Andy Peaks’ Tamworth side welcomed Bobby Grant’s Marine, 9th in the National League North, to the Altair Group Community Stadium for their Isuzu FA Trophy Fifth Round tie with a £6,000 prize fund and a place in the Quarter Finals up for grabs to the winners which had to be decided on the day.

It was the first meeting between the two clubs since four seasons together in the Northern Premier League in the early 1980s and the visitors to The Lamb came with experience of the artificial pitch having installed their own 3G surface in 2022 after having entertained Tottenham Hotspur on grass, in the FA Cup during the lockdown of January 2021.

Cold January rain fell on The Lamb prior to kick off, but abated and the skies brighten prior to kick off and Tamworth got the match underway attacking the Castle End in the first half.
A quick move from the off saw Ponticelli loft the ball into Mols and his shot was blocked for a corner, and two more followed as Marine were forced to defend but Maher’s third was too long and went out unhindered for a goalkick.
Tonks then spotted Barnsley off his line on 5 but his snapshot from 40 yards was way off target.
Singh was forced to leave his area to clear the danger down the right on 8 and Maher skipped around Thomas on the halfway line before going down under pressure from the same player, but no foul was given.
Tamworth continued to move the ball around quickly, with Curley feeding into the area for Ponticelli but it was nipped off his toes for a corner on the right which Marine eventually cleared and Fairlamb dealt with the pressure from Sinclair-Smith on the halfway line.
Whelan clattered Lissimore as he advanced into the Marine half on 11, and Maher sent the freekick into the box but it was too long for Digie.
A minute later Fairlamb cross from the left and Mols, at the back of the 6 yard box, slammed his shot just wide and into the side netting.
A long throw from Ashton form the left forced Tamworth to head the ball away from the near post on 16, and Digie cut out a low cross from Sinclair-Smith in a similar position on 17 giving Ashton another opportunity but his foot crossed the line.
Marine were forced to make a substitution on 23 when McDonald was unable to continue and the visitors shuffled their deck slightly to accommodate Potter who threaded the ball down the line to Fielding on 27 and his dangerous cross from the right evaded everyone.
Thomas picked up a booking for a push in the back of Maher on 28 and the ball into the box from the freekick was bundled behind for another Lambs corner.
A short throw into the path of Fairlamb allowed him to beat his man and drill a low cross from the left on 30 which was touched behind for a corner on the opposite side which Marine had to deal with and the clearance gave Tonks his first long throw of the game. It was met by the head of Mols, but he couldn’t get direction on it.
Tonks had another opportunity from a throw on 32and Barnsley punched it away before Maher was upended on the edge of the area and Mols rolled the freekick to Maher who struck the ball with power into the wall.
Feilding forced Singh into a save at the near post after The Lambs defence allowed the ball to be played over the top but he was offside as he struck the rebound into the side netting.
On 39, Tonks sent a throw into the area and then tried a short one on 40 for Ponticelli to cross into the box, but both times Marine were able to clear their lines as the quick pace of the game continued.
One minute added time was shown at the end of the first half and it gave The Lambs chance to mount an attack via a Tonks throw from the left by the corner flag but it was headed away by the Marine defence

HT: 0-0
 
Marine restarted the game and Sinclair-Smith tested Singh with a low shot from 25 yards on 47 but it was easy enough for the Lambs keeper to gather at the second attempt.
A foul by Tonks on 52 set up a Marine freekick 30 yards out which Luke Fairlamb headed away but only as far as Dan Martin and he blazed his angled drive high over Singh’s crossbar.
Thomas, already booked, tripped Fairlamb on the left wing on 54, but was not shown a send card and Maher sent the deadball into the back of the area which Mols met, but sent his half volley wide of the far post.
When Fairlamb tripped Whelan on the Marine right on 58, the same visiting player took the freekick and Wardle met it with a powerful header at the back of the box forcing Singh to parry it over the bar, but he was not trouble by the second flagkick which he took at height.
Peaks made two changes on the hour and Acquaye was instantly involved pushing a pass to Mols to send into the box from the left, but Creaney was unable to get around his close marker to get near to the head height cross.
There were shouts of handball against the Marine defence from Curley’s cross on 63 but nothing was given and Lissimore followed up with a right footed half volley which bounced wide of the right hand post.
Creaney followed up on his own header on the edge of the box to rifle a shot wide of the mark on 64 and Wardle took a yellow card to prevent Mols from advancing into the area on 66.
Ponticelli took responsibility over the deadball and slammed it into the wall, flooring Anson in the process and forcing the referee to stop play so that he could receive attention.
Ponticelli tried to go around Ashton in the right corner on 71, but was hindered and so Acquaye sent the freekick in and Creaney connected but it lacked power and Barnsley denied him.
Mols then pulled the ball low into the box from the left on 78 and Creaney was incoming at close range but unable to get his foot around the chance as Barnsley took it at his feet at the second attempt.
And from a Tonks throw on 80 Creaney connected but sent his header, under pressure over the target as the minutes ticked away towards a possible penalty shoot out decider.
Acquaye made headway down the left on 83 but was unable to get fully past Thomas before putting his final ball wide of the mark, and Barnsley was booked for timewasting before play restarted.
Tonks’ 85th minute throw from the left eventually fell to Creaney 18 yards out and his low right footed shot took a deflection for a corner on the left which again fell to Creaney and again it deflected for a flagkick.
Marine broke from the corner and Curley was booked for a foul on Sinclair-Smith on the halfway line.
A trip on Roberts on the right corner of the area on 89 saw Acquaye send the ball into the area and Creaney headed it wide of the mark from a central position.
Five minutes added time was shown at the end of the half and Acquaye was set up almost perfectly by Mols but blazed his shot over the bar from the left angle with Barnsley in front of him.
A last minute corner was headed wide defensively for another corner although Barnsley and Digie has collided to delay the set piece and that too was put behind for another but a push halted play as Cullinane-Liburd headed over the target before the whistle blew for spotkicks.

PENALTIES
(Marine first, at the Meadow Street end in front of the vociferous travelling fans)
1: Fielding – low left past Singh / Mols – stutters his run then fires home low left (1-1)
2: Whelan – same way, same result / Creaney – low shot saved and cleared (2-1)
3: Martin – blasts it home, almost straight down the middle / Bates – to the right and well saved by Barnsley (3-1)
4: Potter – fired home to the delight of his team and the fans to send them into the next round (4-1)

Tamworth
Singh, Curley, Tonks, Digie, Fairlamb, Mols, Cullinane-Liburd, Lissimore (Roberts 72), Lynch (Creaney 60), Maher (Acquaye 60), Ponticelli (Bates 72)
Subs: Rachel, Cockerill-Mollett, Rye
YC: Curley 87
RC: (none)

Marine
Barnsley, Whelan, Martin, Sinclair-Smith, Newell (Bell 70), McDonald (Potter 23), Anson, Thomas, Wardle (c.), Ashton, Fielding
Subs (4 only): Huby, McIntyre
YC: Thomas 28, Wardle 66, Barnsley 83
RC: (none)

Referee: Mr. Matthew Russell
Assistants: Mr. Wayne Gray, Mr. Drew Dutton
Fourth Official: Mr. Johnathan Maskrey

Attendance: 1120 (287 from Marine)

Man of the Match - Chosen by: Laguna Properties: Luke Fairlamb