In the second of three games away from Enterprise National League action, Tamworth welcomed felled NL side Boston United to the Altair Group Community Stadium in the 3rd Round Proper of the Isuzu FA Trophy.

The two sides had met earlier in the season in the league with The Pilgrims taking the points home to Lincolnshire courtesy of a 3-1 victory over The Lambs and Andy Peaks shuffled his squad after the midweek Birmingham Senior Cup victory over Darlaston 1874 for the tie as the teams embarked on the Road to Wembley.

The visitors got the game underway attacking the Castle End in the first half but it was The Lambs who pushed back in the early exchanges with the ball spending more time near Barret’s Meadow Street end goal.
A move down the Tamworth defensive right by Boston ended with Maguire cushioning a low cross bac to Singh on 5, and at the other end on 9 a Tonks throw from the left looked destined for the top left corner but the keeper was able to push it over the corner of the frame for a corner instead, which came to nothing.
Boston captain Sloggett had to leave the field when he took the brunt of a cross full in the face and needed a moment or three to recover, and when play resumed Hollis had a golden chance to open the scoring from 6 yards out but scuffed his shot.
Enoru and Lynch both prevented defensive clearances as The Lambs continued to push up field as Boston seemed content to clear long when danger came their way.
On 17, United forged their first real chance when a corner caused problems with both Maguire and Gallagher trying to get the ball goalwards until a drop on the right was taken and Maguire teed it up and Lynch headed it away.
Tonks caught Maguire on the edge of the Lambs box on as he tried to turn him, and the same player took the deadball and curled it up and over the wall and just wide of the left hand upright.
There was a break in play when Sloggett went down, unable to continue after his earlier injury, and forced United boss Graham Cougilan into an early change.
Enoru capitalised on a mix up in the Boston defence to burst into the left of the box on 32 but his low cross was blocked and cleared. However a foul on Bates in midfield allowed Maher to send the deadball into the box for Lynch, but his header came off a defender to make it easy for Barrett to gather.
A shot, from a central position by Maguire on 35 curled away off his foot and went down the players tunnel by the clubhouse to the amusement of the home faithful and Bates tried his luck in the next move from a similar position at the other end, powering his strike much closer to the target but it rose just over the bar.
From an Aboh cross on 38 John-Lewis got his head onto a well timed and set up cross but couldn’t get the power on it to test Singh.
Crowther’s booking for dissent was quickly followed by Lavinier’s yellow card when he pulled Tonks back in the centre circle, and The Lambs worked the ball forwards from the freekick ending with a header from Lynch that forced Barrett to tip it over the bar, although the offside flag raised soon after and would have denied him the opening goal of the afternoon.
Five minutes added time was shown at the end of the first half and Enoru broke from a Boston corner all the way to the opposite end but lashed his show into the side netting from the left of the box.
Crowther connected with a Maguire freekick, after the latter had been upended by Tonks, on 49 and headed just wide of the far post, as the visitors pressed The Lambs back and Aboh forced a corner in the dying seconds of the first period which Rye headed away as the whistle blew

HT: 0-0
 
The Lambs restarted the game and Tonks launched a throw from the clubhouse corner onto the top of the net on 47 but the ball was in the back of the net a minute later when Mols picked up the ball into the box, beat his man and rolled it home with aplomb from 12 yards (1-0, 48 mins)
Waldock was given a free strike from 18 yards on 50 but aimed straight at Singh after Aboh’s ball to his feet from the right set him up nicely.
A Lambs freekick on the front right corner of the box on 59 was headed away and Mols was caught giving Tamworth another chance, but the Pilgrims heads went up and cleared the danger.
There was a scramble in front of the Boxton goal on 69 but no one could get a clear strike on target however, The Lambs conceded on 74 against the run of play when The Lambs lost possession and Maguire picked his spot from just outside the area with a low strike into the bottom right (1-1, 74 mins)
Hill then crossed from the left for Donnelly to head on 81 but his effort was not clean and scrambled away before he could recover to get a second bite.
A Tamworth attack was disrupted by a foul on Mols on the edge of the box on 87, and it came back out to Bates who saw his shot defended well, but it came back to Maher who crossed into the back of the box and Cullinane-Liburd headed agonisingly wide when well placed.
A foul on Enoru, before he was substituted, set up a freekick for Maher to strike at Barrett on 89 and from the keeper, Boston raced to the other end and a pass fell to Gallagher whose shot popped up for Singh, who had to catch it one handed.
And with neither side able to find a winner in normal time, the game had to be decided on penalties at the Meadow Street End in front of the travelling supporters.

1: John-Lewis – saved by Singh / Mols – sent Barrett the wrong way (0-1)
2: Donnelly – saved by Singh / Lynch – powered home (0-2)
3: Hiwula – straight down the middle / Maher – saved by Barrett (1-2)
4: Maguire – low under the keeper / Acquaye – hit the right hand post (2-2)
5: Gallagher – 1) saved by Singh but had to retake 2) low into the bottom left / Hollis – smashed home (3-3)
6: Richards – top right corner / Lissimore - bottom left (4-4)
7: Lavinier – high over the cross bar into the Meadow Street terrace / Bates – expertly placed home (4-5)

And so The Lambs progress to the 4th Round Proper on Saturday 10 January, with the draw being made on Monday 15 Dec.

Tamworth
Singh; Curley, Cullinane-Liburd, Hollis, Rye; Bates, Tonks (Lissimore 77); Maher, Mols, Enoru (Acquaye 89); Lynch
Rachel, Digie, Donkor, Wyatt, Brown
YC:
RC: (none)

Boston United
Barrett, Sloggett (c.) (Waldock 27, Donnelly 66), Hill (Hiwula 90+3), Maguire, John-Lewis, Lankshear, Richards, Crowther, Aboh (Teale 80), Gallagher, Lavinier
Subs: Lovett, Grist, Kelly
YC: Crowther 38, Lavinier 42, Aboh 71
RC: (none)

Referee: Mr. Aaron Jackson
Assistants: Mr. Kieran Forrest, Mr. Daniel Flynn
Fourth Official: Mr. Jack Neild

Attendance: 715 (149 from Boston United)

Man of the Match: Chosen by Classic Roofing - Matt Curley