The Lamb Ground played host to a dramatic shift in fortunes as Tamworth claimed a crucial 2-0 victory against a ten-man Eastleigh side. The opening half was a tightly contested affair, but Eastleigh’s discipline began to unravel as the bookings mounted. Tyrese Shade was the first to be cautioned for a foul in the 33rd minute, with Luis Fernandez following suit shortly before the break. However, the key incident of the first half arrived in the 41st minute when Scott Quigley received a second yellow card, and consequently a red, for violent conduct, reducing Eastleigh to ten men for the remainder of the match.
Eastleigh manager Kelvin Davis responded to the sending off at half-time, replacing Luis Fernandez with Paul McCallum. Despite their numerical disadvantage, Eastleigh initially competed well in the second half. However, Tamworth eventually exploited the extra space afforded to them. The breakthrough came in the 53rd minute when Haydn Hollis, assisted by Tom Tonks, scored. Buoyed by their opener, Tamworth pressed forward and just seven minutes later, Thomas McGlinchey doubled their advantage, firmly establishing their control over the game.
Around the 73rd minute, Tamworth introduced three substitutes, injecting fresh energy into their side to maintain their grip on the match. Eastleigh also made further changes, but the two-goal deficit proved too much to overcome. Despite the introduction of fresh legs, Eastleigh struggled to carve out any meaningful opportunities. Tamworth comfortably navigated the closing stages, expertly seeing out the victory and strengthening their league position.
The result reversed the recent head-to-head record between the two sides, with Eastleigh having secured a 1-0 victory earlier in the season. The win sees Tamworth climb above Eastleigh into 9th place in the National League, on 57 points, while Eastleigh drop to 11th on 53 points.