18/11/00: Ryman League Division Three

A draw was a fair result from this game as both sides gave their all in yet more wet and windy conditions. The result stretches Tring's unbeaten league run to six matches, and was achieved without Steve Boad and Antony Beamish who were both suspended, but will now be available for the next match.

It was the visitors who made the stronger start, as they kept Tring penned in their own half for most of the opening 10 minutes, though without creating a clear-cut chance. Tring gradually started to come into the game and had a great chance to take the lead on 16 minutes. Chris Gibson's excellent pass found Scott Walters alone in the area, but Walters' first touch was not the best and allowed keeper Dave Hyatt to come out and smother his shot.

An increasingly even contest swung in Tring's favour on 34 minutes. Mark Swales outpaced Lee Dooley down the right touchline and delivered a cross which Alex Kinsley was about to get on the end of before he was brought down by Graham Chappell. The referee pointed to the penalty spot and Neal Bartlett made no mistake from the spot for the second successive game to put Tring in front.

Epsom came back strongly towards the end of the half and had three good chances. On 37 minutes Simon Bartley had to save a shot from James Hall after punching a free kick straight to his feet; on 40 minutes Richard Sell beat Lee Johnson inside the box and sent the ball across the face of goal, but nobody got on the end of it, and on the stroke of half time Mark Freeborough headed over the bar from point-blank range.

The second half started similarly to the first, with Epsom keeping Tring inside their own half, and this time they made the pressure count. On 52 minutes Ben Forey found himself clean through on Bartley, who saved his shot, and a follow up effort, but Barry Stevens finally put the ball in the net at the third attempt to level the scores.

The conditions by now were terrible, with driving rain and wind, but rather than becoming demoralised by the equaliser, Tring's game actually got stronger as the match wore on. Tring could have gone back in front on 75 minutes when Kinsley ran on to Swales' flick and raced clear, but at the last moment the ball ran away from him before he could square it for Walters, who was all alone in front of goal.

In the end it was Epsom keeper Hyatt who denied Tring the points as he made two superb saves in injury time. A great run and cross from Kinsley set up Marcus Davis with the goal at his mercy, but Hyatt spread himself to save the shot, and a minute later a deflected cross from Mark Underwood was heading for the top corner before Hyatt reached up to tip it over the bar.

Team: Bartley, J.Gibson, Harrhy, Bartlett, Johnson, C.Gibson, Swales, Sangster (Davis), Walters (Sissons), Kinsley, Underwood.