Men's 1's one step closer to Lee Valley
Posted by on 2 March 2015
The Men's 1st XI are just one game away from a National Vase final at Lee Valley in the Olympic Park after sensationally beating Hereford in a shootout the quarter finals this weekend.
On Sunday Tamworth dramatically won their National Vase quarter final with Hereford 8-7 on penalty flicks following a 3-3 draw in normal time to progress into the semi finals. Town made the long trip and were carrying a few weary legs from the previous day’s game but started in a positive fashion as the game ebbed and flowed from end to end. Unfortunately for Tamworth it was the hosts who broke the deadlock but Tamworth soon bounced back and as they became more confident chances began to come. One of these came when Ryan Brisco picked out Tom Hancox and he squared for Tom Sperrink to open the scoring with a slapshot into the gaping goal. Tamworth then had a series of penalty corners which saw Sperrink denied by a block on the line but made one count moments later to take the lead when Ian Wagstaff picked out Brisco who reacted sharply to deflect in.
After the break Tamworth found a Hereford team determined to get back into the game and they levelled the game when a ball across the D dropped to their left back who slapped in to make the score 2-2. Tamworth came back again and retook the lead when following a long corner Brisco found Hancox and his neat lay off set up Sperrink to emphatically strike into the top corner. Another goal for Tamworth would have put the game to bed but it was Hereford who snatched the final goal of the game. Despite Tony Banks putting in a second man of the match performance in two days, including two spectacularly saves low to his right, he was eventually beaten to tie the game at 3-3 with five minutes remaining.
This sent the game to a penalty flick shoot out and with Tom Grimshaw, Wagstaff, Hancox, Brisco and Sperrink all scoring in the first round of flicks as well as Hereford’s marksmen it went to sudden death. Grimshaw, Wagstaff and Hancox all scored for the second time but having almost saved a couple of flicks Banks guessed right to kick clear and send the Tamworth players and supporters wild.
Tamworth will now face Coalville away in the semi final on 22nd March.
