| Match Report |
As the cliché goes this was a game of two halves, with Tamworth having the best of the first scoring four times in a scintillating 20 minute spell and Bloxwich coming back hard in the second with the town side showing real grit and determination to hold on to the win.
Tamworth made an uncharacteristically slow start to the game as Bloxwich enjoyed the majority of possession and although they pushed Tamworth back they didn't work GK Nicky Youngman enough, and in almost their first attack Tamworth took the lead Fiona Wylie scoring following a flowing move down the right. This spurred Tamworth on as they showcased attacking flair and clinical finishing scoring three more times in a 20 minute spell, at the heart of the towns attacks Clare Phillips, Resh Kaur and Gemma Rayson combined superbly down the right flank, Rayson scored her 9th and 10th goals of the season before Claire Miles hit the towns fourth following a one-two with Fiona Wylie.
Bloxwich still looked dangerous on the break and pulled a goal back after the initial shot was saved onto the post but fell kindly for the attacker to slot home. Rayson had a chance to score a first half hat-trick when daughter Jess pressed high at a sixteen hit to win the ball and make a perfectly weighted pass to mom Gemma, but she saw her shot just miss the target, and the town went into the break with a commanding 4-1 lead.
The second session was a different story however for the town side as Bloxwich hit back strongly scoring within the opening minute of the half with a fine individual effort, this gave them real confidence and they pushed the town back, but some super defending from Sarah Hutchins and Audrey Warburton kept them at bay. At the other end of the field Tamworth struggled to find the fluency in their play as they did in the first half, debutant Lara Hudson and Sheena Williams both worked tirelessly for the team but it was the home side who looked the most dangerous in attack and they scored a third goal to make the final five minutes a nervy affair for Tamworth but they showed their experience as they held on to the win to keep them top of the table in the early stages of the season.
PoM Audrey Warburton
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