24/8/99: Ryman League Division Three

Ware 2 Tring Town 0

Tring are still waiting to get off the mark after falling to another defeat against Ware in last night's match. Paul Aldridge returned to the side after holiday, and Mick Vipond has made two new signings in Mark Chapman and Mark Hall, although only the latter was named in last night's line-up.

Neither goalkeeper was extended greatly in the early stages of the game, and Tring didn't come close until 25 minutes when Matt Rawdon headed just wide from Mark Underwood's cross. Ware keeper Martyn Patching had to show his agility on 38 minutes when a defender looked to have knocked the ball past him under pressure from Rawdon, but Patching dived to head the ball wide of the post. Tring looked to be heading for the break on level terms until disaster struck on 43 minutes. Andy Simpson lost the ball just outside his own area, then Hall passed the ball back to Keith McLoughlin, who had two attackers bearing down on him. McLoughlin's clearance was blocked by Ian Smith, who then collected the loose ball and slotted it into the empty net to put Ware in front.

Ware had much the better of things in the second half, and it was largely the heroics of McLoughlin that kept the score down, despite him clearly being some way short of full recovery from his groin injury sustained last season. Tring had glimmers of hope late in the game when both Hall and Rawdon put dangerous crosses across the face of goal, but nobody could get on the end of them. The game was sealed five minutes from time when Dean Callcut broke quickly from within his own half and skipped over the last-ditch tackle of Aldridge before shooting past McLoughlin. Further bad news for Tring was that Ware's robust style led to both Paul Turner and Adam Dale limping off during the second half.

Team: McLoughlin, Underwood, Simpson, Dale (A.Corcoran), Aldridge, Asquith, Hall, McKane, Rawdon, Godbould (McGuire), Turner (Sangster).