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Lambs tame the Tigers for the win
12 August 2014For the first home league game of the season, Dale Belford made one change to the starting XI from the point against Harrogate and brought Leon Mettam into the starting eleven with Donovan Simmonds taking the vacated place on the bench.
Gloucester kicked things off at The Lamb attacking the Castle End of the ground and inside the third minute Jackson curled a right footed shot around the right hand upright from 12 yards. Adam Mann rolled the ball past the far post on 5 after managing to wriggle through the Lambs back line but Belshaw was not troubled.
The Lambs pushed forward in the eight minute and forced The Tigers to concede a throw on the left which Sleath fed to Clarke who in turn forced a corner on the left. The resultant dead ball from Daniels found the head of Green but his acrobatic effort was taken well by keeper Green.
Outfielder Mike Green clashed with Jackson on 12 and the freekick went the way of the visitors setting up captain Jones with a free shot from 25 yards but he was just off target and Belshaw allowed it to go past the post without interference.
Preston was adjudged to have brought down Mann on the right wing on 14 but Jones’ freekick was halted for a foul as it came into the box.
As the first half hit the half way mark the balance of play was swinging slightly in the favour of the visitors but only because the Lambs forays forwards were being cut short by misdirection more than lack of possession. Sleath was forced to head behind for a Gloucester corner on the half hour and Williams rose highest to nod the ball towards goal but his effort was high over the bar.
The Lambs took the lead on 32 when Purdie's long cross from the right bounced once in the box and Hibbert claimed a touch with his head before it nestled in the net. (1-0, 32 mins)
Clarke then struck the post from the edge of the area with a slow snap shot on 38 and the ball bounced out and was cleared to safety.
Mettam forced a corner with a deflected shot of a Gloucester defender on 40 and Daniels flag kick set up Hildreth nicely but it cannoned out to Green and his diagonal shot went wide of the left post. Preston was adjudged to have felled Wilson as he made a run towards the box on 45 so Jones lined up the freekick and Preston booted it clear shortly before the whistle blew.
After a delayed half time break due to floodlight failure, The Lambs got the game back underway at 9.20pm but a foul on the edge of the area set up Gloucester captain Jones with a freekick that Belshaw acrobatically tipped over the bar.
Daniels fired a chest height freekick into the arms of keeper Green on 50 and immediately Gloucester broke to the other end where sub Groves drilled across the face of goal and out at the other side.
A good pass from Mettam to Daniels on 54 saw the latter cut past his marker down the left wing and chip the ball goalward, but it rose over the bar and failed to find a target, or trouble Green.
With Green out of his goal trying to clear the ball, the keeper kicked low and Mettam received on the right 30 yards out but there was no spectacular finish as the striker curled wide of the mark on 55.
The ball whipped across from the right on 58 and fell for Daniels but his shot past the far post went past the far post and out. The first booking of the evening came on 62 when Jackson was brought down in the right channel and Gloucester’s number 11 Green saw yellow.
The visitors equalised on 67 through substitute Groves who shot low into the far corner form the right of the box 1-1 after forcing space to shape and shoot. (1-1, 67 mins)
The Lambs made their first change on 70 with Thornton coming but it was Groves who forced a very good save from Belshaw on 74 as the keeper pushed his low shot around the post and the corner continued to put pressure on The Lambs back line.
Jackson skipped into the box on 76 but couldn’t get his shot away.
Then on 80 Thornton (header), Jackson (shot) and Hibbert (follow up) all had a chance to put Tamworth back in the lead but the Gloucester defence held strong.
After the final Lambs sub brought Taylor into the game for the final 5 minutes it was Mann for Gloucester who threatened but his shot from the right skipped past Belshaw and his left and post.
A deep freekick was not cleared in the box by the visiting defence on 93 and Jackson popped the ball home from close range (2-1, 93 mins) to bag the three points. Tamworth Team:
Belshaw, Green, Hildreth, Clarke (Thornton 70), Preston, Purdie, Daniels (Trainer 78), Sleath, Hibbert, Mettam, Jackson
Subs: Simmonds, Taylor, Adams Gloucester City Team:
Green (GK), Avery, Jones, Preece, Wiliams, Connolly, Richards, Jones, Wilson (Groves HT), Mann, Green (Griffin 65)
Subs: Hamilton, Chamberlain, Webb Attendance: 665 Man of the Match: Dave Hibbert Referee: Mr. D. Ford
Match Reports
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