In their final game before Christmas, Andy Peaks’ Lambs welcomed Kevin Maher’s 7th placed Shrimpers to the Altair Group Community Stadium in one of just three games in the Enterprise National League on the day (the rest of the league fixtures being played on Sunday), for a 5.30pm kick off, with the game being shown live on DAZN.

Tamworth had taken a break from league action and won three cup games on the bounce coming into the fixture progressing in the Birmingham Senior Cup, FA Trophy and National League Cup in the games prior to kick off, but hadn’t recorded a home win in their five league games at The Lamb since mid September so were looking to continue their good form in the ‘bread and butter’ and add more points, which could see them leapfrog Solihull Moors into 12th, ahead of the Sunday games, and Boxing Day’s head to head, away at Damson Park.
For the return to league action, Peaks made changes to the side that defeated Manchester United PL2, new signing Teo Kurtaran started, while Dan Creaney made his last loan appearance before returning to Solihull.

The visitors got the game underway with Tamworth attacking the densely populated away end in the first half.
Tonks took a throw from the left on 4, and it fell to Rye but his reaction shot was blocked and Tonks worked it back in for Lynch to force a corner on the right which was cleared.
Another Tonks throw on 6 caused problems and he received it straight back, but a foul on Ndi halted play as the ball went into the area.
A foul on Kurtaran in the centre circle on 9 set up Maher with a dead ball and Hollis tried to forge an opening and shot, but his effort was blocked.
Ndi had to leave his area to head it away from the incoming run of Creaney on 11, and at the other end a low cross come shot from captain Ralph went wide of the near post without troubling Singh.
Kurturan played a clever ball out of midfield for Lynch to run onto on 14 and he cut in from the left and took a strike from 18 yards, but was off target with his effort.
On 15 Cullinane-Liburd mis-controlled the ball and it allowed Cardwell to nip into the box but Singh was quickest out to it and smothered the half chance.
A long pass from Kurturan allowed Lynch to break forwards again and again Ndi had to rush out to disrupt his flow and send him wide of the centre channel. The Lambs maintained their pressure with Maher doing well to take it past his marker before Southend were able to get it away.
On 21, Tonks launched a trademark throw into the box and Ndi was unable to catch it cleanly allowing Cullinane-Liburd to finish from close range at the far post to the delight of the home faithful (1-0, 21 mins)
United tried to respond quickly and Coker sent a deep cross from the right in on 24 for Cardwell to head at goal, but under close scrutiny his effort dropped over the bar and Walker, on 28, was shown a yellow card for a high boot which caught Cullinane-Liburd.
Austin sent a right footed half volley up and over the target from distance on the half hour, and Tonks sent a throw from the right in, which Cardwell headed away for another, closer to the corner flag.
Cardwell got his head to it again, and conceded the corner which Maher sent into the box but Creaney couldn’t direct his header on target.
A misplaced pass gave Parillon a sight on goal on 33 and he curled his effort just wide of the left hand post.
In response Tonks sent another throw into the box, from the left, which was headed away for another on the same side and Creaney got his head to it but sent it up and over the bar.
Lynch got the better of Boyes but couldn’t get the angle to double the Lambs advantage and from Ndi’s block and Maher’s corner Rye glanced his header wide of the mark.
Tamworth continued to take the game to United and another Tonks throw, from the right on 41, and it allowed The Lambs to attack, ended with a fine one handed stop from Ndi to flick Lynch’s goalbound half volley over the bar.
The right sided corner was put behind for one on the left
Cardwell directed a header from 18 yards into the hands of Singh on 44, and Maher put his body on the line to deny a strike by Walker as one minute added time was shown.

HT: 1-0
 
The Lambs restarted the game but it was the visitors who hit the back of the net early on when Cullinane-Liburd was robbed of possession and Parillon pounced to pull the ball back for Cocker to place his low sidefooted shot into the bottom left corner from 20 yards (1-1, 48 mins)
A Tonks throw from the left turned into a Southend attack on 57 and United worked the ball through to Parillon who fired low at Singh from 18 yards, which the keeper was happy to gather without too much trouble.
A blocked Auston cross gave Southend a corner on the right on the hour which Goodliffe headed straight into the Lambs defence and despite shouts for handball the referee was having none of it.
Another quick move down the Southend left saw Parillon thread the ball to Walker and he curled a low shot around the far post on 61 as the visitors enjoyed more of the ball.
None more so than on 65 when a flowing move out of defence ended with Cocker driving a low shot from the right of the D inches wide of the left hand post, although it looked like Singh would have had it covered.
Boyes whipped a low left footed cross through the box with Cardwell racing in, but unable to get a decisive touch, on 68 but within seconds The Lambs had restored the lead when the ball fell to Maher in the left of the area and his low shot snuck in at the far post via a defensive deflection en route to take it past Ndi (2-1, 68 mins)
A deft through ball to Tonks in the area on 74 saw him go down under pressure from Goodliffe, but there was not penalty awarded, and he had to make do with the resulting throw on the right which was cleared.
A foul on Bates set up Maher with a freekick though and it rebounded in the box before Hollis caught it with a sweet volley which whistle just wide of the post.
The ball was scrambled up and over the bar for a Southend corner on 81 which Lynch cleared easily and Enoru blocked Ndi’s clearance way outside his area on 82 but was unable to make the keeper pay for his foray up the field.
Hollis dropped to stop a Parillon shot going anywhere near goal on 87 and he did similarly to deny Boyes but the ball fell to Austin and he blazed it over the bar.
Five minutes added time was shown at the end of the half and Singh denied Bridge a late equaliser with an outstretched boot after the substitute had made headway to the centre of the edge of the box.
The Lambs countered and Lynch nearly put it beyond reach but his one on one knock past Ndi rolled agonisingly past the post.
A 93rd minute corner was somehow scrambled away before Singh smothered the loose ball from a reactionary header. And there was time for one more, as the clock ticked onto 97 which Singh palmed away and Hollis hooked clear as the whistle blew on a massive three points for The Lambs.

Tamworth
Singh; Cullinane-Liburd, Hollis (c.), Rye (Digie 89), Curley; Kurtaran, Bates, Tonks (Mols 76); Maher (Donkor 89), Lynch; Creaney (Enoru 76)
Subs: Rachel, Roberts, Duku
YC: Mols 95
RC: (none)

Southend United
Ndi; Taylor, Goodliffe, Ralph (c.); Austin, Coker (Bridge 84), Morton (Hopper 90+3), Parillon, Boyes; Cardwell (Kendall 84), Walker (Spasov 77)
Subs: Hayes, Bridge, Gubbins, Miley
YC: Walker 28
RC: (none)

Referee: Mr. Harrison Blair
Assistants: Mr. William Murray, Mr. Karl Donaghey
Fourth Official: Mr. Zacharay Cunningham

Attendance: 1399 (583 from Southend United)

Man of the Match - Chosen by: CR MOT Centre: Alfie Bates