Following Tuesday night’s National League Cup victory over Blackburn Rovers U21 side, The Lambs faced a tough away trip to Brunton Park for the first time since they met in the FA Cup in 2010, and the first time in the league (the first ever meeting) in September 2004, to face Mark Hughes’ second place (on goal difference) Carlisle United side.

Andy Peaks had made a number of changes from the ‘cup side’ that won in midweek, which had given him the chance to give players returning from injury some much needed competitive minutes, and reverted to a more expected starting XI with Tyler Roberts and Dan Creaney starting.

Tamworth, in their light blue away kit kicked off facing The Cumbrians in their traditional royal blue who had the first chance inside the first minute when Kelly lashed a shot from 18 yards high and wide.
Singh was forced to protect his goal from a home attack on 6 batting the ball away before the Lambs defence could clear their lines and from the counter attacked a foul by Feeney earned him a yellow card.
A Lambs corner on 8 came to nothing when the referee spotted a foul in the box, but Roberts forced the home defence to be on their guard after whipping a cross into the area on 9.
Macadam drilled a shot just wide of the mark in the next move, with Singh diving to his left at full stretch as it went out past the far post.
Neither side were able to take control of the game as the minutes ticked by, until a low shot from the left by Maher forced Breeze into a low stop at his near post on 19.
Donkor picked up the loose ends from good work by Roberts and crossed for Creaney on 20 but the Lambs striker couldn’t get his header on target and Roberts was booked on 21 for handling the ball on the halfway line.
Tamworth went one goal down though, when Muamba found Conn-Clarke in space in the area and his deflected shot was pushed away by Singh, but finished from close range by Kelly (0-1, 25 mins)
Maher struck from a similar position to his earlier attempt on 26 but the keeper was more than equal to it, and United raced to the other end, forcing a corner off Cockerill-Mollett which was put behind for another and they maintained their pressure with Muamba hitting a low shot for another flag kick which caused problems and Singh clawed it away from under the bar with the home side shouting loudly for a goal, believing it had crossed the line.
Digie brought Conn-Clarke down on the edge of the area on 31 and was booked for his efforts, and the same United played struck his freekick on target via a deflection forcing Singh to push it away from going in at the bottom right corner.
Conn-Clarke continued to be a thorn in the Lambs side jinking into the box to force a corner off his shot, which fell to Kelly and his goalbound effort was cleared off the line.
Linney drilled a cross low into the near post from the left on 36 and Kelly was denied a touch by a brave sliding challenge from Rye.
Tamworth pushed up field and Cockerill-Mollett’s throw was put behind for a corner on the right which came back out for Maher to float in for Ponticelli to glance home with a deft header which dropped inside the far post (1-1, 39 mins)
The Lambs were then awarded a freekick in the left channel which Milnes lined up but it was headed away and allowed United to mount an attack.
Two minutes added time were shown at the end of the first half and Singh dropped to deny Harper’s low shot from 18 yards, before Roberts forced a corner at the other end which was cleared as the half time whistle blew

HT: 1-1
 
Tamworth made a change at the break with Curley replacing Cockerill-Mollett at left beck before United kicked off the second period but The Lambs took the initiative in the opening exchanges s they attacked the away terrace end of the round.
Maher whooped a cross in which came back off the woodwork and Creaney saw his driven shot deflected wide fo a second corer in quick succession.
Singh was forced to put a low strike behind before another effort from Linney’s took a touch for another corner.
The Lambs responded though and Maher was brought down in the box on 50 for Milnes to strike from the penalty spot but he was denied by Breeze how guessed correctly and pushed it away to deny him.
The pace of the game continued with both sides making forays forwards without any direct threat on either goal until the hour mark when Linney found space in the left of the box and forced Singh into another good stop.
Maher nearly found the run of Ponticelli, through on goal down the middle, but it was just too long for him to catch before Breeze got there first.
Lynch and Tonks came on for Creaney and Milnes with 20 remaining but before they could get into the game United worked the ball into the final third and forced a corner on the left which was wasted and allowed The Lambs to regroup.
Tonks sent a long throw into the box on 76 which was cleared, and Singh was called into action from a low shot on 78, but The Lambs fell behind on 9 when Kelly finished well under pressure from a cross on the left which he beat Rye to and directed it past The Lambs keeper (2-1, 79 mins)
A 30 yards angled strike from the left forced Singh to watch it carefully on 82 and after Hollis replaced Rye the Lambs keeper was kept busy again pushing an on target shot away for another home corner.
Ajiboye forced Singh into his 12th save of the game on 86 pushing his looping effort over the bar for another flagkick and Hollis dug it out of the box.
Duku replaced Roberts with three remaining as Carlisle continued to press and went close again as four minutes added time was shown which ended with defeat on the road.

Carlisle United
Breeze, Conn-Clarke (Ellis 90), Feeney (c.), Gilliead (Armstrong 75), Harper, Hayden, Kelly, Linney, Luamba (Ajiboye 64), Macadam, Williams
Subs: Davies, Lewis, Wearne, Whelan
YC: Feeney 7, Ajiboye 85
RC: (none)

Tamworth
Singh; Donkor, Digie, Rye (Hollis 83), Cockerill-Mollett (Curley HT); Bates, Milnes (Tonks 71); Roberts (Duku 87), Ponticelli, Maher; Creaney (Lynch 71)
Subs: Rachel, Mols
YC: Roberts 21, Digie 31, Donkor 90+4
RC: (none)

Referee: Mr. Niall Smith
Assistants: Mr. Neil Evans, Mr. Alan Hull
Fourth Official: Mr. Johnathan Chadwick

Attendance: 6763 (93 from TFC)