After snow and frozen surroundings caused by Storm Goretti meant Saturday’s Isuzu FA Trophy 4th round tie had to be postponed The Lambs and The Dale met for the rearranged fixture without a hint of the weekends adverse weather at the Altair Group Community Stadium, although the temperatures on the terraces were a harsh reminder to all.

Andy Peaks’ had bid farewell to Beck-Ray Enoru (to Notts County) and Manny Duku (by mutual consent) prior to the game and so had a smaller pool of players to choose from he and Jim McNulty’s sides went in search of a place in the Fifth Round and a home tie against Marine on 31st January, as well as £5,250 to the winners and £1,500 to the losers.
Peaks made four changes from the side that defeated Gateshead 10 days previously in which Matt Curley had celebrated his 150th appearance. Alfie Bates, Luke Fairlamb, Ben Acquaye and Jordan Ponticelli came into the starting eleven while Jordan Cullinane-Liburd made his 100th appearance.

Rochdale kicked off the game, with Tamworth attacking the Meadow Street End in the first half.
The offside flag denied Mols a break through the visiting back line on 3 and at the other end of 5 Singh saw his clearance blocked by Smith and it fell invitingly for Henderson in the area but Digie was on hand to get in his way and prevent the opening goal of the game.
A long Tonks throw on the right on 7 was worked for a Lambs corner on the left which he took himself but saw headed away at the near post.
Lynch latched onto a through ball in the left of the area on 9 and forced Myles to push it away for another flagkick for Tonks which was headed behind for another which Cullinane-Liburd rose to head but sent it over the bar from 6 yards.
Smith got round Digie on 12 in the centre of the Lambs defence but was caught offside as he took the ball down at his feet and prepared to test Singh, ad at the other end Lynch caused the visiting fans to hold their breath when he angled a shot from the right of the box past Myles and out past the left hand post.
Hosannah should perhaps have opened the scoring on 16 when a cross came from the left and seemed to be a certainty for a close range header, but he somehow missed it and The Lambs escaped.
Burger then was booked for a shirt pull on Ponticelli as he advanced over the halfway line on 17.
Myles leapt to pluck a Tonks throw from the Cross Street corner out of the air at his near post on 22, and a fine through ball to Lynch saw him knock it into the path of Tonks on 25, but the latter was denied a clear shot by a lunging tackle from Burger.
Barlow was booked for a foul on Tonks on 30, although it took a while for the referee and his assistant to agree on the person that left Tonks on the ground, with the yellow card not being produced for sometime after the event.
As The Lambs pressed and a corner came in on 34, Moss was left prostrate on the ground in his own area and needed close attention from the Dale physio off the pitch, before play could resume.
And Tonks throw fell into a crowd of players on the goalline, but before it could be prodded home a foul was spotted and the visitors restarted play with a freekick a couple of yards out.
Acquaye cut in from the left channel and fired a low shot straight at Myles on 38 but was then booked for a clumsy challenge on the halfway line less than 60 seconds later.
As the minutes ticked down on the first half, a short Lambs corner was headed away by Hogan, and when Rockdale advanced to the other end Smith made headway through the Lambs backline between Fairlamb and Digie, in the Dale right channel, and rifled home right footed into the bottom right corner, under Singh (0-1, 44 mins)
Two minutes added time was shown by the fourth official and Tonks nearly pulled one back deep into stoppage time, but his strike from the angle went into the right hand side netting.

HT: 0-1

Tonks had ended the first half and he started the second for The Lambs kicking towards the Castle End and the first chance fell to Lynch as he got past his marker down the left and struck powerfully into the side netting and Acquaye went close on 53, with a low shot from the left of the D which rolled just wide of the left hand post.
Ponticelli then forced Myles into a low stop with a right footed first touch cushioned effort from 18 yards which forced the keeper to dive low to his left to prevent the equaliser.
On 58, Digie headed a corner straight at Myles and although the keeper was unable to hold it initially he got it at the second attempt.
Singh had to protect his near post from a low Pritchard shot from the left of the box on 59 and the home side made three changes.
A strong run from Acquaye on 71 forced a corner on the left and Mols’ header was headed off the line but came out to Acquaye who struck from the edge of the area into the back of the net to the delight of the home faithful (1-1, 72 mins)
Within a couple of minutes Ponticelli found space to try a shot from 35 yards, but it skipped past the left hand post and at the other end Rochdale substitute Waller thought he was through with a clear sight on goal but he had strayed a yard offside and Singh parried his shot, which wouldn’t have counted had it gone past the Lambs custodian.
Digie glanced a Tonks throw just over the bar on 76 and Mancini curled an effort just over the left hand corner of Singh’s bar and post on 81 as ‘straight to penalties’ started to come into view.
The Lambs made two changes with 5 remaining and a Tonks throw put pressure on the Dale back line, until a foul by Lynch, jumping into Myles for a lofted pass, halted play.
Mols and some of the crowd at the Castle End called for handball against the Dale defence from his attempted cross but nothing was given, but The Lambs maintained possession as three minutes added time was shown.
Cullinane-Liburd put in a well timed sliding challenge on 92 to deny a Rochdale attack, and the pace didn’t let up as the seconds ticked away with both sides trying finish the tie without the aid of spotkicks but it wasn’t to be and penalties took place at the Castle End.

PENALTIES (Rochdale first)
1: Barlow – sent Singh the wrong way, scores low left / Mols – squeezes it in low left past Myles (1-1)
2: McBride – low right under Singh / Lissimore – same as Barlow’s strike (2-2)
3: Burger – saved by Singh diving to his right / Lynch – drives it home low (2-3)
4: Pettit – powerfully past Singh despite a hand on it / Ponticelli – mid left above the dive of Myles (3-4)
5: Mancini – pressure on and fires into the right corner with Singh going to the opposite way / Digie – to win it.. lifts it over the bar (4-4) and so to sudden death…
6: Tutonda – left footed into the right of the goal / Cullinane Liburd – went in and through the net to confuse everyone! (5-5) and after it had been repaired…
7: Pritchard – straight down the middle / Tonks – low left (6-6)
8: Waller – hit the left hand post and rebounded away / Curley – chance to win it again… and he fires it home (6-7)

Tamworth
Singh; Curley, Tonks, Digie, Bates (Lissimore 85), Fairlamb, Mols, Cullinane-Liburd, Acquaye (Donkor 85), Lynch, Ponticelli
Subs: Rachel, Rye, Wyatt, Hollis, Brown
YC: Acquaye 39
RC: (none)

Rochdale
Myles, Tutonda, Hogan, Allarakhia (Pritchard HT), Pettit (c.), Barlow, Burger, Moss, Hosannah (Waller 67), Smith (McBride 67), Henderson (Mancini 67)
Subs: Lillis, Done
YC: Burger 17, Barlow 31
RC: (none)

Referee: Mr. Richard Holmes
Assistants: Mr. Darren Wilding, Mr. Timothy Walker
Fourth Official: Mr. Brandon Scaife

Attendance: 534 (44 from Rochdale)

Man of the Match - Chosen by; PSO Installations: Oliver Lynch