24/4/99: Ryman League Division Three
Tring Town 1 Croydon Athletic 5
Tring's season of disappointment is nearly over, but they had to endure another day of embarrassment as Croydon Athletic added to the nine goals they scored against Tring earlier in the season with a further five goals at Pendley on Saturday.
The first goal came after just seven minutes, when Graham Harper crossed for Paul Muir to finish comfortably from close range. Ten minutes later the second goal came from a debatable free kick awarded to Croydon just outside the box. Harper crossed to the far post, where Shane Dutfield headed back across goal for Simon Mitchell to apply another simple finish.
Tring didn't bring Croydon keeper Simon Vaughan into action until the 22nd minute, when he had to palm away a deep cross from Paul Turner at the far post. However, Croydon added two more soft goals past Tring's helpless keeper Lee Brown before the break to go in with a 4-0 half-time lead.
Tring at least showed a bit more fight in the second half, and pulled a goal back on 53 minutes. Alex Kinsley headed a cross down for Darnell St John to shoot home a consolation effort.
The vistors restored their four goal advantage on 68 minutes, though, when Mitchell burst through the centre of the Tring defence to shoot home the fifth. They had plenty of chances to add further goals, but had to be content with five.
Team: Brown, Bainborough, Turner, Lewis, Condon (Porter), Crofts, McKane, Campbell, Wells, Williams (Kinsley), St John.