In a closely contested match at The Lamb Ground, Hartlepool United secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Tamworth on 20 August 2024. The English National League encounter saw a total attendance of 1,293 spectators, with referee Michael Crusham presiding over the proceedings.
The first half witnessed a cautious approach from both teams, with neither able to create any clear-cut scoring opportunities. However, Hartlepool United’s Emmanuel Dieseruvwe and Louis Stephenson received yellow cards in the 8th and 32nd minutes, respectively, for fouls committed during this period.
As the second half commenced, the tempo of the game increased, with Tamworth’s Nathan Tshikuna being booked for a foul in the 59th minute. Despite the bookings, both teams continued to push for the opening goal. It was Hartlepool United who finally broke the deadlock in the 81st minute, courtesy of a goal from Joe Grey, assisted by Nathan Sheron. This proved to be the decisive moment in the match, as Tamworth were unable to respond with a goal of their own.
In the aftermath of the goal, both teams made several substitutions in an attempt to influence the outcome. Hartlepool United replaced Adam Campbell with Anthony Mancini in the 65th minute, while Tamworth introduced Miracle Okafor and Beck-Ray Enoru in the 73rd and 74th minutes, respectively. Further substitutions followed, with Hartlepool United bringing on Emmanuel Onariase for Joe Grey in the 86th minute, and Tamworth replacing Nathan Tshikuna and Alex Fletcher with Chris Wreh and Tom Tonks.
The final minutes of the match saw a flurry of activity, with Ben Acquaye and Tom Parkes receiving yellow cards in the 93rd minute for fouls committed. Despite their best efforts, Tamworth were unable to find an equaliser, and the match concluded with Hartlepool United emerging as 1-0 victors.
This result sees Hartlepool United move up to 6th place in the standings, having secured 7 points from their opening 3 matches. In contrast, Tamworth remain in 20th position, with 1 point from their 3 games played. With this win, Hartlepool United have extended their unbeaten run to two games, while Tamworth are still searching for their first win of the season.