IT was a case of lucky number seven for the Mariners, who rose to third in the Blue Square Bet Premier table with another superb victory on the road.
Having failed in six attempts to register a win over Tamworth, Town were desperate to notch a first ever success over their 'bogey team' – and take advantage of their promotion rivals' cup commitments.
And after one almighty battle in Staffordshire, Rob Scott and Paul Hurst's men did just that.
It took a scruffy, scrambled goal from substitute Andy Cook, which barely crossed the line, to separate the sides.
But the 370 Town fans in attendance couldn't have cared less as they celebrated another away victory, which owed as much to the visitors' defensive solidity and tenacity as anything else.
The Mariners have done a similar job at Hereford, Alfreton and Telford already this season and – provided they can improve their inconsistent home form – a serious tilt at the title looks on.
New loan signing Marcus Marshall made his Mariners debut, coming in for Scott Neilson, who began a three-match ban following his red card against Macclesfield.
Another suspended star was centre-half Shaun Pearson, who was watching from the stands after collecting his fifth booking of the campaign in the defeat to the Silkmen. Ian Miller again stepped into the breach.
For the hosts, Peter Till and Tommy Wright lined up against their former club, while ex-Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie wore the captain's armband.
After a quiet opening to proceedings, it was the Lambs who forced the first opportunity – Scott Barrow's far post volley ricocheting off his own man and bouncing out for a goal-kick.
Moments later, Duane Courtney's long throw into the Town box caused havoc, as keeper James McKeown missed his punch and Adam Cunnington could only help the ball behind from a tight angle.
Joe Colbeck, starting on the left wing, drove well wide from 25 yards as Town registered their first effort after 15 minutes.
Wright then directed a tame header on target as the game meandered past the 20-minute mark.
Town marksman Ross Hannah had been quiet, but latched onto a bouncing ball on the edge of the home box and tested Tony Breeden with a low shot.
It was an opening half an hour to forget, in truth. But Town were indebted to McKeown in the 35th minute when Lloyd Kerry's hopeful cross was flicked on by Sam Oji and the stopper did superbly to parry the ball away.
Colbeck bent a left-footer a yard wide from 25 yards as the Mariners looked to break the deadlock, and Marshall's first meaningful contribution came in the 40th minute when his late challenge on Kerry earned him a caution.
Next, Barrow's excellent cross from the left presented Till with a headed opportunity six yards out, but the winger somehow couldn't connect.
Thomas bent in a lovely left-foot centre himself moments later, but, remarkably, Craig Disley's header hit the back of Hannah's head four yards out and cannoned to safety.
After two minutes of added time, referee Richard Martin brought a scrappy first half to a close.
Miller directed a header on target when the second period began, and then caught a stray elbow in the face from Wright in an aerial challenge – but soon recovered.
Seconds later and McKeown's punt forward was latched onto by Hannah in the home box but Breeden was again equal to his hooked effort on goal.
The match was finally warming up and Cunnington burst clear along the left flank, requiring McKeown to come quickly off his line to block his flick.
Anthony Elding made way for Cook as the hour mark approached, and the switch paid off within five minutes.
Colbeck's set piece in from the left was flicked on by Disley and Cook bundled the ball home at the far post.
The Mariners fans behind that goal thought it was over the line, so did Cook, and most importantly, the assistant referee on the far side did as well – and Town were ahead.
It got better for the visitors seven minutes later when Oji's hefty challenge on Marshall was, perhaps surprisingly, met with a red card from the referee, and the Lambs were down to ten.
There was a short hiatus as Oji threw his toys out of his pram and refused to leave the pitch, but the action soon resumed when his tantrum petered out.
Nathan Pond then headed in Colbeck's cross at the far post, from the resulting free-kick, but was immediately flagged offside.
Home boss Marcus Law rolled the dice with a triple substitution, and Tamworth were screaming for a penalty when Miller's last-ditch challenge on one of the new arrivals, Marcus Kelly, took the midfielder down.
Nothing was given and Town almost doubled their lead when Cook's flick-on allowed Hannah to test Breeden for the umpteenth time with a low angled drive.
Kelly blazed over McKeown's crossbar from 15 yards and the Mariners stopper, below, received a rare booking as Town looked to wind down the clock.
And the home fans were calling for a penalty again when Richard Tait's powerful drive hit a Town hand, but once again nothing was doing.
As play switched to the opposite end, Breeden was at full stretch to push away Colbeck's piledriver from 20 yards, before Pond blocked Wright's acrobatic effort in the box to ensure the points were heading back to North East Lincolnshire.
It wasn't particularly pretty, but the result was all that mattered – and Town's fans will be hoping for more of the same tomorrow evening at Hyde.Replay our live coverage below:
