29/3/01: Herts Charity Cup Semi-Final

Tring Town made history last night when they reached the final of the Herts Charity Cup for the first time ever. It will be Tring's first appearance in a County final since winning the Charity Shield in 1983, and they will face Stevenage Borough or Hitchin Town at the County Ground in Letchworth on a date to be decided. Tring thoroughly deserved their win with a determined display against a side strongly in contention for promotion to the Dr Martens Premier Division.

The crucial goal arrived on 16 minutes from Tring's first corner of the match. Steve Groves swung the ball over and Scott Walters rose highest to head the ball home.

Walters had an easier chance to put Tring further ahead on 29 minutes, but somehow headed wide when Sean Sangster's cross found him with the goal at his mercy. Tring had another chance on 35 minutes when Sangster's pass allowed Alex Kinsley to outpace the last defender, but Kinsley shot just wide. Tring suffered a double blow in the last minute of the half when both Lee Johnson and Steve Boad had to leave the game. Johnson, who had turned in a faultless display in the centre of the Tring defence, sustained a hamstring injury and Boad was on the wrong end of a bad tackle leaving him with a nasty knee injury.

The change of personnel didn't knock Tring out of their stride, and they were denied again on 58 minutes when the keeper saved Walters' shot from close range. Baldock had their share of chances as well; on 64 minutes Paul McCarthy's close-range volley hit the post, and four minutes later Brian Johnson cleared Barry Dellar's shot off the line. Tring keeper Billy Davies, in for the cup-tied Simon Bartley, had an outstanding game, with his best moment coming on 70 minutes when he parried Rob Smith's shot and recovered quickly to save the follow-up effort from McCarthy.

Tring then had a purple patch in which Mark Underwood's shot from 30 yards came down from the underside of the bar to bounce just the wrong side of the goal-line, and Tony Oliver curled a shot just over the angle after a solo run.

Baldock piled on the pressure over the closing minutes, but the efforts of Davies and his defence were enough to keep them at bay and ensure that Tring reached that coveted cup-final berth.

Team: Davies, B.Johnson, Groves, Bartlett, L.Johnson (Underwood), Boad (Oliver), Sangster, Cook, Walters (Burfoot), Kinsley, Beamish.