Scarborough Athletic  v  Tamworth

Sat 9 Mar - 15:00 National League North

Scarborough Athletic

0-1

Tamworth

Match Report

For the next Vanarama National North league fixture, The Lambs travelled to the seaside to take on the Seadogs of Scarborough Athletic for their first ever visit to the Flamingo Land Stadium with its 3G surface.

Former Manchester United star and player manager Jonathan Greening’s home side came into the tie having scored just once and not won in seven, while Andy Peaks side started the afternoon 12 points clear at the top with nine games remaining.

Peaks made two changes to the side that had put Blyth to Spartans the sword a week previously, with Kyle Finn making his 99^th appearance, and Kai Williams coming in as new signing Beck-Ray Enoru took a place on the bench.

The home side got the game underway with Tamworth attacking the away end of the ground, full of travelling Lambs fans.
A searching ball into the Tamworth box on 3 nearly allowed Dyson a strike past the far post but Cockerill-Mollett was able to get the danger away and Wiles was penalised for a late tackle on the same player on 7, setting up Milnes with the deadball on the halfway line. It eventually fell to Williams on the edge of the box, but his shot ballooned into the grasp of Whitley.
From a move that started with a Willets ball down to Creaney on 11, Williams cut into the left and sent a teasing cross over but it floated onto the roof of the net, and strong play by Wreh on 14 fed Williams the ball again but Whitley was equal to his cross, catching at full stretch.
The Lambs were finding it difficult to get the ball down as Athletic did their best to disrupt the play and break quickly, despite invariably failing to get near the final third as Tamworth themselves defended strongly?
Creaney struck the left hand upright square on, on 22, after good work from Williams to drill the ball into the box for the forward to meet first time from 12 yards, but with Whitley beaten, it rebounded back out.
Scarborough countered but were forced wide and Cockerill-Mollett broke play down to restart a Lambs attack with culminated in Wreh picking his spot from 25 yards but he curled his shot from outside the left of the D just wide of the right hand post.
Tamworth were forced to defend again on 27 as the home side kept the ball and pushed into the final third but tried to get back in control via a couple of Cullinane-Liburd throws around the half hour which landed in the box but didn’t trouble Whitley.
A Milnes freekick into the area on 35 saw a clash of heads between two Athletic defenders and so play halted for a brief period allowed The Lambs to refresh while home captain Thornton’s treatment continued on the field and thankfully both players were able to continue.
From a Scarborough attacking freekick on 40, The Lambs broke upfield through Finn and forced the first corner of the game, on the right, which Finn planted on the head of Cockerill-Mollett but the home defence scrambled it away and pushed Tamworth back into their own half, with a drilled ball skipping out past the far post as Dyson raced in.
Another Cullinane-Liburd throw brought another corner on 44 and before the flagkick could be taken the referee had words with Whitley, but Willets header ran out of play.
Three minutes added time was shown at the end of the first half, which ended without further incident.

HT 0-0

The Lambs restarted the game and in the early exchanges kept the ball on the deck, moving it around quickly and trying to forge a way through a stubborn home side who themselves worked it on the floor.
The floodlights came on 10 minutes in as the grey skies turned darker, and Willets header found Williams on the left who forced a corner from his cross. Milnes corner was headed back in by Creaney and Cullinane-Liburd finished it at the near post to give The Lambs the lead (0-1, 55 mins)
A disputed freekick was awarded against The Lambs after claims of shirt pulling, and Greening made a double change but the well intentioned deadball went into orbit.
Cockerill-Mollett pushed through the midfield on the hour but was upended as play continued around him and Wreh managed to get into the box but it was bundled out of play off him for a goalkick. It took intervention from the physio to get him back to his feet and he returned to the play shortly after.
Another Cullinane-Liburd throw on 67 was fumbled by Whitley, but a foul in the ensuing play halted proceedings and Singh had to be quick to gather a quick break down the right channel on 68.
A quick ball between Wreh and Creaney gave the latter a sight on goal on 70, but he flashed his shot from the left of the six yard box well wide of the far post, and after quashing an Athletic response Cullinane-Liburd launched another throw, this time from the right, but Willets wasn’t able to get to it before Whitley.
The home side continued to work hard to deny The Lambs further progress and made two changes with a little oer ten to play, with Enoru making his debut.
Tonks first touch of the ball was for a throw on 80 which Whitley punched away and the keeper was nearly caught out on 82 but Creaney’s long range shot didn’t get the flight he had hoped.
A long cross field ball from Cockerill-Mollett found Creaney on the right of the area on 83, and his shot took a touch off a defender to take it away from Enoru and out for a corner on the left which Creaney headed on but Scarborough cleared.
The home side continued to not allow Tamw0rth any respite and Purver’s cross came back off Milnes for a corner which Creaney headed away on 87 and Singh jumped high to pluck the ball out of the reach of Hall on 88.
Tonks was given another throw on the left from the counter attack which Hall headed away and when the ball fell invitingly to Creaney on the edge of the area, and the offside flag not shown, he was unable to divert it past Whitley.
Five minutes added time was shown as the home side forced Tamworth to clear their lines once again and Green just failed to connect to a whipped in cross from the right.
Deacon replaced Wreh in added time and Willets was forced to put the ball high and away for a corner from a McHale cross into the danger area on 93.
A long range shot by Maloney on 94 brought a low stop from Singh as the Lambs fans counted the seconds down to the final whistle and the offside flag gave a little respite from a Scarborough move into the final third.
A run from Enoru found Creaney on the edge of the area on 96 and his shot took a deflection to take it past the keeper and out for a corner which proved to be the final action of a nail biting encounter and another three points towards the prize.

TEAMS

Scarborough Athletic
Whitley, Weledji, Thornton (c.), Gooda, Purver, Colville, Wiles, Hall, Rutledge (Green 58), Johnson (Maloney 75), Dyson (McHale 59)
Subs: Tear, Cracknell

Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Willets, Cullinane-Liburd, Milnes (c.), Sundire (Tonks 79), Wreh (Deacon 90+2), Finn (Enoru 78), Creaney, Williams
Subs: Arlott-John, Tshikuna

Referee: Mr. Will Davis
Assistant: Mr. Drew Dutton, Mr. Kavan Hurn

Att: 1635 (181 TFC)