10/4/99: Ryman League Division Three
Lewes 3 Tring Town 1
Tring's unbeaten league run came to an end in Saturday's visit to promotion-chasing Lewes, but their cause was not helped by having four players missing due to injuries sustained in the bruising clash with Tring Athletic on Wednesday night.
Matt Condon and Leon Lewis both had broken toes and Liam Campbell a back injury, which left Tring with a very makeshift defence. Steve Hale also picked up a further knock. Despite their problems, Tring had little problems holding the home side in the early part of the game, and might have taken the lead after just six minutes if Ricky Fletcher had made better contact with Steven Bainborough's free kick.
In fact Tring did take lead against the run of play in the 22nd minute. Gary Bray's accurate long pass put Gavin Hart in space., and Hart shaped to cross but instead struck a fierce shot from a narrow angle into the far corner of the net.
Lewes might have equalised two minutes later when Peter Brackley was allowed to run unchallenged from the halfway line into the box, but he hit his shot straight at Lee Brown in the Tring goal. However, they did equalise three minutes before the break, when Tring committed the basic error of giving the ball away inside their own half. It was played forward quickly to Warren Bagnall, who was faced by only one defender and struck a shot from the edge of the area that went in off the underside of the bar.
Tring might have gone back in front almost immediately when Hart struck a similar shot to his earlier effort, but this time the keeper turned the ball round the post.
Tring dominated the possession early in the second half, but the closest they came to scoring was on 53 minutes when Fletcher's glancing header from Bainborough's cross went just wide. However, Lewes got back into the game, and were gifted the chance to take the lead on the hour when Bainborough was adjudged to have tripped Jason Reed inside the box. Although most observers thought the decision harsh, Lewes took full advantage with Brackley netting the spot kick.
Reed had further chances to increase Lewes' lead, but his point-blank header on 64 minutes was denied by a wonder save from Brown, and he shot over an open goal on 78 minutes after Brown had parried a shot. However, Reed had the final say as he headed home a cross two minutes from time to seal the points for Lewes and continued their promotion push.
Team: Brown, Bainborough, Dale, Crofts (Lewis), Turner, Bray, Hart, McKane, Fletcher, Foster, McGuire (Kinsley) (Williams)