Tamworth claimed a 2:1 victory over Waldston on Saturday evening at Lam Ground, moving them off the bottom of the National League table. The match concluded the ninth round of fixtures in what has been a difficult campaign for both sides. Olomola opened the scoring in the eleventh minute before a dramatic second half changed the complexion of the game.
The home side controlled proceedings for long stretches, enjoying 54 per cent possession and registering 102 attacks compared to Waldston's 86. Olomola's early effort proved decisive, but the visitors refused to lie down after going behind. Milnes picked up a yellow card in the thirty-sixth minute as Tamworth looked comfortable.
By then, the momentum had shifted. McAvoy was sent off in the sixty-eighth minute, and Waldston immediately made it count. Tshikuna converted the resulting penalty five minutes later, levelling the scores and keeping his side in contention. The red card forced Waldston to work channels they had not needed to access for most of the match.
And here's the thing about football — you can dominate possession and still find yourself chasing the game. Waldston had only two shots on target to Tamworth's five, yet they were level at the interval. The visitors' single corner highlighted how little they threatened in the final third before McAvoy's dismissal.
Hutchinson settled the contest in the ninetieth minute, slotting home after Waldston's defence had lost its man. The goal came after Tamworth had substituted Olomola in the seventy-first minute, a change that clearly worked. The visitors finished with ten men and could do little to prevent a fourth consecutive defeat.
The result moves Tamworth to twenty-first place on eight points, level on points with Waldston who sit one position above them. Both sides have suffered five defeats from nine games and face a long road ahead. Tamworth's recent form had been poor — three straight losses before this win — but the late drama provided something to build on.
