Football: LAMBS CHOP; Bournem'th 1 Tamworth 2 Tamworth won't shoulder the blame for 'lucky' penalty.

Byline: By JIM O'BRIEN

IRISH trainee plumber Graham Ward earned part-timers Tamworth a place in the second round for the first time in 36 years and then admitted his team's penalty winner was lucky.

Ref Jarnail Singh decided Bournemouth midfield player Marcus Browning had handled under pressure with eight minutes remaining.

Kyle Storer kept his nerve after his penalty had been saved by Gareth Stewart to knock in the rebound, but Ward is not so sure it should even have been awarded.

Former Wolves junior Ward scored the first for the Lambs in the 28th minute, only to see his effort cancelled out by a Brian Stock free-kick.

Ward said: "I did not think it was a penalty. The ball seemed to strike the player on the shoulder.

"But none of us was complaining. You have to take these sort of decisions and make the best of them." Tamworth, one of only four Conference clubs still part-time, last reached the second round in 1969.

Player-boss Mark Cooper savoured his "best moment in management" and reflected on his "perfect" game plan.

"We decided to let them have the ball and pack our defence, and it worked. I don't think they had a clear chance. We need the money and our chairman would have been dancing all the way home."

Bournemouth boss Sean O'Driscoll said he had seen a video of the penalty decision and was not convinced.

He said: "If it had been a red card, it would have been rescinded. But credit to Tamworth, they came with a plan and we could not overcome it."

CAPTION(S):

GIVE US A HAND: Tamworth had the "perfect" game plan