Tamworth  v  Darlington

Sat 7 Oct - 15:00 National League North

Tamworth

4-0

Darlington

Match Report

After FA Cup victory at Coalville Town a week previously, The Lambs returned to The Compare The Build Community Stadium and welcomed The Quakers for the next Vanarama National North league fixture.

Andy Peaks’ top of the table squad came into the game on the back of an eight match unbeaten run (6W, 2D), while bottom placed Darlington had only won one in seven, going out of the FA Cup to fellow Nation North side Scarborough the previous weekend.

Peaks made one change to the side that progressed in the cup with Jamie Willets starting in place of the injured Brad Gascoigne and Tamworth, wearing black armbands in memory of Lambs legend John ‘Donkey’ Bayliss, got the game underway attacking the Castle End in the first half.
The Lambs pushed the visitors from the first whistle and forged a number of half chances in the opening ten minutes but the ball just didn’t drop for Tshikuna or Jellis or Deacon who tried an audacious over head kick but just failed to connect.
Salkeld was then allowed time and space to run down the left channel on 9 and got a shot away but Singh, making his 199^th appearance, was untroubled by his effort and a cross field ball found it’s way through to Salkeld on the left again on 12 and he cut back inside an fired low shot which Singh dropped and smothered.
A right sided corner from Finn found Cockerill-Mollett at the far post on 17 but his downward header went just wide of the far target, and when Darlington played a quick game of triangles in the box The Lambs forward line just couldn’t intercept it.
Hatfield was allowed time to pick his spot on 20 but just missed the target with a rasping right footed drive from 25 yards and Tamworth responded but balls from the left and right into the danger area just lacked the final touch to make a difference.
Both sides enjoyed a drinks break in when Hatfield received treatment following a hefty challenge in the middle of the park on 25 and when play restarted the same player tested Singh again with a curling but regulation strike from 18 yards.
But The Lambs did make the break through on 27 when a long throw from Cullinane-Liburd fell to Willets in the box and he span and turned the ball low past Robson. (1-0, 27 mins)
And three minutes later Tshikuna unleashed a left footed drive past the despairing dive of Robson to double the lead (2-0, 30 mins)
Deacon hooked the ball over the top of Robson from a tight angle on the left on the box on 36 but Finn and Milnes were unable to get a boot onto it to turn it home, and Milnes ball found Curley on the right on 39 but the final ball in was cut out and cleared to end another positive move upfield by Tamworth.
Curley made headway into the box on 44 and it looked like Jellis had bundled his floated cross it home, in fact Flashscore.com awarded the goal, but it actually went out past the post by a foot and the resulting corner curled into the near post netting.
Two minutes added time was shown at the end of the first half which ended without further incident.

HT 2-0

The Quakers restarted the game but it was The Lambs who went closest first with Willets unable to cushion his header under the bar from Cullinane-Liburd’s cushioned header back into the box inside the first couple of minutes.
Milnes’ freekick, floated in from 35 yards was met by Cockerill-Mollett in the box on 54 but his header was high and wide of the target, and then Jellis threaded it through to Arlott-John but his shot was blocked for a left sided corner on 54. Which Milnes got to take twice following a defensive header, and the second one popped up for Jellis on the edge of the area but it was smashed off a defender for a third and despite the pressure Darlington cleared their lines.
Finn’s whipped in cross from the right on 58 was met by Tshikuna six yards out but under pressure from Platt he headed it wide of the right hand upright and Cockerill-Mollett took advantage of hesitation at the back on 60 but neither he nor Tshikuna or Finn could force a shot on target.
Both sides made a change or two with 25 remaining and on 68 Milnes picked his spot from 25 yards and beat Robson in front of the 150 or so travelling fans, with a low drive into the bottom left corner to lift the roof on the Shed once again (3-0, 68 mins)
And with 20 to go, Jones replaced Deacon although the next shot, from Tshikuna after a bustling move from Fairlamb didn’t trouble Robson.
Singh was unable to prevent a corner on the right on 76 but Willets headed it away strongly and a corner came from Finn’s attempted shot on 79 but it took a hefty boot from Hazel to clear the danger and Tshikuna then saw his goalbound shot deflected away from the target in the next move.
Milnes made way for Meikle for the final ten minutes with Willets taking the captains armband and there was a stoppage in play on 87 when both Curley and Man of the Match Cockerill-Mollett went down with cramp and needed prolonged treatment on the field.
Hazel turned and curled a shot at Singh on 89 but it was left to Finn to round things off with a long range pearl of a shot which beat Robson and rebounded off the far post into the back of the net (4-0, 90+1 mins)

Tamworth:
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Finn, Milnes (c.) (Meikle 80) Deacon (Jones 71), Willets, Cullinane-Liburd, Tshikuna, Jellis, Arlott-John (Fairlamb 66)
Subs: Reilly, Dolman
YC: none

Darlington:
Robson, Sukar, Platt (c.), Lees, Liddle, Hazel, Hatfield, Hannah, Curry (Nelson 63), Salkeld (Rivers 63), Griffiths
Subs: Hedley, Lewlor, Mustoe
YC: none

MOM: Chosen by match sponsors: Compare The Build – Jamie Jellis

Att: 1474 (145 from Darlington)

Referee: Elliot Bell
Assistant Referees: Reece Davis, Martin Beard