2/3/01: Ryman League Division Three

Another win and another clean sheet, and the only surprise was that it took Tring so long to find the net in a game they utterly dominated. Manager Howard Cowley made light of his selection problems, missing Mark Underwood through injury and Dave Butler through suspension, as his side produced a superb all-round performance.

Cowley commented: 'This was another excellent team performance in which we looked very solid. Our twelfth clean sheet was well deserved. The side has a real edge to it at present, which is a tribute to the players' preparation and determination. We are continuing to build from week to week."

Tring had the visitors on the back foot virtually from the kick-off, however for all their possession and promising build-up play, they created few clear-cut chances. Lee Johnson created problems in the Witham goal-area after 5 minutes when he headed a free kick back across the face of goal, but nobody was there to take advantage. Scott Walters created a similar chance on 16 minutes but again it went begging, and Witham's keeper didn't have an actual shot to save until 29 minutes when Alex Kinsley robbed a defender and ran on to shoot, but the keeper made a comfortable save.

The same could not be said on 33 minutes when Walters nodded Simon Bartley's clearance onto Ben Chesters, as Chesters struck a shot with such ferocity it almost knocked the keeper's hands off, but fortunately for him the rebound fell just wide. Tring's best chance came in first half injury time when Kinsley crossed to the far post and Chesters connected with a diving header back across goal but it went just wide.

Tring picked up where they left off in the second half, but were again frustratingly short of the killer touch. However, they got a break on 59 minutes when Tony Oliver was knocked over in the box as he tried to get on the end of a pass from Chesters. The referee pointed to the penalty spot, and Chesters slotted home the penalty with ease to take his tally for the season into double figures and give Tring a long overdue lead.

Witham, who started the game five places above Tring in the table, made a brief attempt to get back into the game, but Bartley saved Anthony Parks' long-range volley on 63 minutes, and two minutes later did well to smother a shot from Ian Brown as the Witham forward turned and shot from six yards.

Cowley replaced the injured Tony Oliver with Joe Gibson on 77 minutes, and it proved to be an inspired substitution. Tring won a free kick in midfield and the ball was quickly knocked forward to Kinsley, who held the ball up while support arrived. Kinsley's cross eluded those in the centre, but Gibson was lurking behind and connected perfectly with a volley which flew through the crowd of players into the net for Tring's second goal. It was Gibson's first touch of the ball since coming onto the field and his first ever Tring goal in his two seasons with the club.

Tring's back line had seldom looked less than assured throughout the game, and were in no mood to surrender their clean sheet. The only danger came in injury time when the referee bizarrely penalised Bartley for handling a supposed back pass inside his six yard box, but the shot was blasted wide and Tring had another impressive result.

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