Tamworth vs Luton Town FC (19th Oct 2013)

REPORT: TAMWORTH 3-4 TOWN

Hatters edge seven-goal thriller

The Town held onto secure another fantastic victory as they were made to sweat for all three points at the Lamb.

Trailing to an early goal from Duane Courtney the Hatters hit back to score four times. Stunning strikes from Jonathan Smith and Andy Parry had the Town 2-1 up at the break before a Paul Benson double early in the second period put John Still’s side 4-1 up.

However, following the Town is never easy, and they allowed the hosts to get a sniff of a point with two goals in the final 14 minutes but did enough in the close stages to win again and stretch their unbeaten run to eight games.

Showing one change to the side that beat Hyde last Saturday, with Shaun Whalley preferred to Alex Lawless, the Town were put under early pressure by the hosts’ long throws from either flank.

And it was a throw-in from the left that led to the Lambs taking the lead in the 13th minute. Tony Capaldi’s left-wing throw was half-cleared by the Town and picked up by Lateef Elford-Alliyu on the right. He sped into the penalty and squared for Courtney who made no mistake, stroking home past Mark Tyler – making his 200th appearance for the Town – from eight yards.

The Town were taking time to find their rhythm going forward as the home defence restricted them to striker from distance.

It was end-to-end stuff. Whenever the Town, chasing an equaliser, saw a move break down, the hosts – with the pacey Elford-Alliyu – always looked dangerous.

Indeed the Hatters were living dangerously and they were given a reprieve on 23 minutes when Alex Lacey’s wayward pass was seized by Andy Todd. His pass found Richard Peniket in space but he shot straight at Tyler.

And that proved to be the major turning point as on 31 minutes the Hatters were level in sensational fashion. With nothing on, Smith looked up 20 yards from goal and thundered an unstoppable goalwards that screamed past Cameron Belford in the Lambs’ goal.

It was Smith’s second goal in Town colours on what was his 50th appearance for the club and, all of a sudden, the midfielder’s goal had the Hatters’ tails up.

Then, 10 minutes after finding the equaliser, the Hatters were in front with another goal of real quality. Ths time the Town kept the ball patiently and Smith found Parry squad. Again, with little else on, the summer signing from Southport looked up and blasted a low shot beyond Belford into the bottom corner.

Having lost their one-goal lead, Tamworth made a double substitution at the break but 47 seconds after the restart the Hatters extended their lead with another fine goal. Whalley was the creator – sending a deep, indefensible free-kick swinging into the penalty area which was met by the head of Benson, craning his neck to head high into the roof of the net past Belford.

Tamworth were rocked by that and Gray almost struck a fourth goal moments later with a shot on the turn that brushed the side-netting to which the Town support momentarily celebrated.

However, on 56 minutes the Hatters hordes were celebrating when Benson notched his second. Gray was the provider, wrestling his marker off the ball to race goalwards. He spotted his strike partner alone in the area and the 34-year-old made no mistake from six yards to roll a first-time finish past Belford.

As the Town continued to press forward Smith was denied an even better goal on 62 minutes when his venomous shot from 25 yards was well-saved by Belford.

However, a minute later the Hatters’ three-goal advantage was cut to two when Elford-Alliyu was fouled in the penalty area and the striker dusted himself down to send Tyler the wrong way from the spot.

Tamworth were sensing that they could get something from the game as they put the Town defence under intense pressure. Tyler caught Lloyd Kerry’s header on 70 minutes before Steve McNulty did well to block Elford-Alliyu’s shot on 74 minutes.

However, it was squeaky backside time for the Town as Tamworth got another goal back to make it 4-3 on 76 minutes when Courtney scored his second when his low over-head kick nestled in the back of the net after the Hatters failed to clear a left-wing corner.

It was all the hosts as they poured forward in search of an equaliser but the Town spurned a great chance to make it 5-3 on 10 minutes when Whalley’s left-wing cross unintentionally struck Benson and the ball trickled agonisingly wide of the post.

A fifth would have sealed it but it kept the hosts’ hopes of earning a point alive and the Lambs came close to doing so on 83 minutes when substitute Nick Chadwick thumped a shot over the crossbar from 10 yards.

Chadwick glanced a header wide on 85 minutes as the Lambs desperately pushed for a late, late, equaliser but, as the rain poured and the time ticked away, the Town held on in another thriller.

Town: Tyler; Henry, Griffiths, McNulty, Lacey; Parry, Smith, Guttridge (sub Lawless 72); Whalley, Gray (sub Charles 87), Benson.

Subs not used: Cullen, Robinson, Justham.

Attendance: 2,066, including a magnificent 1,199 from the Town.

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/tamworth-gallery-1910-1122197.aspx

http://www.flickr.com/photos/liam2010/sets/72157636754069196/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o38GCToORcA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cb5cqE0fog

Hatters hold on to claim 4-3 victory in crazy Tamworth clash

Skrill Premier: Tamworth 3 (1) Luton Town 4 (2)

A crazy encounter at The Lamb this afternoon saw Luton Town hang on to claim a dramatic 4-3 victory over lowly Tamworth, writes Mark Wood.

The Hatters battled back from a goal down as they romped into a 4-1 lead thanks to brilliant long-range strikes from Jonathan Smith and Andy Parry at the end of the first half and a brace from target man Paul Benson as they seened to be well in charge with over an hour played.

But just when it looked like Town were in complete control they conceded two quick goals as they were forced to weather a late Tamworth onslaught as they battled to three hard-earned point when they should probably have won at a canter.

It means that Hatters have now scored 25 goals in their last eight games, with three threes and four fours, and conceded 12 as their rollercoaster season continues to gather pace with them still eight points behind leaders Camrbidge.

