Tuesday 15 September 2015

Gainsborough Trinity 0 v Tamworth 2

Tuesday 15th September 2015
Vanarama National League (North)
Gainsborough Trinity (0) 0
Tamworth (2) 2
Elliott Durrell 13, Steve Tomassen 35
Admission £12. Programme £2.50. Attendance 404
Gainsborough Trinity:
Budtz, Roma, Lacey, D’Latyea, Quinn, Picton, Russell, Rigby (Binns 38), Bignall (Stamp 84), Jarman, Yates (Newsham 67)
Unused subs -  Karkach, Davis
Tamworth:
Belshaw, Burns, Warlow, Newton (Mettam 86), Tomassen, Preston, Durrell, Clarke, Dyer, Green, Davies (Smith 65 (Strong 73))
Unused subs -  Hubbins, Morrell
Tamworth chalked up their 10th consecutive unbeaten game (although the most recent 5 games in that run were draws) in impressive style at the Northolme tonight, thanks to two first half goals.
Sadly, Lee Smith, who had only just come on as a second half substitute for the visitors in the 65th minute, left the filed on a stretcher shortly afterwards clutching his chest after a midfield clash with Nicholas Bignall.
Elliott Durrell tried his luck inside the opening two minutes with a free kick from just outside the Trinity area, but his shot and a second attempt on the rebound were both charged down by the 'Holy Blues' defence.
Former Mansfield Town striker Ross Dyer, should have done better from 12 yards out after Danny Newton undid the home defence with a great pass, but Jan Budtz did well to save from Dyer's rushed effort.
Dom Roma, Simon Russell and Cameron Rigby, tried making headway into the visitors last third, but Tamworth looked very well drilled and not for the last time tonight, slammed the door shut in the face of Trinity's attacking intentions.
Gainsborough made hard work of clearing their lines around the ten minute mark, which allowed Durrell the time and space to get an angled shot away, just inside the right channel into the penalty area, but he only found the side netting.
Trinity mounted an attack but James Belshaw saved easily if a little unorthodoxly (he used his arse to stop the ball) from Jamie Yates, before sending Tamworth forward with a quick punt up the field, that found it's way through to Durrell on the edge of the box, who made no mistake this time... and the Lambs were in front on 13 minutes.
As the home side looked to establish themselves in the game and draw level, Russell picked out Bignall a few yards from goal and though he twisted and got the ball on target, Belshaw had positioned himself well and dealt with the danger.
But clear chances for Trinity were rare, as a dogged and determined Lambs side, swamped their own half with players and snubbed out Steve Housham's side every which way.
In the 35th minute, Tamworth, who had spent a spell absorbing the home side's attempts to break through their ranks and  playing it tight, went long to open Trinity up for their second goal.
Belshaw's box to box free kick, was cleared by Gainsborough at the expense of a corner.
Durrell appeared to have overhit his left wing flag kick has it evaded everyone in the goalmouth, but Steve Tomassen had timed his run into the right hand side of the box to perfection and drilled home an unstoppable shot past Butz to double the Lambs lead after 35 minutes.
While Tamworth sat back and played a patient, cat and mouse, waiting game, it must have caused concerns for the home side's coaches, that Durrell and Newton, both picked their moments to make unchallenged runs forward to the edge of the area from deep in midfield, through a crack in Trinity's armour that needed addressing. So on 38 minutes, Charlie Binns was introduced from the bench to rectify the situation.
Yates, Russell and Bignall all tried breaching Tamworth's last line of defence as half time approached, but if Tamworth's back line was proving hard to beat, their goalkeeper James Belshaw was in no mood to surrender his clean sheet tonight.
After the break, Gainsborough upped the tempo and took the game to their MIdlands based visitors, but although they were now getting the ball in behind the Lambs back four, Belshaw was still just as uncompromising as he was in the first half.
The 'Holy Blues' kept huffing and puffing, but Tamworth's house was made of bricks and as the second half wore one, the final outcome, became inevitably ever more ominous for the home side, who hadn't lost a game at the Northolme prior to tonight.
With Gainsborough committing men forward, it was leaving them vulnerable to counter attacks and Durrell shot narrowly wide, while Dyer was left cursing Budtz again.
The injury to Smith seemed to slow the momentum of the game down somewhat, but in the 5 minutes of time added on right at the end, the home side threw caution to the wind and pushed forward, in an attempt to salvage something out the game, but while Marc Newsham and Nathan Jarman both went close, the space Trinity were affording their visitors allowed Durrell and the Lambs late substitute, Leon Mettam (the ex Worksop Town player, who was only on the pitch for 4 minutes) to have a pop apiece at Jan Budtz.
Trinity had been suffocated out of the game going forward and were ultimately beaten, fairly and squarely, by a Tamworth side, who worked very hard for each other from start to finish and rarely let any of Gainsborough's players any time to settle on the ball and create much going forward.
Tamworth manager Andy Morrell had selected his tactics and game plan well tonight.
Good to catch up with some familiar faces tonight, no doubt I'll see you all again soon...  and thanks for the teamsheet Frank :-)
FT - Gainsborough Trinity 0 v Tamworth 2