Tamworth
V
Wealdstone
Curzon Ashton v Tamworth
Curzon Ashton
1-0
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Tamworth
Match Report
After the 4-0 drubbing of bottom of the league Darlington a week prior to their second trip of the season to the Tameside Stadium, The Lambs left league action behind for Emirates FA Cup action and a 4th Round Qualifying tie against Curon Ashton.
The ‘Nash, four places in league table behind the National League North leading Lambs, had recently changed manager with Craig Mahon taking over in a player=manager role, and with £9,375 on offer to the winners of the tie, a place in the 1st Round Proper and a possible tie against League opposition, both sides would undoubtedly pull out all the stops to progress to the next round in three weeks.
Meanwhile Andy Peaks had to make one change to the side that defeated the Quakers with Dempsey Arlott-John out, and so Luke Fairlamb came into the left-wing position. There was cause for celebration prior to kick off as Jas Singh made his 200th appearance as the Lambs number one while Ty Deacon made his 50th.
With the weather undecided if the east of Manchester should be dry with blue skies and sunny, or grey with a whipping wind and light rain The Lambs got the Blues v Reds game underway attacking the open end of the ground.
The first chance fell to the home side when Mahon skipped through and forced Singh to advance but his effort was put behind for a corner on the left and Waring was well positioned but headed wide of the mark.
At the other end Deacon and Curley combined but Mason was in no mood to be beaten and he batted the low shot away but it came back to Jellis and The Labs continued to build with Finn crossing from the right and Milnes striking first time, but it went well wide of Mason’s goal.
Curley needed treatment on the field on 11, bringing the game to a temporary halt, and he was OK to continue and the sun came back out as Curzon enjoyed a spell of possession with the travelling Lambs in fine voice.
Singh was then forced to sprint from his area on 16 when Sinclair fooled The Lambs offside trap and had to rely on their keeper to clear the danger with a hefty boot into the main stand terracing.
Deacon was able to get into the box on the right on 26 and pull the ball back but Matthews got there before Jellis was able to pounce and Fairlamb’s cross on 28 was headed away before Deacon could get to it.
Then as Tshikuna made his way along the edge of the D he was tripped, setting up Milnes with the deadball but his strike hit the wall and Curzon broke quickly until Curley was able to nip the ball off the toes of Barton and disrupt their counter attack.
Fairlamb caught Richards with a late boot on the halfway line on 34 and earned himself a booking as there continued to be little to chose between the sides.
Home captain Spencer made a tidy run into the right of the box on 38 and found Sinclair in a better position but his shot was blocked out for a corner which went back to Hayhurst and his shot from the right was curling into the far corner but he was denied by Singh at full stretch, who palmed the ball around the post for another flagkick.
There was a brief stoppage in play as the referee spoke with his fourth official and the Curzon stewards and when play resumed Singh pounced on the loose ball at the second attempt as the home fans willed the ball home.
And in the next move Curzon had three golden chances in quick succession to take the lead but each time found Singh in fine form to deny Sinclair, Richards and Barton’s goalbound efforts.
Four minutes added time were shown and in the final play of the half, Tshikuna was brought down in the left channel 25 yards out but Milnes freekick was headed away and the whistle blew.
HT 0-0
Curzon restarted proceedings and immediate went on the offensive but it didn’t take long for Tamworth respond, and when Curley and Finn linked up, the latter curled a low left footed shot around the far post with Mason flat footed.
Cullinane-Liburd was penalised with a booking for pulling back Spencer on 49 and this set up Richards with a freekick from 30 yards out dead centre to the target and it took some strong defending and blocking to prevent a shot getting through to Singh’s goal. In the next passage of play Hayhurst received the ball 18 yards out but angled his shot too much and it went out of play without troubling the keeper.
Then, on 52, Fairlamb swept a tackle on the far side and failed to connect with the ball but did take the Curzon man, Sinclair, down in the process and so was shown a second yellow card and left the side a man short for the remainder of the game.
Rather than sit back and play for a draw or worse, Tamworth tried to up the tempo, with Jellis and Tshikuna working the ball through from midfield into the box on 57 with the latter seeing his strike from the left of the area blocked, and buoyed on by the vociferous chanting of the travelling fans launched another attack as the rain fell.
Hayhurst and Ricards worked the ball into the box and Barton’s right footed strike took a deflection and bounced awkwardly for Singh who had to tip it over the bar for a corner on 62.
Matthews was prevented from getting his head to the corner and so another flagkick resulted which, this time, Kenyon did get onto and his downward header skipped under Singh and into the back of the net (1-0, 63 mins)
The Lambs regrouped before restarting the game but there was no let up from the home side who went in search of another goal and tried every tactic to disrupt the play including a swan dive on the half way line from Curzon manager Mahon which caused a reaction from both benches.
Jellis, Curley and Finn worked the ball into the right of the box on 73 but Curzon were able to clear their lines, and advance down the right of the field, ending with a deflected shot from Richards which gave the Nash another corner and Singh uncharacteristically spilled his catch but the Lambs defence held strong to prevent a follow up finish.
Both sides made a change on 78 and Willets took the armband as Meikle replaced Milnes, and the substitute made a mazy run into the box on 80 but ran out of options.
And so with chances limited as the time ticked away Peaks tried to mixed things up with a few minutes left throwing Jones and Williams into the fray as eight minutes added time was shown.
Williams connected with a deep cross from Meikle on the right on 95 but his header into the ground was dealt with by Mason and Meikle struck a slowly rising shot from 25 yards on 96 but it didn’t trouble Mason and cleared the woodwork by inches and despite a last push there was no last minute comeback to force a replay and the draw for the 1st Round Proper, in which we wish Curzon all the best, will be made live on ITV on Sunday afternoon (from 2.30pm) with the winners being allocated ball 61.
Curzon Ashton:
Mason, Poscha, Matthews, Kenyon, Sinclair (c.) (Allen 91), Hayhurst, Waring, Richards, Mahon (Mols 78), Barton
Subs (5 only): Ollerenshaw, Edmundson, Lopes
YC: Mols 97
Tamworth:
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Finn, Milnes (c.) (Meikle 78), Deacon (Jones 91), Willets, Cullinane-Liburd, Tshikuna (Williams 91), Jellis, Fairlamb
Subs: Gascoigne, Reilly, Dolman, Phillips
YC: Fairlamb 34 + 52 (sent off 52), Cullinane-Liburd 49
Att: 581
Referee: Mr. Darren Rogers
Assistant Referees: Mr. K. Hurn, Mr. K, Parker
Fourth Official: Mr D. Woods
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