TAMWORTH are struggling to take full advantage of their 3G pitch ahead of hosting York City this weekend, with just one home win witnessed during the last eight Lamb Ground contests.
Prior to the current sequence, the Staffordshire side had won seven of their previous eight matches on the artificial surface, having enjoyed excellent results last season – the first since its installation in the summer of 2016.
During that maiden campaign, ninth-placed Tamworth racked up 15 home victories in National League North, which was two more than champions Fylde and only bettered by runners-up Kidderminster’s 16 triumphs.
The Lambs finished the campaign having accrued 25 more points at home than they managed from away matches and with 11 more than they accumulated on their own patch during their last season on grass when they finished one place higher in the standings.
This term, 13th-placed Tamworth’s home record is only the 12th best in National League North.
The one victory during those last eight games saw fifth-bottom Nuneaton beaten 2-0 on New Year’s Day which, in addition, represented the only occasion the hosts have kept a clean sheet during 14 league and cup contests in front of their own fans this season.
Tamworth have only taken one point, meanwhile, from a possible nine going into this match and need a victory against the Minstermen to avoid their longest league run without a win for two years.
Defeats at Spennymoor (1-0) and Boston (3-1) have sandwiched a 1-1 home draw against Brackley to leave Andy Morrell’s side seven points above the relegation zone and eight adrift of the play-offs.
Morrell is hoping to welcome back defenders Stephan Morley and Luke Jones against City.
Morley missed the Spennymoor match with a dead leg and skipper Jones has not featured in the last two games after suffering a head injury at Boston.
In attack, Reece Styche remains the team’s top scorer on ten goals, despite completing a move to Darlington in November.
Ex-Kidderminster and Newport winger Daryl Knights is still two behind him in the Lambs’ goal charts, having failed to net during 11 appearances since Styche’s exit.
That form has seen Knights lose his starting place for the last two matches, but he was introduced as a half-time substitute last weekend and is expected to return to the first XI against the Minstermen.