom left corner to level the scoreline (2-2, 93 mins)
Phillips was forced to race out of his area to prevent a loose ball going behind for a late corner and it helped stop the home side pushing upfield in the final minute or two, as Gascoigne was booked for a challenge on Donaldson on the right on 97 in the final action of a highly enjoyable end to end encounter.

Farsley Celtic
Leban, Leckie, Blair (Watson 52). Branson, Misambo, Sherridan (Robinson 52), Carroll, C. Atkinson (c.), Donaldson, Stevenson, B. Atkinson
Subs: L. Wilson (GK), Silva, M. Wilson
YC: Carroll 25, Branson 45, C. Atkinson 51, Misambo 77

Tamworth
Phillips, Cullinane-Liburd, Dolman (Gascoigne 63), Curley, Jellis, Milnes (c.), Finn, Tshikuna (Reilly 64), Arlott-John (Jones 83), Creaney, Willets
Subs: Deacon, Williams
YC: Jellis 30, Creaney 77, Gascoigne 97

Att:

Referee: Zac Kennard-Kettle
Assistant Referees: Reece Davies and Bradley Maw