7/12/99: Herts Senior Cup Quarter-Final

Cheshunt 2 Tring Town 0

Tring are left to concentrate on the league after going out of their last remaining cup in last night's match. They once again produced a battling display against a higher division team, refusing to crumble even when reduced to nine men for the last 25 minutes.

Tring played some of their best football for weeks during a first half which they just about had the better of. After a couple of early speculative efforts from Matt Myatt brought the keeper into action, Tring's first real chance came on 25 minutes when Rob McKane's flicked header put Scott Walters clean through, but the keeper saved his shot. Walters went close again five minutes later with a first-time volley from the edge of the area that went just over the bar.

The home side had produced little to trouble Keith McLoughlin until the incident that turned the game two minutes before the break. Glen Adams broke clear of the Tring defence and looked certain to score before Andy Simpson's last-ditch tackle sent him tumbling inside the area. Simpson received the inevitable red card, Tring's first of the season, and Cheshunt were awarded the penalty, which Steve Forwell put away safely to send Cheshunt into the break in front.

Tring's numerical disadvantage was barely evident in the early stages of the second half as they continued to play the more enterprising football. Myatt had two good efforts on goal in the opening two minutes of the half which went just over the bar, and on 52 minutes Tring had one of their best chances of the game. Myatt's cross was flicked on at the near post by McKane to Walters, who hit his shot straight at the keeper from close range.

Tring's hopes were virtually ended on 65 minutes when Gary Woolf was red-carded out of the the blue, apparently for comments made to a linesman. However, the nine men continued to push forward at every opportunity, and created several more presentable chances to grab an equaliser.

The game was ended as a contest, though, nine minutes from time when McLoughlin could only parry a long-range shot and Forwell put away the rebound from a narrow angle. The resulting scoreline was somewhat flattering to the home side, who had rarely impressed throughout the match.

Team: McLoughlin, Bartlett, Simpson, Bateman, Aldridge, Woolf, Gerrard, McKane, Myatt, Walters, Groves.