Silencing The Lambs

Tamworth 0-1 Woking (National League)

It's Saturday and they're talking long throw ins and set plays on the radio ahead of the lunch time kick off between Tottenham and Manchester United. The modern game has gone direct with coaching focussed on beating the low block. It seems the only way to conquer it is by getting the ball into the opposition box.

Arsenal are the direct daddies, averaging over 30 touches per game in the opposition box this season, whilst Burnley are bottom of the Premier League table, just sixteen times a game on average they have been in the opposition box, the Gunners Saturday night opponents Sunderland not much better, with less than 200 touches inside their opponents area this season, despite riding high in English footballs top division.

The best in the land at it however, are probably Tamworth? The National League team managed by Andy Peaks are one of the most direct around, famed in recent years for Tom Tonks and his huge throws, he can reach the area from the half way line and will often attempt to do so at every possibility. Woking Manager Neal Ardley has prepared his team for over 60 box entries today from the Lambs attack, he knows the Cards need to be at it defensively in Staffordshire, and is prepared to shuffle his pack to counter Tamworth's physical and direct set piece threat.

I'm out the door for lunch time, Woking's form has been ok recently despite sitting in the bottom half of the table. Two wins and three draws in their last five league games has them heading in the right direction but they should have beat Southend on Wednesday I'm told, but for conceding a last minute leveller. It would have been the first team in the top half they've beaten this season.

Tamworth in mid table have lost their last two, at home to Boston a fortnight ago, they were also beaten in the FA Cup by Leyton Orient on Monday night, despite giving their League One opponents a real good scare. A tight game is assured today as I head across the A42, arriving on a side street around the corner from the ground a little past 1pm.

The Venue

I'm early as the journey from my house was only 45 minutes, as I walk through the main gates Tamworth star player Beck-Rey Enoru arrives in a red Hyundai i30. The steward giving him a nod as he drives through the car park, Kwaku Donkor in the passenger seat, a reminder that it's far from glitz and glamour when it comes to footballers modes of transport at this level.

The Woking bus is here as some players get lightly applauded off by a handful of Woking fans. The huge wasteland outside the Lamb ground is used for a car park but not yet even a quarter full, as I head for the doors of main reception. An old portacabin which has a small glass cabinet with what I think is the Birmingham Senior Cup in it.

I'm not on the list but two friendly girls on the desk let me in and ask if i know where I'm going? I nod my head before walking around the back of the old tin stand, past more warn down portacabins, to my seat, not before grabbing a cup of tea and a twix from the burger truck.

It's great here, the press seats are about eight rows high at the back of a seated stand so it offers you a real close up and personal spectacle of the match, you can see and hear everything from being right on top of the touchline. The stadium itself is intimate, intimidating perhaps, low metal red roofs, an open end to my right, a noisy stand of away supporters high to my left, terraced houses behind, a sloped surface these days of tired looking 4g.

The Woking press guy is here, I ask him how long his journey took? "not long" he tells me... "My in-laws live in Tamworth so I came down last night with the other half to see them".

BBC Radio Surrey are also here today, former Woking Director Ian Nicholson sitting next to me on co-comms, he's a lovely fella as we share intel about today's match line ups.

The Game

Woking have made three changes and it's a change of shape I'm told as Neal Ardley is often conservative with his approach, concerned by opponents threats. The Cardinals have been playing with five at the back in recent matches but today looks like 433. I ask their media man "how has Oli Sanderson been playing" and he shows me a picture of him from the last game, busted eye which I think he did after clashing heads with his own player. "Really well" I'm told, after a slow start from injury he's settling into life at Woking. A player I was impressed by on loan at Oxford City as a teenager, he's still only 21 having joined in the summer from Fulham.

Tamworth have their own number nine (wearing 39) who's a local cult hero at the other end of his career. Dan Creaney has returned to the club on loan after a short spell at Solihull down the road. He's very much a target man for the Tom Tonks long throw which is yet again an obvious tactical ploy today.

It's a frantic start but I'm impressed with Woking in yellow, who look up for it and organised. Anything long is instantly headed back by big Chinwike Okoli at centre back, he's all over Creaney like a rash, whilst Tim Akinola snaps away with physical presence in midfield, young Matty Ward out right offers some guile and quality the few times he touches the ball.

Tamworth do have chances, one falls to Creaney by chance, Tom Tonks bobbles a long range effort into the strikers path who scuffs inside the area. He then scuffs another attempt after good work down the left by Enoru, you feel a year ago he would have netted both, he doesn't look at full flow today, perhaps being used sporadically by Solihull hasn't helped his fitness or sharpness in front of goal?

The Score

There's a good half hour of the ball going back and fourth before a couple of challenges are waved away by the rather relaxed referee who seems to prefer to keep his whistle in his pocket. Tim Akinola comes out with the ball and passes to Oli Sanderson on the edge of the Tamworth area, he turns and shoots low a belting goal to give the away side what I feel is a deserved lead.

