12/2/02: Ryman League Division Three

Tring Town 1 Hornchurch 2

Tring's six-match unbeaten run came to an end against a Hornchurch side that had won ten of their last eleven league matches. Tring took the lead but didn't take the chances that would have extended it, and finished up with ten men as they lost for the first time in 2002.

Tring started the match well, and had already shown a few promising moments on the right-hand side through Alex Kinsley before taking the lead on 10 minutes. A ball over the top put Kinsley clear down the right, and although he was forced down to the bye-line, Kinsley still managed to whip in a shot from an impossible angle which took a deflection and went in at the far post.

The Hornchurch defence was looking less than sure on crosses, and on 13 minutes Antony Beamish got on the end of a corner from Ben Chesters with a header that was cleared off the line, and Dave Butler was similarly denied on 27 minutes. Hornchurch had provided little danger up to now, but towards the end of the half their forwards began to show their pace, and Tring were caught on the break on 38 minutes. The ball was laid off to Craig Cripps, who struck a precise angled shot into the corner for the equaliser.

Tring could have gone back in front three minutes later when Chesters cut in from the left and hit a thumping shot, but it came back off the post. In stoppage time Tring were caught out by another quick counter-attack. Simon Bartley did well to keep out the first shot, but the effort from the rebound went in off the post to put Hornchurch in front.

Tring hardly deserved to be behind on the evidence of their first-half display, but apart from a long shot from Scott Walters which was well saved, and an overhead effort from Chesters which went just wide, both in the opening five minutes of the second half, Tring seldom looked like getting back on level terms in a disappointing second half showing. The forwards received little service, and Tring were unable to apply any pressure. Only a series of excellent saves from Bartley kept the score down, and Tring's frustration boiled over in the closing minutes. Dave Butler retaliated on Hornchurch's Grant Apicella with a push that hardly qualified as violent conduct, but Apicella went down theatrically and the referee had little option but to send Butler off for raising his hands.

Team: Bartley, Oliver (C.Gibson), Sangster (Barber), Bartlett, L.Johnson, Underwood, Chesters, Walters, Butler, Kinsley, Beamish.