New owner Abdullah Ashraf celebrated American Independence Day on the touchline at Lichfield watching Tamworth storm to a thrilling 4-2 victory in our first pre-season clash.

The Tamworth chairman had jetted in from the US especially to see The Lamb's first game since he took over the club last month and new signing Kieren Donnelly rewarded him with a superb second half hat-trick.

Tamworth boss Andy Peaks used the occasion experiment with his new look squad and fielded two completely different teams in each half against our near neighbours City and their new boss Matty Lovatt.

The first half was full of creative and constructive Lambs' forward play with Tom McGlinchey demanding an early save with a right footed strike, Tom Handley firing in fine shots from distance while TJ Bramble saw a scrambled effort booted away as it looked to be goal bound.

McGlinchey then forced the keeper to tip his left foot shot over the bar and Tom Parkes headed the resultant corner just off target but it was Lichfield who almost snatched the lead when a short back-pass was pounced upon by Harry Crook with 'keeper Jas Singh alert to deny an angled strike from 12 yards.

Tamworth responded through Morgan Roberts who forced a good stop off Joshua Bailey’s left wing cross and just a minute later McGlinchey gave the Lambs the lead.

He capitalised on a looping ball into the box before lifting it high over the advancing keeper and before watching it bounce into the back of the net (0-1, 30 mins).

Just before half-time McGlinchey almost turned provider when he picked out Jake Hutchinson on the edge of the area with his resulting shot flying just wide of the left hand upright.

Tamworth
Singh; Bailey, Parkes, Cullinane-Liburd, Handley; Calder, Bramble, Milnes, McGlinchey; Roberts, Hutchinson

HT: 0-1

There were goals aplenty in the second half as the Lambs' new-look eleven started brightly with Kieren Donnelly heading home a right-wing cross into the back of the box after just four minutes. (0-2, 49 mins)

City reduced the deficit on the hour when Crook stole in to the take the ball and lift it over Rachel (1-2, 60 mins) but The Lambs restored the advantage two minutes later with Donnelly sprinting onto a Teo Kurtaran through ball to finish from 12 yards (1-3. 62 mins)

However, Lichfield responded quickly and a Crook free kick was expertly struck into the bottom left corner two minutes later giving Rachel no chance (2-3, 64 mins)

The Lambs rounded off their impressive performance seven minutes before the end when persistence from Donnelly resulted in him completing a hat-trick in his first outing for the Lambs, scoring his third despite close attention from the home keeper and a covering defender. (2-4, 83 mins)

Tamworth
Rachel; Trialist, Hollis, Fogarty; Fairlamb, Kurtaran, Trialist, Dyson, Lyttle; Wyse, Donnelly

Referee: Jamie Condy

Attendance: approx. 800