Tamworth
V
Wealdstone
Billericay Town v Tamworth
Billericay Town
3-1
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Tamworth
Match Report
After Tuesday night’s late, late, three points away at Bishop’s Stortford, Andy Peaks’ Lambs made the even longer journey for their Isuzu FA Trophy 2nd Round tie against the Isthmian Premier League side in the clubs first ever meetings, although Tamworth had played at the New Lodge a couple of times some 20 years previously when Chelmsford City were ground sharing and the pitch, now 3G, was then grass!
Peaks made three changes to the starting eleven that had ensured his National League North side retained top spot as Ty Deacon, Michael Gyasi starting, having been on the bench in midweek came in, and Ben Acquaye returned after an enforced break. But was only able to name 5 of a permitted seven subs due to on going injuries in the squad.
In the game of Blues v Reds, with £3,750 on offer to the winners and £1,000 to the losers, the home side got the game underway under the Essex club’s floodlights, attacking the road end of the ground, and the home side tried to make early in roads down the right through Cerulli’s runs and it took a superb sliding challenge from Willets to deny him a shot from 12 yards on 5.
A cross from Emmanuel to Cerruli on 7 whipped across the box and earned the home side a corner on the left which Stevenson loaded into the box and Cullinane-Liburd headed away, but he took a knock and required a moment to recover before play resumed.. and within a minute Willets needed treatment to an ankle knock.
When play resumed The Lambs tried to attack, but found it difficult to get through the hosts midfield and defence until a long ball from Singh was booted out of play by Henshaw and he slipped into the barrier, hurting himself in the process and meaning the home side played a man short.
From the restart a long Cullinane-Liburd throw was put behind for the first Lambs corner of the game and Johnson headed it away, but Willets got onto the ball back in and forced Wilkes to protect his goal from his downward header.
Henshaw was OK to return to play 5 minutes later and Emmanuel was then booked for a push in the centre circle. From Curley’s deep freekick Billericay headed it behind for another flagkick on the left and Tshikuna nearly found Deacon at the far post but Porter got there before him. The Lambs continued to press though and when it found Tshikuna 20 yards from goal he tried a left footed strike which went wide of the right hand post.
Henshaw went down again on 19 and this time was substituted for Asamoah.
A cross from Wells on the Billericay left on 24 saw Reilly and Cerulli tangle in the centre of the area and leave the Lambs midfielder needing a physio visit but he was fine to continue after the application of a cold sponge!
Just past the half hour mark, Fairlamb’s long ball for Acquaye was deflected behind for a corner and Willets was beaten to it but Gyasi picked it up and drilled it into the box but there was no one there to convert the opening.
Tamworth kept up the pressure with Gyasi, Acquaye and Tshikuna all pushing up when possible and when Gyasi rolled it through to Tshikuna in the box on 37 if looked like he would hit the target with his powerful shot but it rose over Wilks goal.
The home side had to make another change before the break, and when play got back underway The Lambs were caught at the back and unable to prevent Cerulli from picking his spot from the edge of the area over the outstretched dive of Singh (1-0, 38 mins)
The home side went on the attack again on 40 leaving just 2 men back but Asamoah’s effort from 20 yards curled well wide of the mark and while he wasn’t tested it failed to impress Singh who berated his back line for giving the home side half a chance so soon after.
A low shot from Tshikuna did bring a low stop from Wilks on 44, and 8 minutes added time was shown.
Blanchfield sprinted through from a possibly offside position, towards Singh on 48, although no flag was raised, but Willets and Fairlamb managed to prevent him from getting a shot away while at the other end Reilly got forwards but saw his shot from the edge of the area charged down too.
Then, with Singh off his line, Cerulli spotted him and tried an audacious lob from the halfway line, nearly beating The Lambs keeper who managed to claw it away for a corner which was dealt with before the first half came to a close.
HT 1-0
The Lambs restarted the game, looking to get back on level terms as quickly as possible but were even further behind inside 30 seconds of the whistle when Stevenson picked up the ball in the latter part of midfield and drilled it into the bottom left corner past the dive of Singh (2-0, 46 mins)
A Cullinane-Liburd throw was flicked on by Willets on 47, but Wilks was able to smother it before Tshikuna could pounce, and Billericay broke through Emmanuel’s ball to Asamoah who sent a cross into the area and Singh took it at chest height.
Jellis tried his luck from 25 yards on 52, but it was straight at Wilks who collected it low at the second attempt, and Singh was forced to do similarly when Cerulli lashed a right footed strike on target from the right channel on 57.
The Lambs keeper punched an in-swinging home corner away from the near post on the hour, and Tamworth broke to the other end and when Cullinane-Liburd’s throw bounced invitingly in the area, Reilly tried an overhead finish from 12 yards but it looped just over the crossbar.
Emmanuel forced Singh to defend his goal with his feet on 63, but the home number 9 had strayed just offside in the build up so it wouldn’t have counted anyway, and Tonks replaced Reilly.
Jellis worked the ball out of midfield and into the final third in the next move, ultimately finding Tonks 25 yards out but his low shot at the right at side of the home goal was taken by Wilks, and Jellis was then booked following a foul on Acquaye.
But it seemed to be all over for The Lambs on 68 when Asamoah threaded the ball through to Emmanuel in the Billericay right channel who fired low into the bottom left corner to extend the home side’s lead (3-0, 68 mins)
Peaks made a double change before play restarted bringing Finn and Arlott-John on for the final 20+ minutes and Wind needed assistance to relocate a seemingly dislocated finger before returning to the field.
Jellis brought the best out of Wilks with a long range dipping shot that the keeper pushed over the bar on 73 and Tonks got his header at the back of the box but it dropped wide of the mark.
Wilks punched Curley’s swirling cross away from danger on 76 and Arlott-John forced a corner from his shot into a crowded 6 yard box from Tonks’ throw, and when Willets received the ball in the box, his strong shot on the turn was easy enough for Wilks.
Finn then forced a right sided corner which Wilks punched away once again and The Lambs kept up the pressure ending with another Willets header, but again it didn’t trouble Wilks too much.
Arlott-John cut inside and struck right footed but watched it curl away from the far post on 80 and from Finn’s attempt on 85 Deacon was unable to follow up in a crowded area.
Four minutes added time gave The Lambs hope of at least a consolation and it came when Deacon got a yard ahead of his marker and flashed his header from Finn’s cross from the right over the dive of Wilks to give the travelling faithful something to cheer (3-1, 90 mins).
Jellis pocked his spot with a right footed drive on 93 but Porter got his head in the way to deny him and Arlott-John fired low and wide in the final action of the match, ahead of a long trip back to Staffordshire before a swift return to league action and Tuesday night’s visit of Brackley Town to Compare The Build Community Stadium at The Lamb.
Billericay:
Wilks, Wind, Porter, Johnson (c.), Stevenson (Merrifield 81), Emmanual, Cerulli, Leathers, Dench, Henshaw (Asamoah 20), Wells (Blanchfield 37)
Subs: Pollock, Lamacq, Azeez, Robinson
YC: Emmanuel 17
Tamworth:
Singh, Curley, Reilly (Tonks 64), Deacon, Fairlamb, Acquaye (Arlott-John 69), Willets (c.), Cullinane-Liburd, Tshikuna, Jellis, Gyasi (Finn 69)
Subs (5 only): Dolman, Phillips
YC: Jellis 67, Tonks 75
Att: 802
Referee: Mr. Richard Wharton
Assistant Referees: Mr. Alphie Ibrahim, Mr. Adekola Adeyemi
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