Rushall Olympic  v  Tamworth

Sat 30 Dec - 15:00 National League North

Rushall Olympic

1-2

Tamworth

Match Report

After coming back from a goal down at the Compare The Build Community Stadium on Boxing Day, The Lambs made the short return journey to Dales Lane to take on ‘the Pics on their own 3G surface.

Andy Peaks made no changes to the side that ran out at The Lamb while Liam McDonald rang the changes with five of his starting eleven in the Lambs 2-1 win, on the bench for the fixture.

Former Lamb Kristian Green led out the old gold Pics while Jas Singh was captain for The Lambs who took to the field in the white and blue away kit for the final time in 2023.

The home side got the game underway attacking the clubhouse end of Dales Lane in the first half and with a whipping wind behind them, took the lead with less than 90 seconds on the clock after Coyle whipped the ball in from the right and Hudson finished from close range a yard out and with Singh unable to do anything to prevent him. (1-0, 2 mins)
A long through ball from Green to Hudson down the left saw the number 3 take a stride past the Lambs defence and Singh did well to smother his drilled ball into the box.
A long Tonks throw on 5 was cleared by Coyle and after a foul by Moore left Jellis needing treatment on 9 and Curley’s freekick was glanced away for Tonks to have another attempt. There were loud shouts from the Tamworth players and travelling faithful for a handball when the ball bounced around in the area but nothing was given other than the resulting corner. The flagkick fell to Jellis 18 yards out and his looping strike which held up in the wind, and nearly foxed Weaver, but the keeper was able to punch it clear.
At the other end Waldron provided Masidi with a side footed strike which The Lambs defence body blocked and cleared for a corner but Green couldn’t get his header to drop.
Another challenge on Jellis, this time by Landell, stopped play on 13 and Curley again set his deadball up to the area for Dolman to head on target but it was straight at Weaver.
A shot from Jellis deflected away from the target and Weaver was unable to prevent the right sided corner on 16 which was cleared to Acquaye who was then upended on the left and he sent the freekick towards the far post but Cullinane-Liburd couldn’t get the better of former Lamb Brown to get a touch.
Jellis was pushed down on the halfway line on 19 and Curley loaded the freekick into the area which brought more shouts for handball from the fans as it rebounded off a couple of Rushall defenders but not penalty was forthcoming.
Brown was booked for tripping Finn on 23 so Tshikuna and Cur;ey got the ball to Tonks and Acquaye but Edge cleared his lines with a wind assisted boot all the way out for a goal kick at the other end.
Then Moore spotted Singh off his line and tried a lob from just inside the centre circle and clipped the top of the bar and it heralded a good spell from the home side but they were unable to forge a decent opening.
Tonks received his throw back on 35 and his cross was handled by Landell a foot outside the right hand line of the penalty area, so Finn took the freekick and it was headed away to Jellis 20 yards out but his strike found the side netting. However in the next move, Tshikuna threaded it through to Finn on the edge of the box and he cut left past two defenders then angled his shot low inside the far post to the delight of the travelling faithful (1-1, 37 mins)
And The Lambs were in front on 39 through Finn again, striking low from the left of the penalty spot through a crowded box past Weaver and inside the left hand post (1-2, 39 mins)
Five minutes added time were shown at the end of the half which ended with The Lambs in control.

HT 1-2

The Lambs restarted proceedings, but it was Rushall with the first chance of the second half when Moore struck low from the left and forced Singh into a double save.
Dolman then tried his luck from the halfway line with the win behind him, but Weaver was able to watch it drift out of play to the left of the target.
Wreh ended a darting run with a side footed shot which Weaver pushed around the near post on 54 but Tonks corner was caught by the wind and caused no problems and when Wreh found his way blocked on 57 the defensive clearance fell to Jellis who picked his spot from 25 yards but again the wind took control and lifted his strike over the bar.
After a couple of changes by the home side Wreh was part of a well worked move but brought down by Green for a freekick on the left which was eventually cleared and at the other end substitute McLintock looked up from 20 yards and beat Singh but saw his strike come back off the bar and a minute later, when Curley was dispossessed on the Rushall left, The Lambs keeper was forced to smother the loose ball.
Peaks then made two changes hoping to add another goal to the tally in the final 20 minutes and end 2023 on a higher high.
After getting caught by a high book Creaney was booked for his protestations to the referee, and when the ball was cleared from a Milnes centre on 75, Cullinane-Liburd also saw his name go into the referee’s notebook for a foul on Landell in the middle of the pitch.
A Tonks throw forced a corner on the right on 78 but the same player couldn’t get his header from the flagkick back into the danger area and when play broke to the other end down the right, Fairlamb was booked for a late challenge.
Olympic, trying hard to press whenever they had possession, worked the ball to force a corner on 86 but it was too long, and The Lambs pass through the home defence to find Acquaye in the D but he screwed his shot wide of the mark and in the next move he linked with Jellis with a Tonks throw the result.
Creaney flicked it on for Dolman but the Rushall defence got a boot in as did The Lambs defence who had to scramble and save Singh’s blushes after he failed to grasp a McLintock strike fully.
Six minutes added time were show at the end of the half and Creaney tried to thread it to Acquaye, but Green cut out the chance, and when Fairlamb and Acquaye tried to clear the danger at the other end, McLintock was booked for a challenge trying to dig the ball out of the corner.
And with Singh’s big kick into the other half the referee blew his whistle on the year, with another Lambs victory in front of the National League TV cameras and a second spot in the National League North on goal difference to Scunthorpe United.

Teams

Tamworth:
Singh, Curley, Finn, Fairlamb, Acquaye, Cullinane-Liburd, Dolman, Tshikuna (Milnes 68), Jellis, Tonks, Wreh (Creaney 69)
Subs: Deacon, Williams, Willets
YC: Creaney 72, Cullinane-Liburd 75, Fairlamb 81

Rushall Olympic:
Weaver, Green (c.), Hudson, Brown, Moore, Waldron, Edge (Fletcher 63), Masidi (George 78), Landell, Browne, Coyle (McLintock 62)
Subs: Clarke, Sullivan
YC: Brown 23, Green 63, McLintock 96

Referee: I. Griffiths
Assistant: J. Neild, J. Shepherd

Att: 806