Tamworth  v  Harborough Town

Sat 16 Sep - 15:00 FA CUP 2QR

Tamworth

2-1

Harborough Town

Match Report

Andy Peaks’ Lambs took a break from Vanarama National League North action to welcome the Bees of Harborough Town in the Emirates FA Cup 2^nd Qualifying Round with £2,250 prize money on offer, and a place in the next round in 14 days time.

Tamworth’s five game unbeaten league run took them to the top of the table the previous weekend and the home faithful at the Compare The Build Community Stadium were hopeful of a good cup run too, starting with a positive result against the midtable Northern Premier League Midland Division visitors.

Peaks made no changes to the starting XI that had beaten Peterborough Sports and with seven substitutes allowed in the FA Cup, Peaks had plenty to choose from in reserve too.

The Lambs got the game underway attacking the Castle End but the visitors had the first attack with former Lamb Hoenes trying to make headway down the right while former Harborough player Tshikuna found his way blocked on 5.
On 7, Curley sent over a teasing cross that evaded everyone in the box’s attempt to convert it, and on 9, Kennedy was booked for leading is jump on the halfway line with his elbows, and catching Willets in the process who needed lengthy treatment before returning to the field.
The Harborough manager, Mitch Austin, received a booking for questioning a clear offside against Hoenes on 12 and Arlott-John was upended on the left of the box on 14, setting up Milnes with the deadball which he whipped in the far post and keeper Taylor had to push it away and behind for a flagkick on the right.
The ball ended up in the net amongst a crowd of players at the far post from the corner, but a foul in the build up ruled it out and stopped the celebrations as quickly as they started.
A long throw from the left by Cullinane-Liburd slipped out of Taylor’s grasp on 17 for a corner, and Cockerill-Mollett’s header was cleared off the line and away but The Lambs retained possession and pushed on again, with another Cullinane-Liburd throw but neither Tshikuna or Deacon could get purchase on their shots to test the defence or keeper.
Then on 21, Kennedy foolishly earned a needless second yellow card for stupidly kicking the ball away from a freekick, leaving his side a man down for 70 minutes to the amusement of The Shed and the majority of the home crowd.
The Lambs immediately went on the offensive, but found Harborough defending in numbers, but the visitors responded and Hoenes’ cross on 25 was headed behind by Willets and Malone headed down and into the net from 12 yards to give Harborough the lead (0-1, 25 mins)
Another corner presented itself on 27 when Willet’s header couldn’t be stopped by Singh, and Cullinane-Liburd took a hefty knock from the flagkick.
Malone was booked on the half hour and Tamworth went on the offensive again, but the Leicestershire club were firm at the back with Walsh preventing Reilly’s goalbound drive with his head on 33.
And the pressure continued to be almost unrelenting, as crosses and shots came in from all angles as the minute passed towards half time., including a double bite of the cherry for Finn, but his final strike on the angle was high and wide.
And there was another booking for Harborough on 39 when Hoenes upended Willets on the half way line, and from the ensuing play Reilly curled his shot over the bar from the edge of the box.
At the other end, Cockerill-Mollett injured himself fouling Hoenes on the right before being show the yellow card for his efforts on 43 and Arlott-John took the brunt of a number of challenges as the game passed into added time.
With all the stoppages and treatments required in normal time, there was no surprise that play continued past the 50th minute before the referee called half time.

HT 0-1

Harborough got the game back underway and Malone was almost immediately booked for kicking the ball away when Curley was fouled the edge of his own area and from the dead ball Finn nearly saw sight of goal but was quickly closed down.
But within a minute The Lambs had equalised with Cullinane-Liburd netted his third of the season, sweeping the ball home from 8 yards out to the delight of the home faithful. (1-1, 48 mins)
Peaks made a double change on the hour and a foul on Creaney allowed Finn to load a right sided freekick which Cullinane-Liburd and Creaney got a foot too, but saw blocked and then smothered.
Bees captain Wiliams was booked for a foul on Arlott-John on 68 and Milnes’ freekick was aimed at Creaney in the box, but the Harborough defence put it behind for a corner and shouts for handball were waved away.
The Lambs laid siege to Taylor’s goal from then on but with 10 men in front of them most of the time chances were coming at a premium.
Jones added more fire power to Tamworth’s front line for the final ten minutes although it was Cockerill-Mollett that forced a batted away save from Taylor with a rasping strike from 25 yards on 82, and from the corner Cullinane-Liburd headed wide of the far post.
Jones turned on a ball through from Jellis on 83 and drove his shot at the right height but wide of the left hand upright but it was left to Creaney to head home at Finn’s searching cross at the far post on 84 to give The Lambs the lead (2-1, 84 mins)
Five minutes added time was shown at the end of the game and Jones pt the ball into the net from a drilled cross from the right on 92, but the offside flag denied his finish at the near post which beat the keeper with a deft flick.
And then when Jones was gifted space and time to run at goal on the 95^th minute he was robbed at the last minute before he could get a shot away and the final whiste blew for a place in the next round draw on Monday.

Tamworth:
Singh, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett, Reilly (Jones 81), Finn, Milnes (c.), Deacon (Creaney 61), Willets, Cullinane-Liburd, Tshikuna (Jellis 60), Arlott-John
Subs: Meikle, Gascoigne, Williams, Phillips
YC: Cockerill-Mollett 43, Finn 89

Harborough Town
Taylor, Cooper, Walsh, Kennedy, Williams (c.), Morris, Mulygan (Tomlin 88), Duffy, Malone, Agbenu (Forbes 77), Hoenes (Bazeley 84)
Subs (6 only): Gyamfi, Kelly, Obeng
YC: Kennedy 9, 21 = sent off on 21, Malone 30, Hoenes 39

Att: 840

Referee: Richard Eley
Assistant Referees: Shaun Barry, Max Underwood

MOM: Chosen by Compare The Build: Callum Cockerill-Mollett