12/8/00: Herts Charity Cup 2nd Round
Tring Town (0) 4
(Walters 58, 66, Hemingway 67, Harrhy 89)
Berkhamsted Town (1) 1
(Swales 40)

Tring got their competitive season off to the best possible start as a fabulous second half display saw them put four goals past their higher-division neighbours and cruise into the semi-finals of the Herts Charity Cup.

Tring made a confident start to the match and could have gone ahead after three minutes but Berko keeper Sean O'Connor kept out a close-range shot from Sean Sangster and Lee Johnson headed the rebound just over. Tring had a convincing shout for a penalty on 30 minutes when Mike Hemingway's cross was clearly handled by Nick Starbrook, but the referee did not spot it.

The visitors had their best spell towards the end of the half, and should have scored from a frantic goalmouth scramble on 37 minutes. A minute later Johnson had to clear a shot from Andy Mullins off the line, and on 40 minutes Berko took the lead when Mark Swales rose to head home a free kick.

Tring hardly deserved to go into the second half a goal down but they continued to play with commitment and belief. On 54 minutes O'Connor had to save well after a solo run and shot from the outstanding Hemingway.

Tring got their deserved equaliser on 58 minutes. Clive Denniss floated in a free kick, and Scott Walters connected with a powerful header that O'Connor got a hand to, but couldn't keep out.

It got better for the home side on 66 minutes. Phil Turner exchanged passes with Mark Underwood before crossing to the far post where Walters pounced to shoot home his and Tring's second. Tring's tails were truly up now and within a minute it was three. Hemingway beat the offside trap to meet Sangster's chipped pass with a delightful first-time lob that looped over the despairing arm of O'Connor into the net.

The shellshocked Berko side rarely looked like rescuing the game, although the veteran keeper Billy Davies had to pull off a spectacular save to keep out a shot from Gary Cobb on 77 minutes. A minute from time Tring put the icing on the cake. Underwood's pass put substitute Steve Harrhy clean through on O'Connor, and Harrhy showed the required composure to slot home a fourth goal for Tring - a feat they did not manage throughout the whole of last season.

The final whistle arrived soon after and with it scenes of jubilation from a Tring team that throughly deserved their emphatic victory.

Team: Davies, Underwood, Denniss, Bartlett, Johnson, Boad (Harrhy), Hemingway (Heywood), Sangster, Walters, Kinsley, Turner. Subs not used: Beamish, Moriarty, Gibson.