25/9/99: FA Carlsberg Vase Second Qualifying Round

Tring Town 2 March Town United 1

Tring are safely through to the First Round of the FA Carlsberg Vase, although they made hard work of getting past a moderate March side.

Tring dominated from the start, and created their first chance after three minutes. Wayne Gladdy went clear down the right and sent over a superb cross, but Matt Rawdon's glancing header was not enough to divert it into the net. On 10 minutes Rawdon was unlucky again when his acrobatic overhead kick struck the bar.

Tring created a host of half-chances but their best opportunity came on 41 minutes when a pass from Rawdon put Steve Groves clean through, but a poor touch from Groves allowed the keeper to come out and gather the ball.

Tring may have been disappointed at not turning their clear superiority into goals in the first half, but they put that right within a minute of the restart. Groves got to the bye-line and pulled the ball back for Eddie Gerrard, who worked himself into a shooting position. Gerrard's cross-shot was finished off by Rawdon, who slid in at the near post to force the ball home.

It should have been two a minute later when Gladdy was clean through, but again a lack of composure in front of goal allowed the keeper to thwart the chance. However, it could have been 1-1 on 50 minutes when March had their first serious effort on goal but Paul Turner cleared Steve Bailey's shot off the line.

Tring then went through an untidy period, but the introduction of Kevin Godbold sparked them into life again. On 77 minutes Godbold supplied a cross which Rawdon got on the end of, but saw his shot saved. A minute later Groves sent over another dangerous cross which somehow passed through a crowd of players at the near post, falling for Godbold in front of goal to smash home the second.

Tring squandered yet more chances to add further goals late in the game, and were made to endure a nervous final few seconds after a March corner found Daniel McPherson unmarked to fire home a shot deep into stoppage time.

Team: McLoughlin, McKane, Turner, Underwood, Aldridge, L.Walsh (K.Walsh), Gerrard, Groves, Rawdon, Gladdy (Godbold), Sangster.