In their final home preseason game, and in front of a great home support, many of whom were sporting the new home shirt, released on the day of the match, Andy Peak’s Lambs got off to a fantastic start against a youthful and energetic Aston Villa side, netting two goals in the opening five minutes to give the partisan crowd plenty to cheer about.

The first goal came in the 4th minute through Beck-Ray Enoru, who found the back of the Meadow Street end net with a confident finish from the left of the area. (1-0, 4 mins)
Just a minute later Manny Duku, doubled the lead after a flowing move set him up to rifle home from the opposite side of the box, which continued the Lambs explosive start and left the Villains on the back foot. (2-0, 5 mins)
Tamworth continued to apply pressure, dominating possession and threatening from set pieces, including a corner and a free kick delivered dangerously by Riley.
The visiting U21s began to settle around the 25th minute, creating two decent chances — one effort went just wide of the post, and another was blocked following a corner. And they tested Jas Singh in the 30th minute, forcing a strong save from the Lambs custodian.
In between the visitors chances, Tamworth thought they had netted a third, but Jordan Cullinane-Liburd’s header from a corner was ruled out for a foul in the build up.
And in the 36th minute, Enoru looked lively again, breaking away on a promising counterattack after a Villa corner, but the chance was eventually cleared. Tamworth went into the break with a deserved lead.

HT: 2-0

After a number of chances at the break Tamworth continued to look sharp, with the first chance of the half sailing just over the bar.
Around the 60-minute mark, both sides produced quality shots on target, with Tamworth's saved and Villa’s reply narrowly missing the target.
The final goal came in the 72nd minute from trialist number 15, angling his powerful shot past the Villians keeper from the left of the area to seal a well-earned victory for the Lambs. (3-0, 72 mins)
It was a confident performance from Tamworth, which Peaks will take great heart and plenty of positives from, but will also provide him with selections headaches come the visit of Scunthorpe United when the season opens a week on Saturday.
Before that The Lambs have one more chance to look at the permutations of the squad, with their final pre-season game at Leamington.

Tamworth:
Singh (Phillips 78), Curley*, Cullinane-Liburd, Hollis*, Fairlamb (Jones 88), Riley#, Bates#, Sayer#, Mols*, Enoru*, Duku*
Subs: * @ HT – Donker, Digie, Ponticelli, Roberts, Trialist / # @ 62 – Milnes, Wyatt, McGlinchey

Aston Villa U21s:
Proctor, Smith (Burgess 60), Souza (Routh 69), Carroll, Mosquera, Borland (c.), Hemmings, Cotcher (Mulley 70), Lynch (Kone HT)
Subs: Moreland, Asemota

Referee: Mr. Richie Watkins
Assistants: Mr. Simon Barrow, Mr. Daniel Robinson
4th Official: Mr. Kevin Carroll

Attendance: 1033

Match report by: Halle Johnson-Rose