IN a game that it was impossible to take your eyes off, Tamworth came from a goal behind twice to record a late-late victory over long distance visitors, Worthing.

The game had everything you could want from an evening’s football entertainment – chances, goals, controversial decisions, red cards, and most of all a first Enterprise National League win of the season for Andy Peaks’ side.

Under the Friday night floodlights, Adam Hinslewood’s league newcomers visited The Lamb for the first ever time and won’t forget their trip. Peaks made changes to his starting eleven that had suffered defeat the previous Saturday to Halifax as Rhys Lovett came in for his first league appearance, at the expense of Jas Singh who would have to wait for his 350th appearance in a Tamworth shirt, at the back of the 4-4-2 formation.
The Rebels stared proceedings attacking the Castle End, but the early action was at the Meadow Street end with, after Tamworth had pressed, a corner which Jordan Cullinane-Liburd headed over the target from 8 yards.
Creaney unleashed a couple of powerful but off target efforts and at the other end Joel Colbran fed Domonic Hutchinson who saw his close range first time shot well blocked by Haydn Hollis.
Lovett got his first real touch of the ball on 10 minutes when Razzaq De-Graft shot straight at the Lambs keeper, and Tamworth responded by forcing a second corner which captain Ben Milnes played short to Keiren Donnelley and it found Hollis who struck for goal only to see it was deflected narrowly away.
The Lambs went even closer on 14 minutes when a long Cullinane-Liburd throw found the head of Creaney but his flick went just over the bar.
Luke Fairlamb ventured far enough forward to get a sight on goal 4 minutes later but blazed his shot high over Taylor Seymour’s goal and Lovett had to slide into a mass of players to end a messy run by Teddy Jenks into his box straight after.
Tamworth went closer still when Milnes fired towards goal with a right footed strike on 24 minutes and a defensive touch took it just wide of the far post and Ben Acquaye rifled a long range strike straight at Seymour four minutes later.
On 36 minutes Colbran crossed for Jenks but his glancing header went wide of the near post and Fairlamb then saw his left footed drive form the edge of the D curl agonisingly away from the target with Seymour in full flight.
Donnelly then snuck past his marker to prod the ball goalward on 41 minutes, but Seymour was able to push it away from his near post.
But despite all their hard work and chances, it took just one opportunity for the visitors to take the lead, when the ball came out to Jack Wadham 30 yards from goal and he unleashed an unstoppable right footed low strike.
It gave Lovett no chance whatsoever and nestled into the bottom right corner (0-1, 44 mins) to give the visitors the edge at the break.

HT: 0-1

The Lambs restarted the game with the Castle End goal firmly in their sights and following a quick attack Bramble fell to the floor holding his head but play was allowed to continue until the referee spotted the injury and The Lambs physio was permitted to attend to the situation with a wrap-around bandage.
Play restarted with Worthing’s Colbran also receiving treatment off the field for a similar knock and when the ball was played into the area by McGlinchey, and despite Creaney clearly having his shirt pulled off his back and was brought to the ground, no penalty was awarded.
Tamworth were back on level terms soon after though, Milnes forced Seymour to push the ball around his near post from a left wing freekick and from it Creaney rose highest in the crowded area to head the ball home from close range to the delight of the home faithful (1-1, 53 mins)
After Bramble deemed was unable to continue Oliver Dyson replaced him on 63 minutes in an enforced change for The Lambs.
Wadham tried a 25 yard strike on 70 minutes, which went wide of the left hand upright, but there was no stopping substitute Jose Marquez finishing a low drilled centre from the right from Jenks to give the travelling faithful reason to celebrate again (1-2, 72 mins)
Wadham was booked for a second time on 74, following a foul on Acquaye, and so received instruction for an early shower from the referee and Peaks making changes in the final ten minutes but no clear chances could be forged, as seven added minutes were shown.
Three minutes in Nathan Tshikuna’s placed shot took a deflection for a corner and the same player’s header from the flag kick was handled on the way into the goal by Dominic Hutchinson.
He was shown a straight red card and Tshikuna made no mistake from the penalty spot to set up a tense finish that no one could have predicted (2-2, 90+4 mins)
A blow to the head of Cook in added time meant he had to leave the field and Worthing had just eight men on the field when Milnes played the ball through to Tshikuna only for it to be cut out and cleared.
The Lambs continued attacking with purpose though and there were scenes of absolute jubilation around the home terraces when a deep ball into the box was flicked on by Cullinane-Liburd and it came back off the bar, was followed up, blocked, fell to Cullinane-Liburd again and although he was unable to dig it out, it ran free enough for Roberts to blast home from six yards out and win the game in dramatic style. (3-2, 90+8 mins)
The Lambs now prepare for their next Enterprise National League game and a long journey to Yeovil on Bank Holiday Monday.

Tamworth (4-4-2)
Lovett; Cullinane-Liburd, Rye, Hollis, Fairlamb (Hutchinson 87); McGlinchey (Tshikuna 80), Bramble (Dyson 63), Milnes (c.), Acquaye (Roberts 80), Donnelly (Calder 87), Creaney
Subs: Singh, Parkes
YC: Donnelly 31, Fairlamb 42, Creaney 54, Milnes 57

Worthing
Seymour, Colbran (c.), Adjetey-Brew, Wadham, Cook, Moore, De Graft (Ransom 73), Hutchinson, Aguair (Spicer 79), Carter (Marquez 58), Jenks (Packham 79)
Subs: Nathaniel-George, Godziemski
YC: Wadham 52, 74, Cook 64
RC: Wadham 74

Referee: Jamie Robinson

Attendance: 974 (193 away)

MOM: Chosen by Dawn Group International: Joe Rye