16/11/99: Ryman League Cup 2nd Round Replay

Tring Town 1 Bishop's Stortford 2

(aet 90 mins 1-1)

Tring went out of the Ryman League Cup, but with their heads held high as another performance of astonishing bravery and tenacity saw them take Division One side Bishop's Stortford to extra time for the second time. Tring were already without the three cup-tied players, and the absence of the injured Paul Aldridge caused further selection problems. Young forward Alex Kinsley was drafted into action despite having played 90 minutes for the reserves at Wembley the previous night.

As with last week's first match, Tring took an early lead. On 12 minutes, a long throw from Andy Simpson was helped on by Eddie Gerrard to Kinsley, who didn't make the cleanest of contacts, but his shot went wide of the keeper and bounced into the corner of the net.

Eight minutes later, though, the scores were level. Tring keeper Keith McLoughlin couldn't hold on to a long-range shot, and Tim Langer followed up to net the rebound.

Tring almost went straight back in front when Kinsley's pass released Matt Rawdon, who had just got up after treatment, but Rawdon went on to shoot just wide. On 35 minutes the visitors could have gone in front when the former Arsenal striker Martin Hayes was clean through, but McLoughlin saved with his legs.

The second half followed a similar pattern to last week's match, with Tring pinned in their own half for long periods and having to defend a succession of corners. Tring had their moments though; on 73 minutes Gerrard met an Adam Dale free kick at the far post and shot just over, and two minutes later Rawdon had a good chance but shot wide. For the most part, though, it was one way traffic, but Tring still held on to be level at 90 minutes.

Their luck ran out five minutes into the first period of extra time. From yet another corner, Tring couldn't clear, and Carl Fannon somehow forced the ball over the line. Tring still refused to crumble, though, and came back strongly in the second period. Steve Groves poked the ball just wide after a goalmouth scramble, and Kinsley, who hadn't stopped running all night, still had the legs to run clear of the Stortford defence, producing a shot that was on target, but not quite hard enough to beat the keeper. Tring battled to the very end but couldn't quite produce the fairy-tale finish this time, as Stortford won through to a third round tie at Croydon.

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