Scarborough Athletic slip to 2-0 loss on the road at leaders Tamworth

Home keeper Jas Singh was never tested in his 203rd appearance for the club, writes Steve Adamson.

On a lovely afternoon in Staffordshire, the home side were on top for long periods, as Boro slipped to their sixth defeat in seven away matches in National League North.

Jamie Jellis squared to skipper Ben Milnes, whose shot was blocked by Kieran Weledji, the lively Kyle Finn twice fired wide of the left post, and Ty Deacon headed a cross from Jamie Willets straight at Joe Cracknell.

Boro attacks saw Luca Colville set up Dom Tear, whose fierce shot was blocked by Jordan Cullinane-Liburd, then a ball across the goalmouth by Tear towards Frank Mulhern, was scrambled clear by Willets.

On 19 minutes Finn passed to Nathan Tshikuna, who fired goal-wards, and Cracknell saved with his legs, but the deadlock was broken two minutes later when a long-throw from the left by Cullinane-Liburd was headed-on by Deacon, with the ball dropping to Finn, who drilled his shot inside the left-hand post.

Boro played some attractive football with neat passing moves involving Colville, Tear, Alex Purver and Alex Brown, while Ryan Qualter was excellent at the back, winning some towering headers, but the Tamworth back-line was rarely threatened and it was the home side who looked more likely to add to their lead.

Tshikuna fired straight at Cracknell, before Boro went close in first half stoppage time, when Lewis Maloney’s 25-yarder was blocked by Cullinane-Liburd.

A double substitution at the interval saw the introduction of Bailey Gooda and Michael Coulson, but Tamworth remained in control. A Tshikuna strike was palmed over by Cracknell then Purver did well to block a volley from Cullinane-Liburd.

Boro tried to fight back, Brown went on a couple of surging runs down the left flank, and good interplay between Weledji and Colville ended with Weledji shooting narrowly wide, then Gooda suffered a nasty cut above his eye in a clash of heads with Tamworth’s Deacon.

Coulson had a shot deflected wide by Matt Curley and Harry Green came on to inject fresh energy to the Boro attack, which was now three-pronged with Weledji pushed forward to join Coulson and Green up front.

Jellis shot straight at Cracknell, and also curled a 30-yard free kick wide, before Tamworth doubled their lead on 81 minutes, when Lindon Meikle laid off to Tshikuna on the penalty arc, and he smashed his shot into the bottom left corner.

Boro went in search of a late consolation, Green having a strike charged down by Cullinane-Liburd, then in stoppage time home keeper Singh made his first save, diving to stop a Coulson shot, but an offside flag meant it wouldn’t have counted anyway, as Tamworth held on for a sixth successive league clean-sheet, and Boro headed home empty handed.

TAMWORTH - Singh, Curley, Milnes (Meikle 70), Willets, Jellis, Cullinane-Liburd, Finn (Williams 77), Fairlamb, Tshikuna (Reilly 82), Deacon, Arlott-John

BORO - Cracknell, Weledji, Brown, Maloney, Thornton, Qualter, Purver, Tear (Coulson 46), Mulhern (Green 66), Barnes (Gooda 46), Colville

REFEREE - Jack Hall

GOALS - TAMWORTH - Kyle Finn 21, Nathan Tshikuna 81

YELLOW CARDS - TAMWORTH - Ty Deacon; BORO - Alex Purver, Luca Colville, Alex Brown, Will Thornton

BORO MAN OF MATCH - Alex Purver

ATTENDANCE - 1,301 (144 away)