Tamworth vs Luton Town FC (25th Sep 2012)

Blue Square Bet Premier Tamworth 1 (1) Luton Town 2 (0)

A treble substitution inspired Luton to come back from the dead last night at the Lamb as they battled back from a goal down to beat Tamworth 2-1, writes Mark Wood.

Substitutes Yaser Kasim and Stuart Fleetwood both netted in a frenetic four-minute second half spell as the Hatters somehow snatched victory from the jaws of defeat after a dismal first half showing.

Town made two changes from the side that fell to a painful 4-1 defeat at Grimsby on Friday night as Connor Essam replaced Janos Kovacs at centre-half and Lathaniel Rowe-Turner came in for Fleetwood, both dropping to the bench as Luton reverted to a traditional 4-4-2 formation.

The visitors enjoyed a number of early corners with Jake Howells’ volley from Alex Lawless’ delivery repelled on five minutes.

Scott Rendell’s superb reverse pass put Andre Gray in on 11 minutes who teed up Jon Shaw, but the target man’s effort was blocked by a defender.

On a slick pitch Tamworth looked to make the most of their long throws, while the Hatters fired some testing balls into the box.

Town once more showed their vulnerability from set-pieces when Scott Barrow curled his free-kick to the far post where the unmarked John Dempster was on hand to head home on 23 minutes.

Moments later the Lambs curled another free-kick where captain Tom Marshall looped home his header, only for Luton to be saved by the referee’s whistle for a foul.

Shaw hooked a deep free-kick back into the box just before the half hour but Essam’s header ran wide as Town were again massively disappointing.

Every time Tamworth put the ball into the box, Hatters’ defence looked jittery as Marshall threatened before being penalised.

Lloyd Kerry slid in with a terrible tackle from behind on JJ O’Donnell on 36 minutes as the Luton youngster reacted angrily and the offender was shown a yellow card.

Lawless was then booked a minute before the break when he reacted to Adam Cunnington’s challenge before Kerry was extremely lucky not to be shown a second yellow moments later for a trip on Howells, the referee choosing to give him a final warning instead.

Lawless then drove wide in stoppage time as boos from the away end rang out at the end of an abject first half.

Tamworth almost doubled their lead in the opening moments of the second period when Cunnington drove to the byline and looked to put it on a plate for former Hatter Tommy Wright, but Dean Beckwith got back in the nick of time to deny him.

Beckwith escaped shouts of handball against him on 51 minutes as the Hatters struggled to create anything in a scrappy game lacking any kind of quality.

Just before the hour Town made a treble substitution in a bid to get back into the match, Fleetwood, Kasim and Jake Robinson coming on for Rowe-Turner, Shaw and Ronnie Henry.

Barrow cut in from the left and stroked tamely at Mark Tyler as the rain came, before the Hatters levelled out of the blue on 63 minutes.

Fleetwood was the instigator as his cross found Kasim and, after the on-loan Brighton man had had his first effort blocked, his instantaneous follow-up crept inside the far post to level the scores.

The game suddenly burst into life on 66 minutes when Peter Till played in the onrushing Kerry and Tyler saved brilliantly at his feet and, as the ball squirmed loose, a marvellous block denied the Lambs as the ball ricocheted around in the box before Tyler reacted instinctively to slide in to clear with his feet.

Town countered immediately, Robinson releasing Gray who stretched the Tamworth defence to just keep the ball in.

He found Howells who teed up Fleetwood, who stepped inside his man before firing an unstoppable effort past Tony Breeden.

The keeper angrily raced over to berate the linesman for not giving a goal-kick, but the decision stood as Breeden was booked.

Cunnington lashed wide moments later before Dempster was booked for a foul as the game grew increasingly tetchy.

The ball seemed to hit Beckwith’s arm in the box on 71 minutes but nothing was given as Kerry’s cross picked out Wright at the far post but his point-blank header was straight at Tyler.

A massive Breeden clearance threatened to bounce over Tyler, while Town should then have added a third on 77 minutes when Beckwith’s clearance ran for Fleetwood who raced in behind and pulled the ball pack to Rendell, but his side-footed effort was crucially blocked.

A flowing Hatters counter saw Robinson’s clearance run for Gray and his pass left Fleetwood one-on-one with the keeper but he scooped over.

Gray’s canny curler skirted the post seconds later as Luton looked to play on the break with Tamworth desperately pushing forward for an equaliser.

Four minutes of injury time was added but the Hatters held out to claim a vital victory.

Lambs (4-4-2): Tony Breeden, George Baldock, Tom Marshall (C), Adam Cunnington, Tommy Wright, Lloyd Kerry, Shaun Jeffers (Charlie Collins 89), Duane Courtney. Peter Till, Scott Barrow (Connor Gudger 86), John Dempster. Substitutes not used: James Wren, Marcus Kelly, Jorden Ivy-Ward.

Hatters (4-4-2): Mark Tyler, Lathaniel Rowe-Turner (Jake Robinson 58), Dean Beckwith, Alex Lawless, Jon Shaw (Stuart Fleetwood 58), Scott Rendell, JJ O’Donnell, Connor Essam, Ronnie Henry (C,Yaser Kasim 58), Andre Gray, Jake Howells. Substitutes not used: Janos Kovacs, Dan Walker.

Bookings: Kerry 36; Lawless 44; Breeden 66; Dempster 69.

Referee: P Rees.

Assistant Referees: M Walsh and C Grundy.

Fourth Official: S Richardson.

Attendance: 1,137 (Luton 390).

Star Hatter: Yaser Kasim. Inspired Hatters comeback.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/W2tGNCHkd4U

Town boss Paul Buckle had mixed reactions after seeing his side fight-back from a goal down to grind out a valuable three points at Tamworth.

Two goals in four second-half minutes from substitutes Yaser Kasim and Stuart Fleetwood cancelled out John Dempster's first-half header for the hosts.

Again the Town's Achilles heel at the back reared its ugly head with Dempster's effort coming from a set-piece, but the manager was pleased with the spirit shown by his players – and the travelling 390 supporters – that in the end saw the Hatters over the line in sodden conditions at the Lamb.

“We've had to really work hard for the three points and again we've not made life easy for ourselves,” Buckle said afterwards. “It was a carbon copy of what's been our downfall of late and a free-header in our box for their goal put everybody under pressure and we must cut it out.

“We knew it wasn't going to be a beautiful game of football tonight, we knew it was going to be tough and that we had to fight and we chose a team and a system to deal with that.

“In open play I thought we did but the set-play put us under pressure. We know to get out of this league you've got to be tight at the back. We had plenty of height in the team tonight but haven't dealt with one high ball into the box – and that's got to change.

“But I've got to congratulate the fans and the players because they've stuck with it. Tamworth are not on a bad run – they were a point behind us in the table before tonight.

“We must be careful because we can't believe we're going to steamroller teams. We've dug in and the fans have stayed with us on a miserable night and the boys have come off the bench to get the goals. It was a real team effort.”