Match Report

This was certainly not the result expected by most people from this match. Tring Athletic had endured a turbulent week in which they sacked their first team manager and lost most of their first team squad in the process. The squad they assembled today comprised mostly reserve and ‘A’ team players, but the young side turned in a performance to which a very lacklustre Leverstock Green side had no answer, and were utterly outplayed.

Tring made the better start with the slope in their favour, with Will Foley hitting a free kick from just outside the box wide in the 5th minute, and Olly Butler curling over a cross two minutes later which Green keeper Adi Connolly had to awkwardly tip over the bar with the sun in his eyes. Leverstock were unable to put together any kind of coherent football, and a free kick into the side netting from Ollie Cox in the 15th minute was the best effort they managed in the first half.

The scoring was opened in the 29th minute, from another free kick outside the box. Foley’s shot was tipped onto the bar by Connolly, and the rebound came down in play, however the backspin would have taken it into the net even if Prince Nimoh hadn’t followed in to make sure.

It was a lead that Tring’s play had very much deserved, and they almost doubled the lead a minute later as Jack Sunderland got in behind the Green defence on the overlap, but his shot was tipped onto the post by Connolly. It was only a temporary respite, however, as Tring’s second goal arrived in the 32nd minute in bizarre fashion, Joe Cowan’s cross from near the left touchline looping over Connolly’s outstretched arm into the top corner of the net. Tring were rampant now and added a third on 39 minutes, a stunning strike from Nimoh from the edge of the box that went in off the underside of the bar.

The home side were not flattered by their 3-0 half time lead, and any hopes of a Leverstock recovery in the second half were dashed very quickly as Nimoh crossed for Sunderland to tap home the fourth goal in the 49th minute.

After three substitutions the Leverstock side finally started to play some football. John Smith connected with a fierce volley from a Cox corner that brought a great save out of keeper David Saunders in the 62nd minute, and three minutes later Jamie Ovington got on the end of a Cox free kick, but his header went over the bar, and as he came down he suffered a foot injury and had to be stretchered off after nearly ten minutes of treatment. With all subs already used, Leverstock were down to ten men for the remainder of the game.

Tring added to their score with a long range strike from Will Salmon seconds before the 90 minute mark, and in the 10th minute of stoppage time another long range effort from Miles Habashi found the net, with the referee blowing for time before play could restart. It was a great day for the home club, with a young side pulling out the kind of performance that few expected in front of a big crowd, but an utterly miserable one for Leverstock, who must find a way to bounce back from one of their worst displays of the season.