23/10/99: FA Carlsberg Vase 1st Round

Tring Town 0 Clacton Town 0 (aet)

Tring face a replay at Clacton's Rush Green Bowl on Tuesday night after a tense and hard-fought battle over 120 minutes on Saturday. Both sides had plenty of chances but neither could break the deadlock.

Tring opened brightly, and went close on 4 minutes when Steve Bateman headed across the face of goal, but the visitors went closer on 7 minutes when a close range shot from Ian Bennett hit the post. Clacton had a prolonged period of pressure midway through the half, with Gavin Armitage's downward header bouncing just over the bar on 18 minutes, and Keith McLoughlin having to come off his line to deny Glen Hepburn on 25 minutes and tip over a header from Terry Clarke two minutes later. However, Tring battled back, and from a 37th minute corner Bateman hit the post, and when the ball was put back in Marcus Davis headed just wide.

During a second half played in torrential rain, Tring had their backs to the wall for most of the time, but succeeded in soaking up the pressure. There was an early scare on 48 minutes when McLoughlin fumbled a soft shot from Simon Gray onto the post, but recovered in time to stop the ball crossing the line. Tring still threatened on the break; on 55 minutes Steve Boad came in at the near post to meet a corner, but headed just over, and Tring could have stolen it in the dying seconds of normal time, but Paul Aldridge's header went just wide.

Nine minutes into the first period of extra time, Matt Rawdon broke forward purposefully and laid the ball off for Rob McKane, but the keeper saved his shot from a narrow angle. At the other end, McLoughlin was still being called regularly into action, having to come off his line quickly to stop Bennett on 11 minutes.

Tring finished the game the stronger side, and again could have stolen it at the death in a frantic period. Keeper Jon Cardy got down quickly to turn a narrow-angle shot from Davis round the post, and from the resulting corner tipped Bateman's header over the bar.

Tring will go to the replay without Mark Underwood, whose game ended at half-time with an ankle injury.

Team: McLoughlin, Underwood (Bartlett), Simpson, Bateman, Aldridge, Boad, Gerrard, McKane, Rawdon, Davis, Dale (Gladdy). Subs not used: Turner, Groves.