With two Enterprise National League games to go Andy Peaks’ Lambs made their final away trip of the season to the South coast, to take on Eastleigh at the Silverlake Stadium, previously known as Ten Acres.

The Lambs could still finish higher than that 11th position they sat in ahead of kick off and Peaks was looking to his squad to continue in a similar vein to try and achieve this, while, Richard Hill, appointed as the interim manager of Eastleigh FC at the end of February had ensured the Spitfires maintained their National League status, starting the day 7 points clear of fourth from bottom, and relegated, Brackley Town with six points available.

After a minutes applause to remember those fans that are no longer with us, Tamworth got the game underway attacking the end away from where the travelling faithful were seated, and play had to be stopped around the third minute when Blair went down unchallenged and needed treatment on the field before he left an play was recommenced with a drop ball.
Effiong whipped a ball into the area past Digie on 5 which was cut out by Cullinane-Liburd and Tamworth raced to the other end with Lynch driving a low cross from the right into the area for Creaney but his first time strike went into the side netting, and the offside flag had raised already anyway.
Digie cut out a cross from Blair from the right of the box on 8 and Tamworth retained possession for the next couple of minutes, with plenty of passes around the right wing and channel, and the ball eventually came out to Acquaye, 30 yards out but he struck high and wide of Townsend’s goal.
The home side took the lead on 12 through a speculative strike from Evans. After a quick freekick inside the Lambs half he spotted a gap and struck from 25 yards which Singh uncharacteristically mishandled and could only follow the low bounce into the back of the net. (1-0, 12 mins)
A strong run from Fairlamb down the left saw him wrap his boot around the ball and provide a cross which was perfect for Creaney to head on target, but also straight at Townsend, on 19 and a right sided corner came soon after which Digie rose to head, but it fell wide of the far post.
Effiong went toe to toe with Digie in the box on 22 and a push by the former have the latter the freekick which allowed The Lambs to break upfield and another Fairlamb cross came off the head of Cullinane-Liburd on 23 and Creaney had to react quickly, looping his header on target but also into the grasp of Townsend again.
The Lambs were level on 25 though, after Acquaye’s initial take down and strike at the left hand post had been well saved by Townsend, Creaney fired it back into the area and with no keeper in front of him, Lynch drilled it past the helpless legs of the covering defenders from six yards out for his 16th of the season (1-1, 25 mins)
Another Creaney header, this time from a Mols centre from the right, looped up and over the cross bar on 29 and Creaney forced Effiong to clear his lines for a Lambs corner, preventing the ball from getting to Lynch again, on 32.
Despite the Lambs best efforts, and a fumble from Townsend Eastleigh managed to clear the ball from danger but Tamworth quickly pushed forward again with Mols forcing a flagkick on the right from his cross on 33.
The deadball was headed back in by Cullinane-Liburd and struck first time by Mols towards the far post, and finished by Lynch but it was quickly ruled out for offside.
At the other end Evans turned provider for Maher from a well take freekick, but his header went high over Singh’s cross bar from 12 yards.
Moore was booked for a clumsy challenge on Mols in the right channel on 38 and Kurtaran’s freekick was headed behind for another corner, which the same player took and he found Digie at the back of the box but a combination of speed and direction took it up and away from Townsend’s goal.
Cullinane-Liburd and Digie had to deal with Blair’s intentions to connect with a well weighted ball into the Lambs final third on 43, and Fairlamb conceded a corner rather than allow Eweka take the ball into the box a minute later. Aguiar’s corner was dealt with but Eastleigh maintained possession and a foul on Eweka on the right gave Evans the freekick which he sent into the six yard box, however a foul which left Cullinane-Liburd on the floor holding his head and requiring treatment halted play.
Four minutes added time was shown at the end of the first half and Brindley was booked for talking back at the referee after Kurtaran had been upended on the halfway line.
There was just time for a long Curley throw and cross before the whistle blew as the ball was booted away upfield.

HT: 1-1

The Spitfires restarted proceedings with the sun still shining down and were quickly caught offside, as were The Lambs from the long kick upfield from Singh.
The first chance of the second half came on 50, when Eweka fed Effiong with an inch perfect low ball into his path and his diagonal strike from the right was just missed by Blair, sliding in at the far post.
And as if to mimic the chance, Mols was provider for Creaney in the next move but The Lambs striker was a gnats breadth away from a tidy finish at the near post, and showed his frustration in missing a golden opportunity to give The Lambs the lead.
Eweka forced Singh to parry his right footed drive form the right away for a corner on 56 and there were half shouts for a penalty for the home side when Aguiar went down under pressure from the play that followed but there referee was now swayed and the resulting flagkick on the opposite side was dealt with.
Mols tried his luck from 25 yards but his right footed strike flew over the corner of bar and post and Hill made three changes soon after.
Creaney turned the ball through the home defensive line for Lynch to run onto on 67 but the latter was called off side and he made way for Reindorf on 72 with Milnes taking the armband as he replaced Kurtaran.
Milnes ball into the back of the box was met with a first time cushioned volley by Maher and appeared to come off the arm of an Eastleigh defender but the referee nor linesman would have been able to make a clear judgement on it and a corner resulted instead which came to nothing.
The Lambs were given another chance from a corner on 82 when Milnes low strike came off a defensive boot and Townsend couldn’t prevent it going behind but Digie was adjudged to have fouled Eastleigh’s Maher as the ball came in.
Peaks made a double change on 83, and as The Lambs regrouped the Spitfires pushed up towards Singh’s box with Saunders striking a low ball into the open space of his area, and Fairlamb mopped it up.
A well struck shot from Milnes only found the back of Creaney’s head on 87 and it knocked the Lambs forward to the ground and then Reindorf found Maher on the left of the area but he found Townsend in his path for another corner. The flagkick came back out to Tonks but his half volley into the ground was always going wide of the left hand post.
McGlinchey was booked for a challenge on the left of the area on 90 which he got back from the deadball, and cleared and six minutes added time was shown.
Underhill drilled a low shot from the left of the D which was always going wide of the mark but drew a gasp from the home faithful, and Townsend managed to get a hand onto a low shot from Creaney destined for the far corner on 93.
Maher’s strike from 25 yards took a touch off Eweka and ballooned up and into the grateful grasp of Townsend on 95 and there was just time for a Tonks throw into the box before the whistle blew for full time and a point a piece.

Eastleigh
Townsend ; Brindley (Stone 64), Cousins (Underhill 79), Giles (Lundstram 64), Moore , Maher ; Evans, Eweka, Humphries (Aguiar 35); Blair, Effiong, (Saunders 63)
Subs: McNamara, Harris
YC: Moore 38, Brindley 45+3, Eweka 51, Blair 69
RC:
Tamworth
Singh (c.); Curley, Digie, Cullinane-Liburd, Fairlamb; Mols (McGlinchey 82), Kurtaran (Milnes 72), Riley (Tonks 83), Acquaye (Maher 60); Lynch (Reindorf 72), Creaney
Subs: Hollis, Bates
YC: Kurtaran 53, Creaney 77, McGlinchey 90
RC:

Referee: Harrison Blair
Assistants: Andrew Hickman, David Pilling
Fourth Official: Cott Williams

Attendance: 2874 (120 from Tamworth)