Staffordshire Senior Cup First Round
At: Lyme Valley Parkway Stadium
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Attendance: 93
Weather: rain
Newcastle Town named four first-team regulars on the bench and gave a run out to several fringe players but it didn’t stop them progressing to the second round at the expense of Blue Square North side Tamworth.
Ryan Dicker’s header in the 25th minute proved the difference between the sides though the game wasn’t as close as the final scoreline may suggest.
“It is a very good result,” said assistant manager Dorian Garner, who ran the team from the technical area with Greg Clowes away.
“I thought in the first half we did very well. In the second half I thought they came at us, as they had to, but we showed good resilience. It was a good performance.”
Tamworth were thankful to keeper David Bevan for a double save in the 19th minute when he blocked shots in quick succession from both Neville Thompson and Paul Macari.
However, the teenager, on loan from Aston Villa, couldn’t prevent Dicker heading home what proved to be the winner six minutes later. The unchallenged defender, up for a corner, got on the end of Richard Minor’s deep cross from the right.
Newcastle continued to cause problems and Minor, back after serving a one-match ban, fired across the face of goal and narrowly wide of the far post.
Just after the restart, Bevan got down to hold a deflected shot from Minor.
The visitors named a side of fringe and reserve players and showed more urgency at the start of the second half.
But, the lively Minor almost doubled Castle’s lead six minute after the restart, smashing a shot against the bar after good work by Ashley Hill.
Danny Read turned round a well-struck free-kick from former Stafford Rangers defender Craig McAughtrie and that was just about as close Tamworth got to forcing extra time.
First-team regulars Alastair Brown, Chris Budrys and Andy Kinsey were all given a run out in the closing stages by Garner.
Castle had to defend in depth as Tamworth pressed for a late equaliser without unduly troubling keeper Read.
Newcastle Town: Read, Gillick, Taylor, Espley, Dicker, Wilkes, Minor (Brown, 80), Hill, Thompson (Kinsey, 85), Macari (Budrys, 82), Fogg. Unused subs: Bourne.
Tamworth: Bevan, Law, Murphy, McAughtrie, Boothe, Burgess, Roscorla, Fulford (Holyland, ht (Redfern, 73)), Hambleton (Davis, 65), Lea, Packer-Sturridge. Unused subs: Gillon, Wilkins.
Referee: Simon Bennett (Kidsgrove).
