On a cold and wet Tuesday evening, and after Saturday’s defeat in the FA Trophy at the Altair Group Community Stadium Andy Peaks’ squad looked to maintain their defence of the Birmingham Senior Cup by welcoming former Tamworth player Kyle’s Storer’s Alvechurch side to The Lamb for the third round tie.

The Lambs had defeated Darlaston 3-0 at home in the previous round and the Worcestershire side, two leagues below Tamworth and sat 5th from bottom of the Southern League Premier Central, had progressed through round 2 with a 5-3 away win at Boldmere St. Michaels.
Both sides made a number of changes to the respective sides that played at the weekend and Peaks’ starting eleven featured new loan signing Michael Reindorf who joined The Lambs from Cardiff City.

Alvechurch got the game underway with Tamworth attacking the Meadows Street end in the first half.
And early throw from Curley was flicked on by Creaney and chested by Reindorf but he couldn’t keep his feet and fell as he shaped to shoot.
An injury to Curley halted play with lass than 4 minutes on the clock and after attention from the physio it was obvious he couldn’t continue and Peaks was forced into an early change, although it took a couple of minutes for Fairlamb to be (unexpectedly) ready for action.
Ilesanmi made a strong run into the left of the box on 9 and forced Singh into a low stop at his near post as the rain turned to snow.
Roberts drilled a low shot from the right just wide of the far post, with Creaney following in on 13, and Fairlamb forced a corner on the left on 15 which Kilroy punched off the head of Creaney.
Immediately at the other end NgNadu struck low from the right of the area but his teammates were unable to get a touch as it went wide of the far post.
Peets-Fearon pulled Acquaye to the floor in the left channel on 17 but Milnes freekick skipped through the area and out with a touch.
Fairlamb forced another flagkick on 20 which was cleared, and Roberts struck from the right only to see it headed off the line for another corner on the left on 23.
Creaney’s header from the flagkick was nodded behind for a third Lambs corner in quick succession which forced the visitors to defend strongly.
An intelligent ball through the Alvechurch back line on 27 from Reindorf to Acquaye opened the door for the latter but he was quickly closed down and a corner was conceded on the left, which fell to Roberts on the right and his cross was deflected behind for another which was met at the near post by Rye but stopped easily by Kilroy.
A burst of pace from the right wing into the area by Roberts on 34 ended with the Lambs player going down but the freekick was given the other way.
Cockerill-Mollett’s pull on Ilesanmi did result in a freekick on 37 and the Alvechurch player missed his shot when well placed when the deadball dropped invitingly in the area.
Roberts made a great run down the right and pulled it back for Reindorf to side foot at goal at the near post on 39 but it was pushed away and behind by Kilroy for a corner which came back out to Kurtaran and another flagkick came from his ball in.
Acquaye clipped the top of the bar with a left footed strike from distance on 44, and two minutes added time was indicated by the fourth official.
And in the second minute Ilesanmi followed up a rasping shot from Ngandu which Singh could only parry, to fire home and give the visitors the half time advantage.

HT: 0-1
 
Alvechurch made two changes in the interval and The Lambs restarted proceedings going quickly on the offensive, but were unable to make an early breakthrough.
The visitors found their momentum quicker though, and forced a couple of corners in the first five minutes of the second half, Singh caught the first and palmed the second away from danger.
Roberts ran onto a low pass down the right and drilled it into the area but Reindorf was unable to take control of before Alvechurch cleared and advanced to the other end for another flagkick, by the Cross Street entrance, and a quick block and move from Cockerill-Molett released Reindorf who in turn found Acquaye, but his shot was taken at the near post by Kilroy.
As the snow slowly turned the pitch from dark to light green Reindorf forced a corner at the clubhouse corner on 57 which was cleared and Alvechurch advanced with Sephton crossing from the left and Ngandu heading on target but it was turned over the bar by his Ilesanmi.
At the other end Roberts cross was blocked for a corner which Cockerill-Mollett stooped to head on target and Kilroy’s reactionary save tipped it over the bar, however the corner come to nothing as a foul stopped play.
Another run by Roberts looked promising but a defensive boot prevented a shot and in the next move Reindorf struck low from the left, straight at the keeper.
Hollis was then booked for a clumsy tangle on the halfway line with Sang on 64.
After a two Tamworth substitutions on 69, Rye met a Cockerill-Mollett ball in from the right but it went agonisingly wide of the far post and when Rye was tackled as he entered into the final third on 71 the ball went behind for a corner but Kilroy took it from the flagkick.
On 75, a move involving Reindorf and Forbes down the left set Creaney up with his back to goal and he turned a shot but it deflected past the left hand post for a corner.
The Lambs were back on level terms on 76 though when Hollis drilled a low ball into the final third and Kurtaran picked it up and un leashed an unstoppable right footed strike into the bottom left corner from 25 yards to the delight of the home fans (1-1, 76 mins)
Fairlamb’s ball to Reindorf set up a good chance on the angle for the debutante on 79 but his low placed shot was cut out and cleared.
The Lambs had to defend an Alvechurch attack led by Sullivan on 82 and the resulting corner was struck on target by Timson but cleared off the line by Creaney.
Maher’s low cross was cleared by Bavanganga for a Lambs corner on the right on 86 but it was hastily booted away by the visiting defence.
Forbes was released into the left channel on 87 and it took a superb headed cleared by Bavanganga, protecting the space around Kilroy, to deny him.
A mistake by Bates at the other end allowed Obadeyi to place a shot from the left which skimmed the top of the bar and The Lambs responded with a superb move downfield which saw Forbes play the ball across the box into the path of Maher and he sent it past Kilroy from 12 yards to give The Lambs the lead (2-1, 89 mins)
Four minutes added time was shown and it took a hefty clearance from Dugmore to prevent another run from Forbes, conceding a corner in the process which Timson headed away.
Creaney nearly repeated the move that lead to Maher’s goal on 93, but his ball, intended for the same player was put behind for another corner.
Reindorf and the keeper collided after the Lambs player had tapped it past the player and play stopped but the keeper escaped a talking to as the Lambs player left the field for treatment.
There was just time for a Sullivan shot straight at Singh on 97 before the final whistle blew.

Tamworth
Singh, Curley (Fairlamb 07), Rye, Hollis, Cockerill-Mollett (Ponticelli 90+2), Kurtaran, Milnes (Bates 79), Roberts (Forbes 69), Acquaye (Maher 69), Creaney, Reindorf
Subs: all used
YC: Hollis 64
RC: (none)

Alvechurch
Kilroy, Sephton, Pearce (c.) (Bavanganga HT), Peets-Fearon (Dugmore HT), NgNadu, Obadeyi, Merrett, Wakefield (Abbey 73), Ilesanmi (Sullivan 73), Timson, Sang (Guinan 68)
Subs: all used
YC: (none)
RC: (none)

Referee: Mr. Lewis Smith
Assistants: Ms. Julia Kings, Mr. Scott Postin
Fourth Official: Mr. Simon Kavanagh

Attendance: 220