From the Tamworth website:
For what was potentially the biggest game of the season so far so both sides, on a damp grey January afternoon The Lambs made the short journey to the Victoria Ground to take on Sporting in a second v first fixture that was being billed as going a long way to defining the remainder of the season as the highest scorer in the league welcomed the meanest defence.
Tamworth again made no changes to the side that started the year against Hednesford and continued against St Ives the previous Saturday. For the hosts, former Lambs Greg Mills and Mickey Taylor lined up for the Roulsers who came into the tie undefeated in the last 10 and scoring freely.
The home side got the game underway with Tamworth, in their green away kit, attacking the away end in the first half.
The Rouslers made the first forays forwards but The Lambs were strong in defence with Forde and Rowe-Turner getting in the way of Mikey Taylor.
Quick long and high crosses that found no one came from the right in the opening ten minutes as Sporting looked to make a quick impact, but Tamworth seemed content to allow the play to come to them in the early exchanges.
A golden opportunity for Creaney came on 10 when Creaney picked up the ball over the halfway line and advanced in to the box but his shot on the angle was blocked by Platt in the home goal and rebounded out of play for a goal kick.
A deep ball into Singh’s box on 14 found Shorrock but he was unable to control it while a similar fate befell Hoenes in the next move as the ball skipped away from him as he ran towards the travelling faithful.
In a spell of attacking possession first Hoenes was denied by Platt who came 30 yards out off his touch line to slide the ball off the Lambs man’s feet and in the next move Creaney was released into the right of the box and Platt denied him with his feet.
A flowing move out of defence on 25 starting unexpectedly with Hoenes found Beswick and Yafai but the latter was unable to get a shot away from the keeper and Platt gathered it easily.
Waite made a strong tricky run into the area on 28 and was sandwiched between two home defendes before going to ground, but despite the calls for a penalty from the terraces behind him the referee was having none of it and waved play on.
At the other end a freekick was awarded on the left wing and Mills deadball caused problems in the box and Thomas Taylor struck goalward from the right and Beswick booted it off the line. Sporting were then forced to make a change on 35 when Hickman hobbled off.
A chipped through ball to Creaney on 40 found the striker with just the keeper to beat from the edge of the D on the left of the box but he screwed his shot wide of the mark and out past the right hand post.
As the final few minutes of the first half ticked on, Mikey Taylor tried a volley from the edge of the area but only managed to put the ball into the away end, while Fry’s pull back from the right corner flag found Creaney on 44 and his shot forced Platt into a low save.
Two minutes added time were shown at the end of the first half which ended without further incident.
HT: Bromsgrove Sporting 0 0 Tamworth
Tamworth got the second half underway but it was the home side who went on the attack from the whistle, forcing The Lambs back in the first couple of minutes.
A looping deflected cross completely wrong footed Singh on 49 and he stumbled over as the ball bounced over him from the right and fell into the side netting for a corner which Forde cleared.
Then Mussa hit a low shot from 20 yards on 50 and Singh dropped to smother it as Bromsgrove kept on pushing down the slope.
The referee stopped play on 52 after spotting Creaney on the floor with his head in his hands and he got up after receiving treatment with play resuming with a drop ball.
Yafai continued to have a set Hoenes through into the box on 56 but Platt was equal to the resulting shot which perhaps should have tested the keeper more than it did.
Mikey Taylor and Forde tussled on the left wing on 58 and the freekick went deep into the Lambs box, the defence failed to deal with it and Broadhurst headed home a the far post (0-1, 58 mins)
Hoenes did his best to try and get the ball in from the left on 62 but was eventually tripped and Beswick stepped up with the freekick and Yafai headed it down but straight at Platt.
Singh parried a low cross come shot from Mills from the left of the box on 65 and on 69 Quaynor let fly with a low shot from the right channel with Singh dropped to smother.
Beswick was booked for a challenge on Mussa on 72 and Broadhurst picked up a card on 75 after Fry has struck a shot from the right which Platt pushed away and behind for a corner which the home side cleared. The Lambs changed formation slightly when Gough replaced Fry with 15 to play and on 77 Forde was stripped so Beswick lined up his freekick from the right channel, 25 yards out but it was taken at head height by Platt.
A ball through to Lait found the substitute just offside on 80 and his shot which went inches wide of the mark wouldn’t have counted anyway.
Yafai was then replaced by Obeng and the home side dealt with a couple of instances of cramp and an injury to the keeper after Platt himself had booted the ball out of the ground to clear the danger from a Lambs move.
With less than 5 to play Shorrock spent a minute or two on the floor with play going on around him and it took a foul by the Lambs to allow him time to recover as all three of Sporting’s substitutes had been used, and Tamworth, knowing that time was now at a premium were given five minutes added time to try and get something from the game.
Forde was booked in added time and the home team forced a corner on the left on 92 which came to nothing but ate up precious seconds.
Gough was then booked for a tackle from behind on Mills which left the Bromsgrove man hobbling a little and Sporting forced another corner as the clock ticked onto 95.
Lait forced a corner in the 96th minute and Singh raced upfield leaving Wilder on the halfway line with McDonald and the ball came to the Bromsgrove man but his shot from 40 yards trickled past the far post in the final action of the match.
Tamworth Team:
Singh, Forde, Wilder, Beswick (Clement 79), Magunda, Rowe-Turner, Waite (Lait 65), Fry (Gough 75), Creaney, Yafai (Obeng 80), Hoenes
Unused: Clement, Howkins
YC: Beswick 72, Forde 92, Gough 94
Bromsgrove Sporting Team:
Platt, Hickman (Westwood 35), Wilson, Mussa, Taylor T, Broadhurst, Dowd (Mcdonald 71), Quaynor (c.), Taylor M. (Spink 83), Mills, Shorrick
Subs: Beardmore, Higginson
YC: Broadhurst 75
Attendance: 1764
Referee: Mr. Gareth Davis |