14/4/01: Ryman League Division Three

Tring's poor run continued with their third successive defeat at home to an in-form Witham Town side on Saturday.

The game's first goalmouth action occurred on 8 minutes when Mark Underwood's high ball into the box was missed by the Witham keeper under pressure from Antony Beamish. The loose ball was up for grabs but it was Witham's Andy Walton who got his head to it first to clear it.

Tring had generally had the better of the opening but it was the visitors who took the lead on 20 minutes thanks to some slack defending. A cross to the far post found Witham's Ian Brown alone in yards of space and he had time to bring the ball down and pick his spot to shoot Witham in front.

Tring's best chance of a first-half equaliser came on 38 minutes when Steve Groves' pass gave Alex Kinsley a sight of goal, but he put his shot wide under pressure from a defender.

Tring's problems doubled in the third minutes of the second half as passes from Simon Gray and Glen Driver cut through their defence to set up Chris Bassett with a shooting chance that he was in no mood to spurn, putting Witham 2-0 ahead.

Despite the setback, Tring continued to have the bulk of the possession, and with better luck might have rescued the game. On 57 minutes Steve Boad's cross-cum-shot went right across the face of goal without getting a touch. Three minutes later Scott Walters ran onto Boad's flick-on, but was forced wide and put his shot into the side netting. Tring came closest off all on 66 minutes when Underwood's long throw was headed up into the air by Walters. The ball dropped nicely for Lee Kelly, who struck a firm first-time shot, but it was kept out by the keeper's legs.

Tring kept plugging away until the end but could not turn their fortunes around.

Team: Bartley, Underwood, J.Gibson, Bartlett, B.Johnson, Groves (Burfoot), Sangster, Hibbert, Kelly, Kinsley (Walters), Beamish (Boad).