Kurt Barrow made a welcome return to scoring form as Tamworth FC edged out North Companions in Tamworth on Saturday to maintain their four-point buffer atop the the Northern Inland Premier League standings.
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Their leading goalscorer - and second overall in the competition - last season, Barrow hadn't found the back of the net for a couple of weeks before he put the premiers up 1-nil from a header. Companions hit back to level but Ross Price scored off a set-piece play to secure the points for FC 2-1.
"It's a win," FC coach Greg Bartlett responded when asked how he saw the game.
"I'm still not happy with the way we're playing."
In his assessment they are still "a bit clunky" and patchy, noting that after Barrow's early goal they controlled the game pretty well but "couldn't put them away".
Despite their scoring troubles Bartlett said he always thought they would find a winner after Companions equalised, it just "took a little bit longer".
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There were aspects of the performance the FC mentor was happy with, his disappointment stemming from knowing what they are capable of.
"At different times in the game we knocked the ball around well, [but] then we went away from it," Bartlett said.
"We've just got to put it together for 90 minutes instead of 45-60 minutes, or even less at times."
"Companions are a good young team, they were probably just missing a bit of luck at times."
He said Zac Kam was strong in the middle, while Price and Troy Hearfield were good at the back.
In the round's other games North Armidale defeated Oxley Vale Attunga 2-1 while South Armidale had a 4-1 win over Demon Knights.
