Tamworth 5 Altrincham 1

Two red cards in three second half minutes finished off Alty's chances at Tamworth as Neil Gibson's men left Staffordshire emptyhanded.

After a bright opening 15 minutes from the visitors it was Tamworth who took the lead against the run of play. Kennedy Digie rising highest to head home a free kick from the right beyond the dive of Luke Hutchinson.

Ryan Howley tested the reflexes of Hutchinson for the first time on 25 minutes with a curling free kick, as the home side looked to press home their early advantage.

Keeping the ball well and looking for an opening, Alty weathered the limited home pressure after the goal and created two half chances before the break. Declan Howe let fly from a ridiculously tight angle, forcing Jas Singh to save smartly and from the resulting corner Dan Sassi clipped the top of the Tamworth bar with a header.

Within seven minutes of the restart Alty were level. Howe was bundled over 40 yards from goal and the quick thinking of Matty Kosylo sent Knowles away to finish low under Singh for his 14th of the season.

The game then swung massively in Tamworth's favour during three bizarre minutes just before the hour. Firstly, Dan Sassi received a straight red card for a high challenge on Oli Lynch, then Tylor Golden was also dismissed, for handball on the goalline, with the subsequent penalty dispatched by Stefan Mols.

The visitors stood up well with nine men initially, before substitute Ben Acquaye hammered home Tamworth's third with 20 minutes remaining. 

A fourth followed on 76 minutes from Joe Rye, who finished low after finding space inside the box, ahead of a final strike in stoppage time by Jordan Cullinane-Liburd, capping an extremely difficult night for Alty.

Tamworth Singh (c); Tonks (Milnes, 74'), Digie, Fairlamb, Rye, Mols (Isichei, 82'), Cullinane-Liburd, Lynch (Roberts, 82'), Maher (Acquaye, 46'), Kurtaran, Howley (Bates, 90'+2). Subs not used: Cockerill-Mollett, Hollis.

Altrincham Hutchinson; Cooper, Marriott, Howe (Reed, 78'), Knowles (Barnes, 60'), Kosylo, Reddin (Humbles, 78'), Crawford (c), Golden, Forde, Sassi. Subs not used: Weaver, Bailey, Fallon, Kirk.

HT 1-0

Goals Digie 17', Mols 58', Acquaye 70', Rye 76' | Knowles 52'

Yellows Maher 38' | Golden 16', Hutchinson 59', Howe 59', Crawford 59', Kosylo 66'

Reds None | Sassi 54', Golden 57'

Referee James Westgate

Assistants Joseph Larkin & Harley McKittrick

Fourth Official Steve Durnall

Attendance 697 (107 away fans)

Next Up

On the road once more Saturday afternoon to take on Brackley Town in the Enterprise National League (3pm).

Tickets are available online from our hosts here and Union Golf Road away travel is on sale here.