Aiming to avoid a third straight defeat, newly-promoted Tamworth will welcome promotion-chasing Gateshead to the Lamb Ground on Tuesday night for a National League battle.
The Lambs came out on the losing side of a five-goal thriller on the weekend, whilst the Tynesiders continued their stellar run of form with a success over Wealdstone in the North-East.
Match preview
© Imago
After back-to-back promotions from the Southern Premier Division Central to the National League over the past two years, Tamworth are understandably taking their time to find their feet at the top level of non-league football in England following a 10-year absence.
Successive wins over Maidenhead United, Braintree Town and AFC Fylde allowed the Lambs to move away from relegation trouble during the middle of September, but recent back-to-back defeats in the fifth tier have dragged Tuesday's hosts back towards danger at the rear end of the division.
It appeared as if Tamworth were on course for their fourth win in five matches on Saturday afternoon when strikes from Haydn Hollis and Dan Creaney fired their side into a two-goal lead at The Shay Stadium, but a second-half comeback from FC Halifax Town meant that the hosts collected maximum points courtesy of a 3-2 victory.
Competing in the National League for the first time since the 2013-24 campaign, the Lambs are currently occupying 19th position in the fifth-tier standings with a points total of 14 after 12 fixtures, sitting just two points above Fylde in the highest of the relegation spots.
With his only previous managerial experience arriving at AFC Rushden & Diamonds, Tamworth manager Andy Peaks has done an exceptional job in guiding the Midlands-based club to consecutive promotions over the past two years, with the 53-year-old having never managed at this level before.
Finishing sixth in the National League during the 2023-24 campaign but ultimately missing out on a chance at promotion due to off-field issues, Gateshead are raring and fighting to have another crack at earning a place in the Football League by the end of the 2024-25 schedule.
The Lamb Stadium will welcome one of the division's in-form outfits on Tuesday night, when the Tynesiders will be looking to extend their winning run across the National League and National League Cup to five matches, with the visitors conceding just a single goal since the 2-0 loss to promotion rivals Forest Green on September 21.
Boasting a handful of appearances for West Bromwich Albion in the Championship and cup competitions, Jovan Malcolm is hoping to jumpstart his senior career in the North-East this term, with the 21-year-old netting the only goal of the game on the weekend as Gateshead bested Wealdstone.
Apart from a woeful two-game spell in the middle of September, the Tynesiders have navigated the first section of the 2024-25 campaign unscathed, with the promotion contenders sitting fourth in the National League table, four points behind league leaders Barnet, who have played a game more.
Playing over 280 matches for Gateshead during the 2010s, Ben Clark is now in the managerial hotseat at Gateshead International Stadium, with the 41-year-old taking over on an interim basis earlier this month following Rob Elliot's departure to League One strugglers Crawley Town.
Team News
Despite conceding three goals on the weekend at Halifax, Tamworth should continue with a centre-back pairing of Hollis and Kennedy Digie for Tuesday night.
Forced off after 17 minutes on Saturday, Ben Milnes is a doubt for the clash at the Lamb Stadium, meaning that fellow midfielder Tom Tonks is likely to be promoted from the bench.
The Lambs have an array of attacking options in reserve should they wish to freshen up their forward line, including three-goal American Chris Wreh.
Keeping three clean sheets in their last four games across all competitions, Gateshead are set to stick with a trusted back three of Ben Radcliffe, Robbie Tinkler and Port Vale loanee Dan Jones.
There could be some rotation for the Tynesiders further up the field, though, with Saturday's goalscorer Malcolm and Ben Worman pushing for starts.
Tamworth possible starting lineup:
Singh; Cullinane-Liburd, Digie, Fairlamb; McGlinchey, Tonks, Morrison, Acquaye, Creaney; Tshikuna
Gateshead possible starting lineup:
Brooks; Radcliffe, Tinkler, Jones; Newton, Butterfield, Booty, Whelan, Hannant; Allan, Malcolm
We say: Tamworth 0-1 Gateshead
Despite the loss of their first-team manager to League One Crawley, Gateshead still have enough leadership and knowhow in their ranks to collect points whilst the search for a permanent coach rumbles on.
Tamworth are sliding down the table once again after a promising period in September, and we expect the Lambs to suffer a third consecutive defeat on Tuesday night.
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Carter White
