8/9/01: FA Carlsberg Vase 1^st Qualifying Round

Tring put aside their poor league form to advance to the next stage of the FA Carlsberg Vase. Two superb second half goals from Alex Kinsley set up a 2^nd qualifying round tie at Halstead Town in two weeks time.

Southall's previous match saw them lose 11-1 to Uxbridge in the FA Cup, but a much-changed side here looked somewhat better than that result would suggest. Tring had a chance in the opening minute when Dave Butler had a run at goal and produced a shot which brought a good save out of Southall keeper Ali Kora Samba, but in fact it was Tring keeper Simon Bartley who was the busier of the two in the first half. Bartley saved well when Sean Grant was clean through on 6 minutes, and was fully extended to tip over a free kick from Jermaine Phillips on 29 minutes.

As in the first half, Tring had an early chance in the second half when Ben Chesters darted into the box from a narrow angle and hit a shot which Samba did well to turn round the post. Bartley was called on again to produce a good save on 49 minutes when Andre Robinson broke clear, but the Southall attacks were becoming fewer as Tring began to put more pressure on. On 55 minutes Kinsley sent a free kick which somehow managed to elude three Tring players as it went across the face of goal.

The introduction of Scott Walters on 58 minutes sparked Tring into the spell which won them the game. Within two minutes of coming on Walters played a pass which split the Southall defence to put Kinsley clean through, and Kinsley finished emphatically to put Tring ahead.

Kinsley went close again within a minute as he pounced on some hesitant defending, but put his shot just wide. He only had to wait another minute for his next chance, though, as Chesters' lofted pass gave him another run at goal, and this time Kinsley lobbed the ball over Samba to give Tring a two-goal cushion.

Tring continued to put the pressure on and should have added further goals, but at that stage the job was done and they could look forward to the next round.

Team: Bartley, Cook, Barber, Bartlett, L.Johnson, Boad, Chesters, Groves (Walters), Butler, Kinsley, Beamish.