LIVE updates from our man at The Lamb, Jonny Bonell, where Worcester City continue their festive Vanarama Conference North action against in-form Tamworth.
The live update has now finished.
– There wasn’t much in the game but Paul Green’s close range strike with just under 20 minutes remaining was the difference today. Neither side created a bucket load of chances as the two play-off hopefuls cancelled each other out for the majority of the encounter. Tamworth secure their seventh league win on the spin and Worcester’s eight-game unbeaten league run comes to a disappointing end. Thanks for following today.
FULL-TIME: TAMWORTH 1-0 WORCESTER CITY
90min: Yellow card – Belshaw goes into the book for time wasting at a goal kick.
90min: Geddes this time whips a much better free-kick in which evades everyone and flies a whisker past the far post.
90min: SUB: Taylor is brought off for Thornton.
90min: Geddes free-kick is really poor and doesn’t beat the first man.
90min: Yellow card – Clarke goes in the book for a late challenge on Waldron. SUB: Daniels is now substituted for Trainer.
88min: Thomas makes a late charge from the back but his effort from 25-yard is straight at Belshaw and comfortably dealt with by the stopper.
87min: Time running out here for City, the eight-game unbeaten league run looks like it will be coming to a disappointing end.
84min: Weir cuts in from the left and strikes an effort which is deflected behind. Waldron comes on for Gater in City’s final change. Geddes ball in is met by Thomas whose goal-bound header is deflected just over. Second corner comes to nothing.
80min: Daniels makes another dangerous run down the left and his cross has to be deflected behind by Hutchison. Corner comes to nothing.
79min: Nti finds a bit of space on the edge of the box but hits his effort as he is falling and it is comfortably held by Belshaw.
Attendance: 810
78min: SUB: Symons replaced by Nick Wright.
74min: SUB: Dunkley comes on for Murphy in City’s first change.
72min: Yellow card: Geddes now gets his name taken for a late challenge in the middle.
More on goal: This time Daniels gets his delivery spot on, it took a nick but Green was on hand to poke the ball past Veiga from close range.
71min: GOAL: Tamworth 1-0 Worcester City – Paul Green
70min: Yellow card: Thomas picks up a booking now for a rash lunge on Green.
65min: Deeney rolls the free-kick square to Gater who takes a touch before slicing a half-volley wide of the goal.
65min: Yellow card: James now goes into the book for an obstruction on Nti.
63min: Daniels free-kick is deflected across the face but Veiga does well and collects the ball at Green’s feet.
60min: Yellow card: Rowe picks up the first booking of the game for a blatent block on Daniels who was breaking at speed after Thomas gave the ball away to Hibbert. Free-kick ballooned over once more from Daniels.
58min: Probably City’s best moment of the game as Geddes works space for himself in the middle of the park and rifles a shot towards goal which Belshaw gets everything behind.
57min: Chance for City on the break as Gater releases Symons, but the striker is held up and Deeney has to settle for a throw which comes to nothing.
55min: Geddes plays the ball back to the hosts and play has resumed.
54min: Clark and Deeney both go down in the middle after an aerial challenge.
51min: Green whips a dangerous ball in from the right which Hibbert gets a touch on but Rowe does well to block it behind for a corner. Corner comes to nothing.
49min: Murphy does well in the Tamworth box and plays in Gater but his weak cross is saved. Daniels then whips a dangerous ball in from the left which Hibbert is inches away from connecting with.
47min: Daniels makes a better fist of things just minutes later as he turns Hutchison and fizzes an effort which is comfortably dealt with by Veiga.
46min: Best chance of the game, and one of the worst misses you will see. Taylor found space on the left and pulled back to Daniels but the substitute fired wildy high over the top.
SUB: Player-manager Morrell comes off for Daniels.
Players back out and the second half is underway.
– Very little in terms of chances and quality to shout about. Both sides simply cancelling each other out. Tamworth and Worcester to their credit both trying to play football the right way, but are being met by a stubborn opposition defence or a lack of quality in the final third. Let’s hope for an improvement in the second 45.
Half time: Tamworth 0-0 Worcester City
1 minute added time.
44min: Deeney’s deep free-kick isn’t met cleanly by Hutchison and the ball goes straight out for another Tamworth goal-kick.
41min: Dangerous City free-kick comes to nothing.
38min: Hibbert finds a bit of space on the edge of the box but Thomas is quick to close him down and block the shot.
36min: Decent spell this from City, dominating possession at the moment but Weir’s touch from Murphy’s pull-back is far too heavy and the ball goes behind.
35min: Nice passing move from the visitors with Nti, Deeney and Thomas involved but the latter over runs the ball and it goes out for a goal-kick.
33min: End to end encounter here, but neither side able to thread that final ball to carve open the opposition.
30min: Temporary internet issues here at The Lamb. No real chances of note in the last 15. Thomas headed wide a Deeney delivery and Symons forced an easy save out of Belshaw.
17min: Symons flick-on sends Geddes forward as City break, the midfielder then plays in Nti but he rolled his effort across the box and it was easy for Belshaw.
15min: Taylor’s deep cross is well defended at the back post by Weir with Hibbert breathing down his neck. Vidal then makes a burst into the box but Gater stops his progress. Good attacking spell by the hosts.
13min: The Tamworth midfielder receives his treatment and the game is back underway.
12min: Clarke down following a heavy collision with Gater in the centre of the park.
8min: Murphy fouls Vidal on the right hand side about 25-yards out but Taylor’s delivery is comfortably headed away by Deeney.
5min: Small pocket of Worcester fans have made the trip today and making some noise away to our left. No chances to note.
2min: Nti wins the first free-kick of the game and Deeney’s delivery finds Thomas at the back post who tries to fire it back across the face of goal but it flies out for a throw in.
KICK OFF
– The two teams are out here and we are about ready for kick off.
– You can read how Jackman labelled the Aggborough pitch against Hednesford one of the worst he has ever played on by clicking here.
– Carl Heeley makes two changes to the team which started the Boxing Day affair against Hednesford Town. Jose Veiga comes in for Nathan Vaughan with Wayne Thomas returning to his old stomping ground in place of Danny Jackman. Both Vaughan and Jackman are left out of the squad. Phil Trainer, who played for City on loan at the start of last season, is on the bench for Tamworth, as is Kevin Thornton who bagged their equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Aggborough in August.
– The teams are in:
Tamworth: James Belshaw; Javan Vadal, Josh Sampson, Thomas James, Dan Preston; Jon Adams, Paul Green (C), Shane Clarke, Connor Taylor; Dave Hibbert, Andy Morrell SUBS: Phil Trainer, Sean Wilkins, Kevin Thornton, Kayden Jackson, Brendon Daniels
Worcester City: Jose Veiga; Graham Hutchison, Tyler Weir, Jacob Rowe, Wayne Thomas; Connor Gater, Ellis Deeney (C); Daniel Nti, Sean Geddes, Jordan Murphy; Mike Symons SUBS: Nick Wright, Tristan Dunkley, Connor Gudger, Dean Waldron, Michael Taylor
Referee: Robert Massey-Ellis
– Completely contrasting conditions in sunny Staffordshire today as of those for City’s Boxing Day fixture against Hednesford. You can re-live the farcical weather – which led to the postponement of the game – in our live blog or match report.
– Welcome to The Lamb Ground, the home of Tamworth FC, where Carl Heeley’s men will be looking to secure themselves another three points in their quest for the play-offs with a victory over last season’s relegated Conference Premier outfit Tamworth. To see our preview ahead of the game click here.