Tamworth
V
Wealdstone
Buxton v Tamworth
Buxton
2-1
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Tamworth
Match Report
After Saturday’s 10th unbeaten league game on the bounce, The Lambs made the trip into the High Peaks to face The Bucks on their 3G surface, some 41 years since the last time Tamworth travelled to Silverlands, when it was grass, in the Northern Premier League and times were not quite so fruitful for the visitors.
Looking to continue their good form, as one of just two games in the league, the other seeing high flying Scunthorpe in action, Andy Peaks made one enforced change to the side that had defeated Scarborough Athletic 2-0 at the weekend and with Jamie Willets unavailable Brad Gascoigne came into the starting eleven for the first time since the FA Cup victory away at Coalville a month previously.
With the mist descending and adding to the spooky Halloween ‘eve vibe the home side got the game underway with The Lambs attacking the clubhouse end of the ground and Fairlamb forced a corner on the left in the 3rd minute which dropped past the far post without a meaningful touch.
A sliding foul by Milnes on 9 on Osborne, set up the home side with a central freekick 25 yards out but a foul by former Lambs Eoin McKeown halted the Bucks play and another niggly challenge, by Gascoigne on Kirby gave Buxton the ball back again however, a long Cullinane-Liburd throw from the right on 13 fell for Deacon and then Jellis, but his through ball was too strong and the move ended.
Singh was called into action on 17, plucking a high cross from McKeown out of the air, and his opposite number, Dearnley, went one better pushing a long range shot from Jellis over the bar for a corner on 17, but Finn’s flagkick was cleared.
Osborne beat the offside trap on 20 to get into Singh’s box but his shot towards the far corner was cut out by Fairlamb and when play advanced to the other end Arlott-John made headway into the area and was tripped by Kirby for a penalty. Former Buxton player Milnes took the responsibility as captain and stepped up to take the spot kick in front of the home faithful, but fired wide low of the left hand upright to leave the scoreline at 0-0.
Osborne and De Girolamo combined on 29 for the latter to strike low from the left channel, and his shot went well wide.
One former Buck replaced another on 31 as The Lambs were forced to make an early change with Meikle replacing the injured Milnes and Singh took the armband.
Tshikuna unleashed a right footed drive from 30 yards on 37 which forced Dearnley into another flying save to push it around the top right ‘bin’ for another corner but the keeper was more than equal to Finn’s corner.
The home side took the lead though on 39 when a calamitous misplaced clearance by Fairlamb allowed De Girolamo to go through with just Singh to beat and he fired low under the advancing keeper for his 100th Buxton career goal. (1-0, 39 mins)
Meikle went down under a challenge on the edge of his own area on 41 and required treatment on the field before being deemed unable to continue, some 10 minutes after coming on, and Peaks was forced to bring Reilly on.
A cross from Finn was met with a glancing header by Arlott-John on 45, but it looped onto the roof of the net as four minutes added time was shown and ended with a disappointing scoreline for The Lambs.
HT 1-0
The mist drew in during the break before Lambs restarted the game and went on the attack but Buxton quickly cut it out and pushed up the home slope towards the clubhouse.
However, when Tamworth went on the attack Kirby was booked for upending Jellis just outside the area this and set up Tshikuna with the deadball but his directed freekick went high and wide of the mark.
A couple of minutes later Finn whipped a cross from the right wing into the danger area and Tshikuna got his head to it but couldn’t direct it on target, and the same player was brought down by Weston on 53 but Jellis’ deadball went into the keepers arms.
Gascoigne threaded the ball through to Deacon on 57 and as he advanced into the box a well timed tackle by centreback Hull denied the chance.
When Arlott-John was sandwiched out in midfield, a freekick was awarded, but a reaction by The Lambs bench earned them a booking, after consultation between the referee and his assistant.
With the fog getting denser as the minutes passed it made it harder to see across the field from the terraces, but there was no mistaking a foul on Tshikuna on 64 which set up the same player, from 25 yards. His kick struck the wall but The Lambs retained possession and it fell to Jellis to strike from a similar position in open play but his shot into the floor bounded wide of the mark.
Hull put the ball behind with a pass back that was far too heavy, for a Tamworth corner on 68 but Finn’s corner was unable to threaten as a shirt pull was spotted.
Good interplay between Fairlamb and Jellis saw the latter get into the left of the area on 70 but Dearnley was in the right place to cut out his powerful cross, and Tamworth kept possession from the kick but Arlott-John’s final ball into the area was too long.
The Lambs continued to dominate proceedings without really testing Dearnley and both sides made a change with 10 remaining and Jones replaced Gascoigne.
A good run by Finn down the right was cut out for another corner under the electronic scoreboard on 81, and Reilly tried a volley from 12 yards but lifted his shot high up and over.
Singh rolled the ball out on 83 but it was intercepted by Kirby who tried a snap shot which Singh was able to gather and from the Lambs attack Arlott-John drilled his cross into the six yard box, but Dearnley was equal to it too.
Then, from a Buxton corner on 85 Jones clashed heads with McBurnie and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Kirby stepped up and Singh parried his kick but it fell invitingly for him to knock home the rebound. (2-0, 87 mins)
The Lambs only option from their restart was to go for broke and pushed everyone forwards, but Buxton held strong against the push and forced Tamworth to rebuild from the back.
Four minutes added time was shown and when Arlott-John was felled in the area by Minihan another penalty was awarded which Deacon lined up to take and he duly powered it home to reduce the arrears (2-1, 90+5) and play continued and Jones was able to get a shot away from a Deacon flick on from a long Singh ball forwards, but Dearnley was in the right spot to deny him, and the final whistle blew on defeat in front of the National League TV cameras.
Buxton:
Dearnley, Kirby, De Girolamo (Burrow 62), Osborne (Boden 80), Minihan, Hull, McBurnie, McKeown (Brown 90+1), Francis-Angol, Weston (c.), Hunt
Subs: Granite, Smart
YC: Kirby 50, Minihan 90+4
Tamworth:
Singh, Curley, Gascoigne (Jones 79), Finn, Milnes (c.) (Meikle 31, Reilly 42), Deacon, Fairlamb, Cullinane-Liburd, Tshikuna, Jellis, Arlott-John
Subs: Williams, Dolman
Att: 554
Referee: Mr. Gareth Thomas
Assistant Referees: Mr. A. Soneye, Mr. M. Malton
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