13/1/01: Ryman League Division Three

Tring got back to winning ways with a crucial victory against one of their main rivals for a top six spot. The scoreline doesn't reflect Tring's dominance of the match, as they missed a number of chances in the second half to make the win more emphatic.

Tring started the game well, and went close in the third minute when Steve Boad flicked on a long throw to Antony Beamish, whose shot was blocked. The resulting corner was cleared as far as the edge of the area where Alex Kinsley met it with a shot that went just over the bar. Tring put the gloss on their good start with a goal in the sixth minute. Mark Underwood curled in a superb free kick which Lee Johnson met with a powerful header past keeper Martin Hutt.

At the other end, on 12 minutes Bracknell won a free kick just outside the box and Simon Bartley did well to gather Danny Oliphant's low fizzing shot. On 19 minutes Underwood's pass put Mark Burfoot clear, and Burfoot rounded Hutt only to see his shot cleared off the line by Oliphant. There was almost an embarrassing moment for Hutt when he attempted to trap a back pass but saw the ball bobble over his foot and, fortunately for him, trickle just wide.

Tring made an equally good start to the second half and increased their lead in the opening minute. Kinsley's persistence won a corner, and Steve Harrhy's outswinger found the head of Steve Boad to make the score 2-0.

Tring began to pepper the Bracknell goal, and a number of very good chances came and went. On 53 minutes Kinsley was set free by a pass from Underwood, and his cross just missed the outstretched boot of Burfoot. A minute later a volley from Sean Sangster rocketed just over the bar. Soon after Kinsley was clean through again but couldn't quite get control of the ball at the vital moment. On 58 minutes the clearest chance of all came when Hutt kicked the ball straight to Burfoot just outside the box, but Burfoot's resulting shot was straight at the keeper.

Sangster and Kinsley both missed chances over the next few minutes as Tring failed to build on their lead, and if Bracknell's Micky Havermans had headed just the other side of the post with ten minutes left, it might have made for a frantic finale against a team who have made a reputation for late comebacks this season. However, Tring rarely looked like conceding and held on comfortably for the win.

Team: Bartley, J.Gibson, Harrhy, Bartlett, Johnson, Boad, Underwood, Sangster, Burfoot, Kinsley, Beamish. Subs (not used): Swales, Davis, Armstrong