That lifts the mood of the media team besides me, the radio guys have banter with the locals sitting in the stand, all in jest, as a number of tackles flying in get waved away by the Referee, I like the games flow, ugly, committed, honest, proper non league, I think Tamworth centre half Kennedy Digie has headed it more than he's kicked it today. It's that sort of game.

Despite a couple of scares with Jaaskelainen nervously flapping underneath his crossbar, the long throw ins have been dealt with and there's a sigh of relief besides me when Tom Tonks is taken off on the hour. He's probably the least talented player Tamworth have got but is the one you would probably keep on the pitch the longest? As soon as he's removed you can tell that Woking are more at ease with seeing the game out without having to defend his missiles, a psychological win for tactical team Ardley with 30 minutes and more to play.

Those final thirty are Tamworth thrusting forward, Woking clearing their lines, Boatswain actually forces the best moment of the half with a long range shot saved well by Jas Singh to his right. The atmosphere by now brilliant, the supporters from Surrey singing their hearts out as Lamb fans lift their vocals to wish home a leveller. But it doesn't come. 92 minutes are played as a corner is floated in, Duku rising unmarked heads wide, it's probably Tamworth's best chance all game, the only time any of their players had been given any space inside the area, unlike at Southend on Wednesday, they got away with that one, and take home a deserving three points against a top half team for the first time this season.

The Stars

As I pat Ian Nicholson on the shoulder I tell him "hard to call a man of the match today" as they all played really well in Woking shirts.

I'm impressed with centre halves Okoli and Tunji Akinola who covered each other when needed, aerially they were both magnificent and put their bodies on the line to combat Tamworth's constant threat. Akinola taking one for the team late on when he hauled back a Tamworth attacker on the one occasion they got in behind him. A deserved yellow card which won't bother him one bit.

Full backs Drewe and Richards doing well against tricky wingers, in midfield Tim Akinola was a stand out with a good strong physical performance. One crunching tackle late on had the Woking media man next to me clench his fists, whilst in attack Oliver Sanderson shown his quality with a finely taken goal, he had another chance on the break where he curled inches wide, he's neat and a lovely striker with a big future ahead of him, Josh Kelly coming off the bench and adding more firepower late on, he works hard with quality and Woking have done well to get him on loan from Wimbledon, whilst Matty Ward out right shown good technique on the ball, he looks a talented winger having come through the Ipswich Town Academy system.

Not a good day for Tamworth who's sponsor gave Beck-Ray Enoru man of the match. Lightening quick I don't think he had his best game out left, in the final third his end product can leave a lot to be desired, which is why he's probably still at this level. They do have a really good right back in Kwaku Donkor who I think is up there as one of the best in the division, strong and quick with good defensive attributes, whilst centre half Kennedy Digie is one of my favourites, solid, committed, aerially brilliant, he was perhaps Tamworth's best player on the day.

Tamworth's performance wasn't short of commitment, Alfie Bates ran his socks off in midfield, Tom Tonks battled as he always does, their attacking threat doesn't feel as balanced as it used to be, Ronan Maher is talented, but I'm yet to see him sparkle as high as his potential perhaps suggests (he's on loan from Walsall for a second campaign at the Lamb), Dan Creaney in attack just a little off it, maybe he needs more games underneath his belt.

The Verdict

I was really impressed with Woking and in Neal Ardley they have a Manager who knows how to do 'ok' in this league, defensively solid, midfield they have a good blend and in attack, they look to have goals, it was surprising to see someone as good as Josh Kelly on the bench, whilst I'm told both Tariq Hinds and Joshua Osude (both on the bench) are very good, they even rested Jake Forster-Caskey today, struggling with an arm injury with the game on a tough synthetic surface, it seemed to be a good decision by the Manager as the match may have passed him by, instead opting for a more robust midfield which suited the game plan.

As for Tamworth, they'll be more than ok, currently eleventh in the table they'll take some big scalps and might lose the odd game they shouldn't. The Lamb will always be a tough place to come and get a result, not many I predict, will take three points here this season, but those who do, will have to be on it from the start, which is exactly how Woking approached and delivered the game. Tactically, physically and mentally, superb.

The Teams

Tamworth: Jas Singh, Kwaku Donkor, Kennedy Digie, Haydn Hollis, Luke Fairlamb, Alfie Bates (Jordan Ponticelli 83), Tom Tonks (Ben Milnes 58), Ronan Maher (Harvey Sayer 58), Stefan Mols (Oliver Lynch 70), Beck-Ray Enoru, Dan Creaney (Immanuelson Duku 70).

Woking: Will Jaaskelainen, Aaron Drewe, Chinwike Okoli, Tunji Akinola, Caleb Rchards, Tim Akinola, Harry Beautyman, Jamie Andrews, Matty Ward (Joshua Osude 79), Ashley Boatswain (Josh Kelly 70), Oli Sanderson (Jake Forster-Caskey 88).

3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 8th November 2025, The Lamb Ground, Tamworth (att 1,070).