9/11/99: Ryman League Cup 2^nd Round

Bishop's Stortford 2 Tring Town 2

(aet 90 mins 1-1)

Tring were within minutes of another major cup scalp last night until a Bishop's Stortford equaliser took the match into extra time. Even then, Tring continued to battle bravely and earned a replay at Pendley. The performance was all the more remarkable given that Tring were without Steve Bateman, Neal Bartlett and Scott Walters, all cup-tied.

Tring got off to a dream start when they took the lead after just seven minutes. From a short corner routine, Rob McKane crossed the ball to the near post for Matt Rawdon, whose header glanced just inside the post. The home side, near the foot of Division One, offered little threat, but began to build up more pressure as the half wore on. On 27 minutes Keith McLoughlin had to dive at the feet of Scott Witney after he had been put clean through. On 35 minutes McLoughlin tipped over a long-range shot from Tim Langer, and a minute later Graham Paxton had a free header from close range but headed it straight at McLoughlin.

The pattern continued in the second half, with Tring generally being pinned in their own half, but McLoughlin rarely being extended. Stortford came close with ten minutes left when Carl Fannon rose at the far post but headed inches wide. It looked as though Tring were going to hold out, but the clock had just ticked over 90 minutes when they failed to clear a corner. The ball was put back in, and Paxton scrambled the ball over the line to send the match into extra time.

Remarkably, Tring went back in front ten minutes into the first period of extra time. Adam Dale struck a fierce free kick from just outside the area which hit the post, but McKane followed up to coolly net the rebound. But this time Tring's lead lasted less than two minutes. Again it was a Stortford corner that caused the problem, and Nicky Winger hooked the ball in from close range.

Tring were again forced into frantic defending for the whole of the second period, but held on for a well-deserved replay, which will be held at Pendley next Tuesday, providing that Tring do not draw their Vase match on Saturday, in which case the Vase replay would take precedence.

Team: McLoughlin, Underwood, Simpson, Turner, Aldridge, Dale, Gerrard, McKane, Rawdon (Kinsley), Boad, Groves.