KICK OFF

With the stadium rocking the home side got the game underway with The Lambs, in their white and gold Pure Water shirted away kit, attacking the home end of the ground in the first half.
An early throw on the left from Tonks was dealt with by the Brewers defence and put out for another Tonks throw on the right which came back to him and under pressure, Cullinane-Liburd was unable to get his head onto it.
Burton broke from the goalkick with the ball coming back from the right for Orsi in the area however his ight footed first time shot went over the target.
Some silky skills from Tonks on the left wing forced the Burton defence to concede another throw on 7 which came back out for another, closer to the corner on 8 but climbing in the area halted play.
The Lambs were forced to defend an Armer centre on 10 and play was stopped after a high boot caught Morrison’s defensive header.
Kalinauskas and Armer combined to cause more problems down the left on 15 which were dealt with effectively as Maher dropped back to assist and on the opposite side Fairlamb wrongfooted Malife to the delight of the travelling fans.
On 19 Cooper-Love did everything right to make a run and pass out of midfield but then sent his ball through for Orsi far too long allowing Singh to calmly start play and he was called on a minute later to drop and smother a low shot from Cooper-Love.
Cullinane-Liburd booted a tame but on target header by Malife away from danger on 20 and Armer combined with Cooper-Love in the next move as the latter flashed his header wide of the far post as the home side enjoyed a spell of attack.
A long clearance fell over the last Burton defender on 22 and Creaney had the split second option of either going for goal with a dropping shot on the volley or waiting to see what the bound brought and he went for the first option but fired off target.
Cullinane-Liburd was booked for a pull on Orsi as the home side worked the ball out of midfield on 25 and Singh dropped to take a testing low cross from Kalinauskas on 28.
Williams was tripped by Vancooten in the left channel on 30 setting up Maher with a deep freekick which Hollis head back into the box for Creaney and he played it down to Williams but the resultant shot took a couple of deflections to slow it down back to Crocombe on the line.
Malife forced Singh to stretch for a cross from the right and the keeper came well out of his area on 35 to take a freekick on the right but an ongoing tussle between Cullinane-Liburd and Bodin slowed play down, and from the deadball Burton advanced eventually being awarded a freekick on the left of the box which Tonks headed away for the home side’s first corner of the game.
The Brewers were awarded another when a cross from the right was half cleared at the near post on 39 and Watt saw his deadball headed away by Creaney.
Williams took advantage of a long clearance to get the ball downfield on 40, and repeated the run on 41 only to be brought down by Malife, who was booked for his efforts.
At the other end on 43 Cooper-Love jumped high at the far post to try and reach a left sided cross from Kalinauskas but was a foot or so away from connecting, and The Lambs defended strongly to push their hosts back before forcing another throw on the right, which Tonks sent into the box. It was cleared as one minute added time was shown and Albion finished the first period with the ball in their possession.

HT 0-0

Tamworth got the second half underway, facing the massed ranks of the travelling faithful in the away end and seats to the right of them.
Compton put a hefty challenge in on Kalinauskas to prevent his run and this allowed Williams to advance down the centre and find Maher on the right. The latter was denied a corner through despite his cross looking like it took a touch on the way out of play.
At the other end Singh prevented Cooper-Love with a superb stop on the line after Kalinauskas had drilled the ball into the danger area from the left and the number seven continued to be a threat in the next couple of Buton moves when he received the ball down the wing.
Tonks floated the ball into the area and Crocombe plucked it away from any incoming Lambs, but as Burton advanced Williams picked up a booking for a challenge on Malife on the halfway line.
Maher was sent tumbling of the ball by Armer on 56 resulting in another booking and Brewers captain Watt headed Maher’s freekick behind for a corner as the Lambs fans urged their team on, but the ball was half cleared to Tonks who tried a driven shot from distance which rose over the target into the terracing.
Singh slid to prevent Burton substitute Whitfield from connecting with a hard and low threaded pass into the area on 59.
Tonks and Orsi clashed boots as both went for the loose ball on 63 bringing both physios onto the field to aid their players back to their feet, and allowing both sets of players a quick drinks break before play could resume although Tonks was not allowed back immediately.
Maher forced a corner while he was off which went short to Crompton and then Tshikuna but neither could find a way through as The Lambs pushed on
A foul on the opposite side on Williams set up another freekick on 67 and it was headed away to Whitfield who struck for goal from the halfway line and with Singh out of his area, thankfully for The Lambs it dropped just over the keeper’s bar.
Morrison was felled by the left corner flag on 77 setting another deadball up for The Lambs which Maher floated into the box and it was headed away and fell to substitute Fletcher 20 yards out, but his shot rose inches over the bar.
Another Burton player went down with cramp on 78 allowing another drinks break and impromptu team chat before a double Brewers change. It was another Albion sub, Larsson who had the next chance of the game, sprinting into the box to try and connect with a low pass on 83, but Singh was able to get there first and gather then ball at the second attempt.
Maher’s right wing cross on 83 was heading for Creaney but Vancooten got his head their first and conceded the corner, before Milnes replaced Tonks and took the captains armband for the remainder.
Maher’s first corner was headed away for another and Milnes got his first touch with a header back into the area which dropped for Creaney but his low shot from 18 yards was smothered by Crocombe.
Cullinane-Liburd got in the way of a Williams attempted cross to give Burton a left sided flagkick on 87 and Bennett span on the loose ball to rifle a shot towards the goal forcing Singh to drop and prevent it going over the line.
Eight minutes added time were shown at the end of the game and Maher continued to work incredibly hard on the Lambs left to try and forge a break through, getting the ball to Milnes on the edge of the area on 92. He took a step, picked a spot through a crowded area and everyone held their breath as his low goalbound shot towards the far post was pushed away bt Crocombe and cleared as the 90 minutes ended goalless.

