On the back of four wins on the bounce in the run up to Christmas, culminating in the 2-1 victory over Southend United, The Lambs renewed Boxing Day rivalries, the first one since a snowy 2014, with near neighbours Solihull Moors at Damson Park.
Andy Peaks made one enforced change to his starting eleven following the conclusion of Dan Creaney’s loan from the home side, with Manny Duku coming in up top.

Chris Millington’s Moors sat one place ahead of The Lambs on goal difference, with both sides on 31 points ahead of kick off and a possibility of moving up to ninth should results go the right way.

The Lambs kicked off up towards the car park end of the ground and Tonks was given the opportunity to send a throw into the mix inside the first minute which came back to him and his low strike squeezed through to Walker.
Moors countered and Kurtaran blocked a near post shot from Sbarra which was headed behind for a corner on the right but play stopped quickly when the referee spotted a foul on Hollis in the box.
Moors retained possession for the next few minutes and kept Tamworth on their toes without really threatening, although there was reason for consternation from the Lambs bench when two fouls were allowed to play on.
Nurse spotted a chance of a shot from 20 yards on 9 but dragged his shot wide of the right hand post and despite Singh’s best efforts the next Moors shot found the back of the net when Sbarra struck low from the edge of the area and it took a wicked defensive deflection to take it up and over the keeper who would probably have had it covered but was already on the floor. (1-0, 12 mins)
Under the bright sunshine and clear blue skies, the floodlights came on with under a quarter of an hour played and Cullinane-Liburd was booked for a foul as Solihull tried to advance over the halfway line on 14.
Osborne took the ball out of play by the corner flag on 15 and rolled it back for a Lambs throw but the referee changed the decision and gave it to the home side, however Cullinane-Liburd was able to head Nurse’s throw away.
And Tamworth took that as reason to head up the other end of the pitch and equalise. The ball was worked down the right and not cleared away allowing Maher to pounce and fire home from 18 yards into the bottom right (1-1, 17 mins)
Tonks was adjudged to have handled a cross from Nurse, where in reality it was kicked at him while he span away, but Moors were given the freekick and it was headed back across goal by Whitmore and only just missed by Wakeling as he slid into the near post.
Hollis headed Sinclair’s curling shot towards the near post away on 26 and Tamworth had to defend a swirling cross which Osborne got his head onto from the continuing play.
Another Moors corner on the left on 29 resulted from Tonks inadvertent deflection, and from it French bundled the ball home from close range to restore their advantage (2-1, 28 mins)
And it was extended even further on 31 when Sbarra received the ball in the left of the area, turned and slammed it home at the near post (3-1, 31 mins)
There was a brief pause before the game restarted while Singh had treatment and this gave both managers the opportunity of a quick team talk but The Lambs nearly conceded again when Singh came out to clear the loose ball and was robbed in possession but none of the three Moors players around him, including Sbarra who looked like he would surely get his third of the afternoon, could get the ball in the back of the net and Tamworth somehow survived as it rolled past the far post by a matter of inches.
Osborne span on the ball in the left channel and curled a shot over the right corner of bar and post on 38, but there was not stopped Sinclair’s finish from just inside the box on 38 after Solihull made light work of the Lambs back line and his shot went under the dive of the keeper (4-1, 38 mins)
Four minutes added time was shown as Solihull put pressure on the Lambs from the left which they were able to deal with and in an attack at the other end Maher forced Walker into a snap save when he connected with a Duku header back into his path and volleyed on target, forcing the keeper into the final action of the half..

HT: 4-1
 
The Lambs made two changes at the break with Donkor and Milnes coming on as the latter took the captain’s armband before the home side got the second period underway.
Tamworth gad the first chance when Hollis stole possession and found Duku but his strike was batted away and a corner resulted. Duku got his head onto the flagkick but it was scrambled away and Solihull had a chance of their own from Sinclair’s cross which nearly found the head of Sbarra.
Sbarra was booked for reacting to a challenge by Maher, on 55, which also saw the Tamworth player booked.
Tonks sent a throw from in front of the travelling Lambs fans into the box on 64 and it fell to Maher who tried a strike from 18 yards but his drive was blocked and cleared and Singh was called into action when Wilkinson fired from the left of the area forcing the keeper to block and smother his shot on target on 66.
Another Tonks throw on 69 had to be dealt with as Whitmore hooked it away from Lynch for another throw on the other side, which came out to Maher again and his strike, with the outside of his boot, dropped onto the roof of the net.
The Lambs conceded again on 73 when Sbarra completed his hatrick after a cross from Stevenson from the right was headed down by Wilkinson and despite Singh getting his hand to it, the Moors man nicked it home from very close range. (5-1, 72 mins)
A foul on Maher in the left channel set up Milnes with the deadball on 77 and he brought a fine one handed stop from Walker as the keeper launched himself to his left to tip it around the post.
From Maher’s corner Tamworth kept the ball in the final third, and without Tonks Curley took a short throw which came back to him, but Walker took his cross.
Maher tried another strike from the left channel on 79 which skipped low and Walker stopped it at his near post however, the Moors struck again on 80 when Stevenson did all the hard work to get the ball along the edge of the area and into the box for Wilkinson to strike past Singh from 8 yards out (6-1, 80 mins)
And there was more woe on 86 when Stevenson finished a cross from the left with an unhindered deft touch past Singh and into the far corner (7-1, 87 mins)
Three minutes added time was shown, and Maher struck the cross bar with a well take freekick but the whistle couldn’t come soon enough for the Lambs fans, many of whom had already left by the time the whistle blew.

Solihull Moors
Walker, Clarke, Osbourne (c.) (Tipton 67), Whitmore, Lipsiuc (Stevenson 67), High, Sinclair, Wakeling (Wilkinson 58), Nurse, Sbarra (Worman 82), French
Subs: Flavahan, Nicholson, Sonupe
YC: Sbarra 55
RC: (none)

Tamworth
Singh; Rye (Donkor HT), Cullinane-Liburd (Digie 90), Hollis (c.), Curley; Tonks (Roberts 70), Bates, Kurtaran (Milnes HT); Maher, Lynch; Duku (Enoru 71)
Subs: Rachel, Mols
YC: Cullinane-Liburd 14, Maher 55
RC: (none)

Referee: Mr. Robert Massey-Ellis
Assistants: Mr. James Hurst, Mr. George Eaton
Fourth Official: Mr. Ben Robinson

Attendance: 1929 (406 from Tamworth)