Ever Wish You Hadn't Bothered? - Tamworth 1 Nuneaton Borough 2 - Blue Square North - 10/11/07

This weekend saw three notable local derbies, Newcastle and Sunderland fought out a gripping 1-1 draw at The Stadium of Light, Villa edged out Birmingham City 2-1 in a typically passionate Second City derby with help from Agent Ridgewell (ex-Villa defender now playing for Blues and scorer of an own goal to put Villa one up), and then there was this turgid heap of rubbish which had all the passion of watching your Grandmother trying to snog your Grandad after one too many sherries at Christmas. (I'm not sure this simile works - Ed)

I'm having serious doubts that Gary "I know this league" Mills is the man to take Tamworth forward, the team still lacks cohesion three months into the season and we certainly lacked any fight and commitment to the cause in this match. A recent unbeaten run in the league was a bit misleading as most of these were draws, a couple of them admirably snatched from the jaws of victory! Still, we continue to turn up, but a crowd of only 1300 for the first competitive game against the Scummers for a few seasons with over 400 of those coming from Banjo Town should be ringing alarm bells, the people of Tamworth need little encouragement to find other things to do on a Saturday as it is without serving up this tripe when they do bother to turn up.

I didn't even have the luxury of being able to sink a few pre-match anasthetics, I was driving once again due to work commitments, I need a new job. Those that do enjoy a pre-match beer and fag have at last been given a smoking shelter outside the clubhouse, the club shop has had to make way but it has been temporarily replaced by a lovely bright yellow gazebo! Smashing.

A not so Evil Gazebo!

The Shed Choir were really up for this game, it often takes a while for the full repertoire of songs to come out but they were being aired before kick-off, unfortunately this passion and belief was not transmitted to the players who started off by looking really put out by the fact that Nuneaton had the cheek to tackle them. We conceded the midfield very early on and never got it back, in fact we mainly bypassed it altogether. hoof-ball in a swirling wind, great tactics Gary!

Nuneatons first goal was a tap-in following some comedy defending, the one time our defenders really should have just leathered it they opted not to bother! The pattern of the game thus decided The Shed had to find something to do between neck massages and decided baiting ex-Tamworth manager Ray Bradbury, now doing something or other at Manor Park, fitted the bill nicely. He took it in good spirit but I was disappointed that nobody noticed that he is looking more and more like the bloke out of The League of Gentlemen.

Tamworth did actually put a few attacks together towards the end of the half, Sheldon came close with a curling shot from the edge of the area and we might have had a penalty on 41 minutes when Robinson appeared to be fouled but the referee decided that Robbo's backwards three-and-a-half somersault in the pike position was maybe a dive. That was as good as it got though.

The weather deteriorated after half-time, and Tamworth deteriorated with it, none of the substitutions made a blind bit of difference and the inevitable happened on 58 minutes when another piece of awful defending left Brown one on one with Viega and it was all over. Actually I think they might have scored before we made any subs? Oh well, games like this tend to destroy brain cells quicker than drinking Absinthe.

Another abysmal bit of defending gifted Nuneaton their second, I'm not sure exactly how or why nobody decided to tackle or pick up the run of the Nuneaton forward but they didn't and the game was over.

Or was it? A heavily deflected cross from Des Lyttle somehow squirmed past Acton and we were back in it. So, a do-or-die all-out assault on the Nuneaton goal for the last twenty minutes to salvage some pride in this local derby then? Don't be so bloody stupid, this is the new toothless tigers of Tamworth and they barely created another chance. The game petered out and Nuneaton claimed the bragging rights for a few months.

There was a lot of booing at full-time, I don't necessarily agree with it myself but it's understandable. I don't think Mills has many games left to get this team playing well again, a defeat at Harrogate next week (not an easy game at all) followed by defeat away to Stalybridge in the FA Trophy might just do for him, they say you shouldn't go back to an old club, maybe Gary Mills is regretting doing so.

In a new but welcome innovation, Tamworth's new stand has been built so that spectators have no view of the pitch. (Cheers Trickers!)

Attendance - 1305
Price - £10 Adults £5 Kids
Entertainment Value - 1/10
Randall's new Prodigy tribute act - Scorching