FT 0-0 / EXTRA TIME

And so the game headed into extra time and The Lambs restarted proceedings kicking away from the away end once again as the floodlights replaced the sunlight and one minute 17 seconds in, Burton advanced down the left wing, pulled the ball back and despite the best efforts of the Lambs Bennett smashed a right footed shot from 25 yards into the back of the net giving approximately three quarters of the ground a reason to cheer (1-0, ET 2 mins)
The Lambs were back on level terms very quickly though, McGlinchey picked the ball up in midfield and made a mazy run to get a shot away which Crocombe parried to his (the keeper’s) left and Maher drove it home from the right of the box to the delight of the Lambs in the ground and undoubtedly the football supporting world beyond. (1-1, ET 4 mins)
Singh was well positioned to catch a long range left sided shot from Williams on ET 12 and from the Lambs play McGlinchey made his way to the edge of the box and was upended but no foul was given.
Singh pulled off a timely double save to deny Bennett’s cross box shot on ET 14 after he had gotten away from Hollis, and Cullinane-Liburd slid in perfectly to deny Orsi a minute later.
Two minutes added time were shown at the end of the first period and Tamworth nearly forced the ball home through McGlinchey and Creaney but both players saw their quick fire shots blocked.
In the final act of the first half Maher skipped into the box and appeared to go down under a challenge but there was no penalty awarded and the referee drew the first period to a close.

After a quick drinks break and team talk Burton got the final 15 underway and there was a brief off the ball tussle between Cullinane-Liburd and Whitfield which halted play and required the referee to speak to both captains before play could resume.
Fletcher was booked for a pull on the shirt of Williams but Singh picked the full half of a pitch freekick out and Tamworth mounted an attack of their own although without troubling Crocombe.
At the other end Bennet curled a strike off the outside of his right boot inches past the far post and both Cullinane-Liburd and Maher needed treatment for cramp before Peaks made a couple more changes.
Whitfield was booked for a trip as sub Enoru made headway down the right and from the freekick Hollis flicked a header just over the corner of bar and post.
There was close call for The Lambs on ET27 when the same Burton player whipped in a left sided cross and it skipped out past the far post and Crompton was booked for impeding the same player on ET28.
The freekick from Watt was no trouble for Singh and from the ensuing play Wreh played in Enoru, but he dragged his shot across the face of the goal just past the far post.
Enoru was booked himself for a clattering defensive challenge as two minutes added time was shown at the end of the second period of added time and the freekick bounced through towards the far post and Singh reacted to push it away and he two minutes ended after three and took the game to penalties.

PENALTIES!

Taken at the Tamworth (away) end of the ground, Burton Albion first.

1: Orsi planted right, saved by Singh to his left / Captain Milnes slotted home to the left over the dive of the keeper (0-1)
2: Bennett squeezed it low past Singh, diving to his right / Fletcher powered it home (1-2)
3: Whitfield straight at Singh who it stuck to like glue / Crompton low right, pushed away by Crocombe (1-2)
4: Captain Watt in off the left hand upright / Morrison right, over the dive of Crocombe (2-3)
5: Sweeney placed low to the right under Singh / Hollis to win it powered it home past Crocombe (3-4) and sent the travelling support into a state of ecstasy and more importantly into the 3rd Round of the FA Cup.

TEAMS

Burton Albion
Crocombe, Godwin-Malife, Watt (c.), Sweeney, Kalinauskas, Orsi, Bodin (Larsson 74), Vancooten, Cooper-Love (Whitfield 54), Armer (Williams 79), Chauke (Bennett 79)
Subs: Isted, Burrell, Sraha, Bannon, Gilligan
YC: Godwin-Malife 41, Armer 55, Larsson 90+7, Whitfield ET 25
RC: none

Tamworth
Singh, Tonks (Milnes 83), Creaney (Wreh ET 24), Fairlamb, Williams (McGlinchey 90+4), Morrison, Cullinane-Liburd, Tshikuna (Fletcher 73), Hollis, Maher (Enoru ET 24), Crompton
Subs: Phillips, Cockerill-Mollett, Digie, Wallace
YC: Cullinane-Liburd 25, Morrison 65, Fletcher ET14, Enoru ET31
RC: none

Referee: Mr. T. Kirk
Assistant: Mr. M. Cunliffe, Mr. D. Guest
4th Official: Mr. G. Thomas

Att: 4393 (approx 1650 from TFC (unofficial))

Tamworth FC

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