15/9/01: Ryman League Division Three

Following their excellent draw with Bracknell in midweek, Tring would have hoped to continue their improvement in this game, however it turned out to be a step backwards. Individual mistakes contributed to further soft goals being conceded, and the team seemed to lack the energy to pull themselves back into the game.

Tring fell behind after 13 minutes when Simon Bartley failed to hold on to a free kick floated in from distance. Lee Watson pounced on the loose ball to score the opening goal. Soon after Chalfont should have been reduced to ten men when Kevin Davies flattened Bartley with an elbow which was clearly seen by everybody in the ground except the referee and no action was taken.

The lengthy delay for treatment to Bartley seemed to favour Tring more, as they hit back with their best spell of the match. On 26 minutes Ben Chesters beat a defender on the right edge of the area before chipping in a cross which dipped over the keeper perfectly for Alex Kinsley to finish off at the far post and bring Tring level.

On 33 minutes Dave Butler's pass put Chesters clean through, but he put his eventual shot into the side netting. Two minutes later Antony Beamish connected with Kinsley's corner with a header that was tipped over the bar by the keeper. At this stage Tring looked the better side but as on Tuesday night they lost concentration in the last minute of the half. From a free kick, Mark Lee was left unmarked to glance a header just inside the far post to give Chalfont a half-time lead.

The match turned within the space of a minute early in the second half. On 49 minutes Kinsley went on a run which took him to the bye-line and pulled the ball back across goal, but just behind the two attackers that had come in to finish off. The ball ended up back in the Tring half, where Neal Bartlett attempted to head the ball back to Bartley but didn't make proper contact. Watson nipped in between them to snatch the ball, and although his first effort hit the post, he was first to the rebound to put Chalfont 3-1 ahead.

Tring now had an even tougher task, and although they had the bulk of possession, they could not create enough chances. On 69 minutes they went close when Kinsley's corner was headed off the line by Simon Rodgers, but they did not pull a goal back until five minutes from time. A long throw caused chaos in the Chalfont area and Lee Johnson stabbed the ball home to give Tring some hope.

That hope was extinguished three minutes later when a Chalfont cross was poorly cleared and Paul Talbot wasted no time in hitting a first time shot from the edge of the area past Bartley to ensure that Chalfont were taking all the points.

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