15/1/02: Ryman League Division Three

Leighton Town 0 Tring Town 0

Tring failed to register their third successive win, which must be seen as two points dropped against the team one place off the bottom of the table. Tring had the better chances in a generally poor game, but couldn't put the ball in the net. Leighton have recently appointed former Tring manager Paul Burgess for his second spell in charge, and his first signing has been to bring in another face familiar to Tring supporters, goalkeeper Keith McLoughlin.

The first half-hour of the game was very scrappy, with neither keeper having anything to do. The only notable moment was a determined run by Wayne Barber on 5 minutes, which ended with a shot that went just wide.

On 35 minutes Scott Walters whipped in a cross from which Steve Boad's header was brilliantly tipped over by McLoughlin, and this sparked a period of Tring pressure for the rest of the half. Two minutes later Boad shot just over the bar after Chris Gibson's shot had deflected into his path. Tring won a series of corners, but were too often punished by the referee for pushing as the ball came over.

Simon Bartley produced his only save of the half in the last minute when he kept out Gavin Jaggard's angled shot, but even then Tring had a better chance when Dave Butler's ball put Alex Kinsley clean through, but he shot over the bar.

The second half produced no more in the way of quality, and Tring carved out few chances against the hard-working Leighton defence. The best chance came on 68 minutes when McLoughlin couldn't hold on to a shot from Kinsley. Walters retrieved the loose ball and put it back across goal for Kinsley, but he lifted his shot over the bar. Another good chance arrived on 75 minutes when Walters ran on to Ben Chesters' pass but couldn't quite lift the ball over the advancing McLoughlin.

As the game wore on Tring became increasingly frustrated, and in the end Leighton might have won it but for Marc Redsull's glaring miss from inside the six-yard box in the final minute.

Team: Bartley, C.Gibson (Hemingway), Barber, Bartlett, L.Johnson, Boad, Chesters, Walters, Kinsley, Beamish