30/10/99: Ryman League Division Three

Abingdon Town 2 Tring Town 1

Despite Tring's recent improvement, they have still not gained a single league point away from home, and that pattern continued on Saturday in a match in which they were handicapped from the start. Goalkeeper Keith McLoughlin was still suffering from a dead leg sustained in Tuesday night's Vase replay, and with no other keeper available, Neal Bartlett had to go between the sticks. However, this cannot be used as an excuse for a very poor performance, which manager Mick Vipond admitted he was "ashamed" of after the match.

Torrential rain made for appalling playing conditions, which Abingdon coped with much the better from the start. Tring attacks were rare, but it was from one of these that Abingdon broke away to take the lead in the 29th minute. Gary Atkins raced away with the ball, and when the last Tring defender slipped over in front of him, Atkins had only to slot the ball past Bartlett to put the home side in front.

However, Tring still went into the break on level terms. In the dying seconds of the first half Matt Rawdon latched on to a ball over the top and ran clear to shoot home the equaliser.

Tring made a brighter start to the second half, with Paul Turner heading a free kick just wide and Rawdon hitting the post in the opening five minutes. At the other end a long range shot from Atkins had Bartlett fully extended to turn the ball round the post on 58 minutes, and an even better shot from Nobby Clark struck the bar on 66 minutes.

As the rain became ever more monsoon-like, Tring had another couple of chances to go in front. On 76 minutes Rawdon was clean through on goal but produced a weak shot when a square pass to Marcus Davis might have been the better option. Four minutes later a Steve Bateman free kick was turned round the post by the Abingdon keeper, ironically named McLaughlin.

However, Tring fell to a sucker punch four minutes from time. An Abingdon forward was allowed to get to the bye-line to send over a low cross, which gave Atkins a simple chance to tap in from close range.

Even then Tring might have salvaged a point in injury time when Paul Aldridge found himself with a clear sight of goal, but hit the ball straight at the keeper.

Team: Bartlett, Gerrard, Simpson, Bateman, Aldridge, Dale (Groves), Boad, McKane, Rawdon, Davis, Turner.