6/1/01: Ryman League Division Three

Tring's unbeaten run came to an end as they came up against Arlesey for the third time this season, and enjoyed no better fortune than in the previous two meetings. Playing the runaway leaders was never going to be easy, and certainly not when Tring had to play three quarters of the match with only ten men.

Tring were put under pressure from the start as they defended deeply, and the visitors went a goal up after just six minutes. A threaded pass put Dave Kitson clean through, and he rounded Simon Bartley before squaring for Dean Harding to score with a simple tap-in.

Tring continued to come under the cosh but were holding their own until the incident which turned the match on 26 minutes. Tring's Lee Johnson was involved in what looked like a minor altercation with an Arlesey player, but after consultation with a linesman, the referee sent off Johnson for spitting, a charge which the player vehemently denies. The same linesman was not so observant a few minutes later when Alex Kinsley took a whack in the face from an Arlesey player off the ball, which led to Kinsley having to leave the game at half time with an eye injury.

Tring were up against it now, and it became a bigger mountain to climb when Arlesey increased their lead just before half time. Tony Fontenelle worked enough space inside the area to hit a shot which Bartley got both hands to, but could not keep out of the net.

Tring continued to battle throughout the second half, and largely reduced Arlesey to hitting long-range shots, however they were rarely able to attack in numbers themselves. Tring had a couple of promising breaks, but never forced Arlesey keeper Martyn Patching into a serious save, and were shut out for the first time in a league match this season. Nine minutes from time Harding got in behind the Tring defence to shoot home the third goal which confirmed the Arlesey victory and continued their inevitable march towards the title of a division they look a class above.

Team: Bartley, Underwood, J.Gibson (Harrhy), Bartlett, Johnson, Boad, Swales, Sangster, Burfoot (Cook), Kinsley (Hall), Beamish.