In the second of five back to back home games Andy Peaks’ Lambs welcomed Adam Lakeland’s Shaymen to the Altair Group Community stadium for their tie in the Quarter Final of the National League Cup.
With the Premier League trophy in attendance at The Lamb too, Peaks fielded a much changed line up to that which started against Sutton United a few days before, while being mindful of the rules of the competition.

Halifax kicked off the game towards the Castle End and Donkor replaced Curley with 2 minutes on the clock.
Roberts stole into the six yard box on 4 and nearly forced the Shaymen defence to play the ball into their own net, but they conceded a corner instead which Johnson took at height.
A foul on Lissimore in the left channel on 5 set the Maher up with the deadball and it fell awkwardly for Roberts who was unable to get hit boot around it before the visiting defence cleared their lines.
A Tonks throw from the Cross Street side on 7 came out to Lissimore and he hit it first time but again the Shaymen booted it away and the next time Tonks threw it short, allowing The Lambs to maintain possession but Hollis’ cross was taken by Johnson.
A quick break by Halifax down the left saw Latty-Fairweather drill the ball low into the area and Harris connected but hadn’t planned on Rachel reacting so quickly as he dropped and blocked the shot before Fairlamb got in the way of an attempted second bite of the cherry.
A right sided cross from Lavery on 16 was met by the head of Hoti but he glanced it well wide of the far post and at the other end Tonks whipped a cross of his own into the area for Roberts to head on target and Johnson was equal to it.
As a drone buzzed high over the Kettlebrook area Halifax forced a couple of corners in quick succession around 20, the second of which was bundled away off the line after Hollis headed it onto the bar and it came down off his own head before being cleared.
A questionable freekick against Fairlamb on 25 was sent into the area by Johnson and cleared by Tonks but a more clear foul by the same player from the ensuing play, against Hoti saw the same player load his kick and Rachel took it under pressure.
Harris broke through the Lambs back line on 30 and drilled a low cross across the far of the goal but it was too far away from anyone to get a touch.
Rachel collected a deflected looping strike by Hoti on 36 and slid out to take a low cross from the right from Morris on 40.
Tonks launched a throw from the sponsors lounge corner on 42 which Johnson punched away and Forbes loaded his return ball but Hollis header was taken by the keeper at height.
And another Tonks throw on 45 forced a corner on the right which Johnson punched away from goal but also our for another flagkick on the opposite side as one minute added time was shown.
The corner was defended but came out to Fairlamb and he struck from 20 yards but his effort bounced wide of the mark before the whistle blew.

HT: 0-0
 
Tamworth made a change before restarting the game and on 51 Maher’s corner saw Cockerill-Mollett head towards goal and Roberts flicked it on but it went up and onto the roof of the net.
At the other end Latty-Fairweather angled a strike from the left which whistled past the far post and in the next move he beat Donkor on the touchline and pulled it back for Hoti but his shot was wide and easy for Rachel.
Latty-Fairweather was penalised for handball, although it did look accidental, in the right corner and Maher’s cross was blocked but he received it back and was then fouled allowing a second attempt and this time his strike went over the top of the defensive wall and the players in the box and into the far corner (1-0, 57 mins)
Both sides made two changes with just under 20 to play and Halifax pressed from a corner on the right on 70 which The Lambs defended well enough, and from another push by the visitors Maher was wrestled down by Johnson as he tried to advance up field, on the halfway line, earning the midfielder a yellow card.
Kawa made a very strong run past two Lambs players and into the area on 76 but Rachel was not going to be beaten, and stopped his on target low shot with his feet at his near post.
The resulting corner was blocked for another and Latty-Fairweather met it but it went the wrong way and when it came back in Rahcel made sure he held it.
After three subs for the visitors on 80, Maher struck from 18 yards but found the way blocked and a corner to the near post was flicked on by Lynch and turned behind by Mills, with the ball nearly creeping in at the far post.
Mols’ corner from the clubhouse corner of the ground was headed back towards the target by Cockerill-Mollett on 87 but dropped onto the roof of the net and when Tonks throw bounced up for Ponticelli on 88 he struck it with venom but it came back off the underside of the bar and Maher couldn’t get his snapshot on target.
Hugill met a perfectly weighted cross to the near post with a volley on target on 90 which Rahcel batted away for a corner as 5 minutes added time was shown.
A corner on the left for Halifax was punched away by Rachel on 92, although the referee spotted a foul anyway,

Tamworth
Rachel, Curley (Donkor 02), Tonks, Fairlamb (Cockerill-Mollett HT), Rye, Roberts (Ponticelli 67), Lissimore, Hollis (c.), Lynch, Maher, Forbes (Mols 67)
Subs: Singh, Digie, Bates
YC: (none)
RC: (none)

AFC Halifax Town
S. Johnson (c.), Adetoro, Hugill, Harris (Kawa 66), Smith (Wright 66), Mills, Hoti (Jenkins 80), Morris, C. Johnson (Pugh 80), Lavery (Warburton 80), Latty-Fairweather
Subs: Hobson, Ford
YC: C. Johnson 73
RC: (none)

Referee: Mr. Richie Watkins
Assistants: Mr. Martin Beard, Mr. Neil Evans
Fourth Official: Mr. Alex Rolfe

Attendance: 476