Vanarama National League North
Jonny Bonell reports from Aggborough
Attendance: 668
IT WAS two goals in the space of two first half minutes which swung a feisty Midlands’ derby in the favour of Tamworth tonight (Tuesday) as they walked away 2-1 winners against Worcester City.
Shane Clarke and Elliott Durrell – the latters’ second in two games – bagged efforts in a largely forgettable first half to put Andy Morrell’s men well on their way to retaining their 100% start to the season.
Despite a much improved second 45 from the hosts, which saw Ryan Rowe pull one back to set up a grandstand finale, it was easy to see why Tamworth are up there with the favourites for this seasons Vanarama North.
Morrell had his men organised and disciplined throughout and repelled everything Worcester threw at them, including a mass onslaught in the final five minutes.
In an utterly forgetful first 20 minutes in their Aggborough opener, Worcester – who fielded an unchanged side from the one which drew up at Gainsborough – failed to test James Belshaw’s while Paul Green’s high and wide strike from 25 yards was the closest the visitors came.
The game suddenly sparked into life after 21 minutes when two goals in just 180 seconds put The Lambs in complete control.
Clarke was quickest to latch on to a Daniel Newton flick and fire a wonderful 20-yard effort over the top of Nathan Vaughan before Durrell – who scored his side’s only goal in their 1-0 success at the weekend – pounced on a Kieran Morris mistake to fire past Nathan Vaughan.
Carl Heeley showed his intention by abandoning the 3-5-2 and switching to a more conventional 4-4-2, with the unfortunate Morris making way for midfielder Connor Gater.
The switch seemed to have the desired effect as there was more purpose about Worcester’s play, however a horror clash of heads between Tyler Weir and Curtis Strong marred proceedings as both players spent several minutes flat on the deck.
The pair, both with blood wounds to the head, were replaced with City officials incensed Strong hadn’t seen red for his part in the incident.
Worcester came out in the second half a rejuvenated side and both Sean Geddes and captain Ellis Deeney went close as the hosts looked for a route back into a game which was slowly drifting away from them.
Heeley must have known it wasn’t going to be his side’s night as with just 15 minutes to go the giant Clayton McDonald’s goal bound header was cleared off the line before Gater’s attempted follow-up was charged down.
But just when Worcester thought all was lost, Daniel Nti produced a lung bursting run down the right and whipped in a perfect deliver for the advancing Rowe to prod home his second goal in two games for his new side.
The hosts threw everything at Tamworth – with Belshaw denying new signing Jamie Spencer from close range in the dying seconds – but it wasn’t to be as Worcester’s first home game ended in defeat.