Town made just one change from the team that had beaten Hyde 5-1 the week before, Shaun Whalley coming in on the right of midfield for Alex Lawless who dropped to the bench.

Good combination play early on saw Andre Gray burst on to Benson’s touch and win a free-kick as he was tugged back on his way through, but surprisingly no card was forthcoming.

Tamworth signed three players in the buld-up to the game and on-loan Birmingham City full-back Ryan Higgins displayed one of his wares early on as he hurled a mammoth throw into the box that was easily repelled.

It quickly became apparent that the long throw was a pre-planned Lambs tactic as oppostive full-back Tony Capaldi proceeded to hurl a long ball in from the other side.

And the hosts took the lead on 13 minutes as the fleet-footed Lateef Elford-Alliyu scampered past two players in the box and pulled the ball back for former Hatters target and Tamworth captain Duane Courtney to sweep home from eight yards out.

Luton almost hit back on 21 minutes as Gray looked to outpace the home defence, but Ben Richards-Everton got back to put in a brilliant last-ditch challenge.

However, the Lambs almost doubled their lead two minutes later when Andy Todd strode forward and, as Steve McNulty stumbled, his pass found Richard Peniket who could only roll tamely at Mark Tyler.

The slope across the width of the pitch made it difficult for both sides as Gray skirted the edge of the area before dragging wide.

A McNulty mistake allowed Elford-Alliyu to race clear on the half hour, but the pace on the ball and slope forced him too wide.

Out of nothing though the Hatters levelled on 31 minutes when Smith let fly from fully 30 yards and keeper Cameron Belford’s weak attempt to keep it out made no difference as his strike found the top corner.

And things got even better 10 minutes later when Smith teed up Parry 25 yards out and the young midfielder fizzed home to the hapless Belford’s right.

Guttridge fired a dipping free-kick harmlessly over before the break as Town led 2-1 at the interval thanks to two quality strikes.

Tamworth made a double change at the break as new signings Nick Chadwick and Lee Hildreth were introduced for Andy Todd and Richard Baker. But it took Town just 50 seconds to net their third in the second half as Whalley’s far post free-kick found the diving Benson to power home his header into the top corner.

On a high, Town sensed blood as Gray dragged an effort just wide and then lobbed wastefully over after racing on to Guttridge’s pass.

At the other end Tamworth’s appeals for a peanlty were ignored on 51 minutes as Chadwick tumbled close to McNulty.

The Lambs continued to persevere with their long throws into the box, but it was Town that seemingly put the game to bed on 54 minutes. Gray did superbly to outmuscle and turn Richards-Everton in one motion as he broke clear down the right and then sensibly squared for the unmarked Benson to steer home from six yards.

However, a Lambs long throw almost paid dividends on 59 minutes when two Town players got in each other’s way as the ball ran to Mark Wright at the far post, but his firm strike was thankfully straight at Tyler, making his 200th appearance for the Hatters.

Another brilliant 30-yarder from Smith forced a flying stop out of Belford on 61 minutes as the Hatters threatened to run away with it.

But tigerish Tamworth refused to meekly surrender like Lambs as they came roaring back. The impressive Elford-Alliyu got the better of McNulty as he surged into the box and then seemed to go down under pressure from Ronnie Henry as referee Robert Whitton pointed to the spot and the same player got back up to fire straight down the middle on 64 minutes.

The hosts proceeded to exert plenty of pressure as they threatened to bulldoze their way back into the back. The experienced Chadwick twice went close with headers as Town looked to finally calm proceedings down.

Lawless replaced the tiring Guttridge on 72 minutes, but it was the Lambs who continued to press as they cut Town’s lead to just one with 14 minutes to play. The Hatters failed to deal with a Tamworth corner and Courtney was allowed to somehow hook home his second of the day.

With Luton rarely threatening Gray did break clear again on 79 minutes but saw his cross cut out before Town should have scored a fifth with 10 minutes to go. Gray failed to connect properly with Whalley’s cross and Benson’s touch somehow squited just wide.

Tamworth laid siege to the Luton goal with throw-after-throw and corner-after-corner as the Hatters struggled to clear their lines.

Chadwick fired just over on 83 minutes from Richards-Everton’s knockdown before Gray was sacrificed for Anthony Charles as Town looked to shore things up late on.

Heavy rain started to hammer down at the death as Tamworth bombarded the Luton goal at every opportunity and, despite four minutes of stoppage time being played, Town held on to claim three invaluable points.

Thunder and lightning broke out after the final whistle and more controversy saw a Luton fan led from the field at the death after he tried to join Town’s post-match huddle in what has now become a common occurrence at Kenilworth Road.

Lambs (4-4-2): Cameron Belford, Ben Richards-Everton, Lloyd Kerry, Richard Baker (Lee Hildreth 46), Duane Courtney (C), Richard Peniket, Tony Capaldi, Andy Todd (Nick Chadwick 46), Ryan Higgins, Lateef Elford-Alliyu, Mark Wright (Justin Richards 65). Substitutes not used: Matt Regan, Kaiyne Woolery.

Hatters (4-4-2): Mark Tyler, Jonathan Smith, Steve McNulty, Scott Griffiths, Andy Parry, Luke Guttridge (Alex Lawless 72), Shaun Whalley, Ronnie Henry (C), Paul Benson, Andre Gray (Anthony Charles 87), Alex Lacey. Substitutes not used: Mark Cullen, Elliot Justham, Matt Robinson.

Referee: Robert Whitton. Assistant Referees: Christopher Ward and Alix Pashley. Fourth Official: Nicholas Barnard.

Attendance: 2,066 (Luton 1,199)

Star Hatter: Paul Benson. Took his goals well, should have had a hat-trick and linked play superbly.