96 COBRA STALLING WHEN RPM'S DROP ??

my 1996 cobra has started stalling when rpm's drop fast. when i downshift quickly into 2nd or 1st. i can pop the clutch and it starts back up but when your in a sharp turn that sucks. it also has a bad ticking sound from the drivers side head (sounds like valve lash) could this be related ?? its had the ticking for a couple of years it has just gotten a lot worse lately. it needs to be a daily driver now for a while so need to address the issue as soon as i can.
it has new plus, wires, coil packs all were professionally done during the tune. the tune was done 5 or 6 months before the problem so i do not believe its related.
thanks for any help......