18/3/00: Ryman League Division Three

Tring Town 0 Croydon Athletic 1

There was heartbreak for Tring as they were beaten by a goal four minutes from time after a dogged display against promotion contenders Croydon Athletic.

Tring were boosted by the return of several players that were unavailable last week, and unveiled their third goalkeeper in as many games with the loan signing of Alistair Joslin from St Albans City.

Joslin and his Croydon counterpart Stuart Vaughan had little to do in a first half short on goalmouth action. Tring had to clear a Croydon corner off the line midway through the half, but did not have a shot of their own until first half injury time when Steve Boad's effort was comfortably collected by Vaughan.

The second half was similarly tight, although Joslin made his first serious save five minutes into the half when he turned a fierce shot from John Fowler round the post. Tring began to cause a few more problems in the Croydon box, with Vaughan having to punch the ball away from Scott Walters' head a couple of times.

Tring had their first real chance on 78 minutes when a pass from Liam Walsh put Walters through on goal, but Walters didn't hit his shot cleanly and Vaughan had little trouble saving. Two minutes later Walters spotted Vaughan off his line and tried to chip him from long range, but didn't get enough air on his effort. On 84 minutes Rob McKane went on a promising mazy run, and could have either had a shot himself or squared to Walsh who was all alone, but in the end he did neither and was dispossessed at the last moment.

Just when the game looked like ending in an honourable draw, Croydon struck the killer blow with four minutes remaining. A cross from the left was flicked on to Fowler, who struck a first-time volley wide of Joslin. The visitors relief was clearly evident as they celebrated as though they had won the cup final.

Tring could not find a reply in the closing minutes and fell to their third straight home defeat, although they did not lose any ground in the league as all the sides around them also lost.

Team: Joslin, Underwood, Simpson, Bartlett, Beamish, Boad, Walsh, McKane, Walters, Oliver, Nevin (Gerrard)