Two from Tyrone help to fire Quakers into the first round

By Ray Simpson

Two from Tyrone help to fire Quakers into the first round

First time as a fan owned club

Tamworth 0 Darlington 3

O'Neill (0-1 9 mins), Holness (0-2 38 mins), O'Neill (0-3 59 mins)

Attendance 1358

Quakers reached the first round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2010 with a superb 3-0 away win at Tamworth.

Two excellent goals by Tyrone O'Neill and another by Omar Holness put Quakers through in front of huge celebrations by the visiting fans.

It's also the first time that Quakers have got to the competition proper as a fan owned club.

We will be ball number 56 in the draw on Monday night.

It was a very good all round performance, although Tamworth had a 25 minute spell in the first half in which they almost equalised -- but a superb penalty save by Liam Connell kept them out.

Tamworth had the first half-chance when Ahmed Obeng found space just inside the box, but Galbraith got the ball away for a corner.

Quakers nearly scored on 6 minutes. Jarrett Rivers made a great crossfield run and set up Adam Campbell, who stepped inside and fired a right foot shot just wide of the right hand post.

Quakers took the lead on 9 minutes. Rivers showed some more trickery and found Campbell in space on the right. He crossed the ball into the middle where Tyrone O’Neill controlled it, and fired right footed across the keeper into the net.

Tamworth had a chance on 12 minutes when Waite broke away into the box and tried to square for Obeng, but he played the ball behind him.

And there was a let off for Quakers when Obeng found space on the edge of the box, and with Connell stranded, his low shot was blocked by the covering Ben Hedley.

Tamworth were awarded a penalty on 29 minutes for a foul by Will Hatfield -- a late challenge -- on the six yard line following a corner, but Connell guessed correctly and saved Ryan Beswick’s penalty low down to his left to loud cheers from the Darlo fans behind the goal.

Liam Connell saves Ryan Beswick's penalty (pic by David Brown)

 

It was 2-0 on 38 minutes. Rivers again made a great run through the middle and found O’Neill, who in turn laid the ball off for Omar Holness to sidefoot into the bottom right hand corner for only his second goal for the club!

Omar Holness scores the second goal (pic by David Brown)

 

It couldn't have been a better first half for Quakers and they were cheered off by the 500 following.

Half time 0-2,

Tamworth started the second half with a left wing corner that Frances headed over the top.

They nearly pulled a goal back as they increased the pressure, and Waite fired inches wide of the left hand post.

It was 3-0 on 59 minutes, when O’Neill picked up a through ball from Rivers on the edge of the D and fired right footed low across the keeper into the net.

Tyrone O'Neill (hidden) scores the third goal (pic by David Brown)

 

Connell then held on to a long range shot by Kaziboni, and Joe Wheatley popped up on the line to make a dramatic headed clearance from a shot by Waite.

Joe Wheatley clears off the line (pic by David Brown)

 

But in the closing stages, Tamworth weakened and Quakers nearly added further goals.

O’Neill nearly got his hat trick, when he picked up a throw in on the left and curled a right foot shot that Singh just managed to palm away at full stretch.

Rivers nearly made it 4-0 when O’Neill found him in space, but the keeper pushed his shot over the bar.

Donawa then split the defence for Holness to curl a right foot shot just over.

Donawa then had a point blank effort saved by Singh and Hatfield’s follow up was deflected wide.

Final score: Tamworth 0 Darlington 3

Darlington: Connell, Hedley, Liddle, Wheatley, Storey, Galbraith, Rivers, Hatfield (sub Bascome 83), Campbell (sub Laing 71), Holness, O’Neill (sub Donawa 78).

Subs not used: Elliott, Watson, Bell, Thompson,

 

Tamworth: Singh, Frances (sub Creaney 61), Wilder, Beswick, Magunda, Rowe-Turner, Obeng (sub Kaziboni 26), Forde, Waite, Yafai (sub Clement 84), Hoenes

Subs:  Walton, Cox, Fry, Reid