Get the lowdown on our next opponents: Tamworth.
The Opposition
Tamworth was the surprise package last season, with manager Andy Peaks leading the Lambs to an impressive tenth place finish in their first ever year in the National League, having guided the club to back-to-back promotions with the National League North title the previous season.
The only club in the division to play on a 3G artificial pitch, Tamworth rose into the fifth tier after a 1-1 draw with Warrington Town mathematically secured the title and were largely tipped for relegation, but defeated the odds in impressive fashion to finish just four points below the play-off places.
Peaks’ aggressive and intense style was invaluable to their success, but it was the work rate and camaraderie within the dressing room that drove the Lambs to not just survival, but a comfortable top half finish in their maiden campaign in the National League. Dan Creaney received the bulk of the plaudits with his 17 goals propelling Tamworth up the table, but the performances of Haydn Hollis, Jas Singh, Tom McGlinchey and Tom Tonks allowed them to remain consistent and competitive, with each player making over 40 appearances last term as Peaks named a steady side throughout the season.
While the Lambs have lost a handful of key players since the end of last season, including top scorer Creaney to Solihull Moors, they have been hard at work to make sure they remain competitive for another year in the fifth tier. A straight swap has seen Solihull forward Manny Duku come in to replace Creaney, while Alfie Bates (Brackley Town), Stefan Mols (Curzon Ashton), Harvey Sayer (Lowestoft Town), Reuben Wyatt (Northampton Town) and Joe Rye (Barnet) have all made the switch to the Lamb Ground along with AFC Fylde duo Tyler Roberts and Joe Riley.
Tamworth have subsequently begun the 2025/26 season relatively positively and sit 11th in the division with three wins and a draw from their opening eight games, including just one defeat from their last three outings.
The Manager
Andy Peaks
Former AFC Rushden and Diamonds boss Andy Peaks has been in the Tamworth dugout since February 2022, and has enjoyed huge success at the Lamb Ground during his short stay so far.
Having begun his coaching career with spells as assistant manager at AFC Long Buckby and Daventry Town, Peaks would continue his run as assistant when he joined Mark Starmer’s management team in May 2012 at Rushden, bringing a wealth of United Counties League experience as well as his notable career history with the Diamonds where he was eighth in their all-time appearance list, having played 205 times for the club between 1992 and 1997.
He would take over control of first team affairs in a caretaker role following Starmer’s resignation in March 2014, and was installed on a permanent basis a month later, guiding the club to a League and Cup Double in the United Counties League in his first full season at the helm. Peaks then led them to the play-offs twice before winning promotion to Step 3 at the end of the 2017/18 season.
He would go on to spend a total of nine years as manager of Rushden, departing in February 2022 when he joined Tamworth. He would enjoy near instant success at the Lamb Ground, initially enjoying an unbeaten run until the end of his first season. He would go on to guide the club to a comfortable tenth place finish before overseeing back-to-back title-winning campaigns, with the Lambs rising from the Southern League Division Central to the National League in just two seasons under Peaks’ watch.
One to Watch
Haydn Hollis
Experienced defender Haydn Hollis has become almost the epitome of Tamworth’s rise to the National League since their promotion in 2024, becoming a key part of their success last season with his leadership and work rate at the heart of their backline.
A product of the Notts County academy, Hollis spent two years in the club’s youth setup where he completed a scholarship, before signing a one-year professional contract with the Magpies before the 2011/12 season. He later spent time on loan at Barrow, Hinckley United and Darlington as he gained experience early on in his career, the latter two coming after his professional debut for Notts, which saw him become the first player to progress from the club’s Centre of Excellence to a first team start since its re-opening in 2008.
He went on to spend seven years in the first team for Notts and made over 100 appearances for the club, but after falling out of favour at Meadow Lane, moved to Forest Green Rovers midway through the 2018/19 campaign. He subsequently spent the remainder of the season at the New Lawn before moving on loan to Chesterfield the following summer, before being released at the end of the season.
Hollis later returned to Chesterfield permanently and spent three years at the Technique Stadium, before stints at Ebbsfleet United and Dorking Wanderers saw him drop into non-league.
He then moved to Tamworth following the club’s promotion to the National League and played a key role in their tenth place finish last term with 46 appearances, as well as notably being named Player of the Match in their FA Cup defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
Recent Form
York City 4-0 Tamworth
Tamworth 1-0 Eastleigh
Braintree Town 1-2 Tamworth
Tamworth 1-1 Brackley Town
Gateshead 2-1 Tamworth
Tamworth 2-0 Truro City
Last Time Out
Tamworth fell to a heavy defeat at the hands of York City, despite holding the Minstermen to a goalless scoreline at the interval.
The impact of recently appointed manager Stuart Maynard saw York dominate possession and created multiple chances during the first half, with the woodwork and Lambs goalkeeper Jas Singh keeping the score level, while Tamworth had to make do with a few counter-attacks with limited clear opportunities during the early stages, with Rey-Beck Enoru going closest for the visitors.
Despite pressure, York couldn’t convert during the opening 45, but finally found the breakthrough just three minutes after the restart when Alex Hunt opened the scoring with a curling strike into the top corner.
This gave York the momentum they needed to take the game completely away from Tamworth, and they doubled their lead through Alex Newby after Singh spilled a Joe Felix cross, before Hunt added a superb third and his second goal three minutes from time, lifting a shot from the left channel up and over and into the same corner that he scored his first, but with a much more audacious effort.
Maynard’s side then rounded things off as the clock ticked to 90 as Malachi Fagan-Walcott stooped low to head home at the far post from a corner which failed to be dealt with, skipping through the box to allow the York defender to seal the result with a close-range header.
Photo Credit: Tamworth Football Club
