17/2/01: Ryman League Division Three

A second-half comeback brought Tring their first win in five games, although this was another less than impressive performance against a team in the bottom two fighting to preserve their Isthmian League status.

Tring could have taken the lead from a 4th minute corner when Lee Johnson's shot was cleared off the line, but they created little else in the first half to trouble the Clapton keeper Craig Knox. On 19 minutes Tring gave the ball away from their own corner kick, allowing Clapton to launch a quick counter-attack which ended with Joel Sapiro hitting a shot just over the bar. Two minutes later Joel Hollingsworth struck a long-range dipping shot just over. On 26 minutes a through pass sliced open the Tring defence and Jamie Schaedel finished emphatically to give Clapton a deserved lead.

A half-time substitution saw Alex Kinsley replace James Armstrong, and Kinsley was instrumental in Tring's equaliser 63 seconds into the second half. His long throw was missed at the near post by both Marcus Davis and keeper Knox, but Scott Walters was following in behind to head into the empty net.

Tring had a brighter look about them in the second half and could have gone in front on 69 minutes when Tony Cook's pass left Kinsley with only the keeper to beat, but he shot wide. Three minutes later Steve Harrhy's near-post corner was flicked across the face of goal by Mark Swales, but Knox just managed to palm the ball away from the two onrushing Tring attackers.

On 76 minutes Harrhy delivered a different sort of corner, pulling the ball back for Davis on the edge of the area. Davis rather scuffed his shot, but Walters was on hand inside the six-yard box to turn the ball home and put Tring in front.

That proved to be enough for Tring to claim the points, although Clapton battled creditably until the end, and the win was only confirmed deep into stoppage time when Simon Bartley smothered a long-range shot at the second attempt.

Team: Bartley, Underwood, Sangster (Harrhy), Bartlett, Johnson, Boad (Swales), Armstrong (Kinsley), Cook, Walters, Davis, Beamish.