13/11/01: St Mary's Cup First Round

Tring advanced to a home quarter-final tie with Leverstock Green with a win that was far more comfortable than the 2-0 scoreline suggests. Manager Howard Cowley made several changes from Saturday's winning side to give other players a chance, and there was a return to the side for Ben Chesters after two months away in the USA, and for Mike Hemingway, who has been travelling the world for almost a year.

From the outset Tring were virtually camped in the Police half, and created a number of good chances. On 8 minutes a lob from Steve Groves was tipped over the bar by the keeper. On 13 minutes Dave Butler crossed to the far post, where Scott Walters' header was saved. On 25 minutes Chesters set up a shooting chance for Leon Hibbert, but he hit his shot straight at the keeper. Finally on 31 minutes Tring put the ball in the net. Chesters' inswinging corner was misjudged by the keeper, and any one of three onrushing Tring players could have scored, but it was the head of Walters which made the vital contact and gave Tring the lead.

It was similarly one-way traffic in the second half, and Tring added their second goal on 57 minutes. Hibbert's chipped pass put Chesters through, and while the visitors appealed for offside, Chesters went on to round the keeper and slot the ball home from a narrow angle. Many more chances were missed towards the end of the game, but Tring had already done enough to claim their place in the next round.

Team: Hunt, C.Gibson, Groves, B.Johnson, L.Johnson, Hibbert (Hemingway), Chesters, Walters, Butler (Underwood), Jeffrey (J.Gibson), Beamish.