TRING ATHLETIC 1 HERTFORD TOWN 2
Herts Senior Cup - Second Round
Tuesday 2nd December 2008
Another Tuesday evening cup game and another impressive performance and victory for Hertford Town. The Blues really are relishing these midweek knockout competitions. Despite going behind very early on Hertford's strength and confidence brought them through on a bitterly cold night at Cow Lane.
Teams - Tring Athletic: 1. Dave Clark, 2. Steve Smith, 3. Tye North, 4. Graham Hall, 5. Henry Thomas, 6. Dave Foskett (capt), 7. Andy Mullins, 8. Trevor Gibbs, 9. Mark Burfoot, 10. Dave Whicker, 11. Leo Mullett. Subs Used: Chris Salmon (for Whicker), Rob Duncan (for Mullett).
Hertford Town: 1. Lee Robinson, 2. Chris Spiteri, 3. Duncan Hamilton, 4. Joel Maybury (capt), 5. Dave Hunt, 6. Pablo Ardiles, 7. Owen Beale, 8. Matt McArdle, 9. Andy Chapman, 10. Reece Lyons, 11. Attila Korsoveczki. Sub Used: Jack Bruno (for Lyons).
The home side were out of their starting blocks whilst their visitors were seemingly still tying up their boot laces. With the Hertford defence at sixes and sevens, and unable to even get a sniff of the ball. It was left to Tring's Trevor Gibbs to blast the ball past the exposed Lee Robinson. Twenty-six seconds gone and it was Tring Athletic one, Hertford town nil!
For the next couple of minutes the home team overwhelmed their visitors and it seemed as if a cricket score may be on the cards, but then things began to calm down and in the third minute Hertford won a free kick, though Duncan Hamilton's speculative shot cleared the Tring crossbar. Four minutes later the home side won a free kick, which Trevor Gibbs stepped up to take. His effort was wide.
In the 13th minute, with the home team still the more dominant of the two teams, they won a corner. It was well played into the box, but fortunately for the visiting side, the resulting shot was just wide. Two minutes later the visitors won a corner but Hamilton's kick was poor and the threat fizzled out. For the next few minutes Hertford became the more dominant side for the first time in the game and won a succession of corners, however none of these came to anything. Following one of these Tring made a rapid counter-attack, but to the amazement of their bench and supporters it was cut short by a referee's assistant's flag for offside.
On 24 minutes Hertford won another corner though this came to nothing, and then Andy Chapman found himself in a good position. He controlled the ball well, but with only home 'keeper Clark to beat, he blasted his shot rather than placing past the custodian. It hit the post and crossbar before cannoning off to safety. A minute later the Blues' Matt McArdle received a talking to from the referee, apparently for something that had been said, though as with a number of the official's subsequent decisions, it was unclear whether the player had been cautioned or not.
As the game approached the half hour mark the visitors continued to show their dominance and won two corners in quick succession. Then on 33 minutes Owen Beale tried a speculative shot from distance, but his effort was just wide. Five minutes later Tring's Henry Thomas was booked for a clumsy challenge on Attila Korsoveczki. From the resulting free kick the Tring defence were able to clear the ball out for a Hertford corner. Owen Beale's well-taken kick found the head of Korsoveczki in the box, but his effort was just wide. The visitors soon won another corner on the other side, but Hamilton's kick again failed to trouble the home defence.
On 42 minutes Hertford Town were awarded what even their supporters thought was a dubious penalty. Owen Beale, advancing down the left was clearly tripped but the referee gave nothing. Beale however, was able to regain control and took the ball into the Tring box, where under a challenge from a home defender he appeared to fall over. The referee, appearing to atone for his earlier error awarded the spot kick. DAVE HUNT stepped up and placed the ball well to 'keeper Clark's right to level the scores.
Three minutes later the visitors were ahead. The impressive Korsoveczki controlled the ball well on a rapid run down the right, evading a number of challenges in the process. He was then able to put in a superb cross, which evaded 'keeper Clark, but not ANDY CHAPMAN, who had timed his run perfectly to slot in at the back post. There was barely time to restart the game before the referee blew the half time whistle.
Half Time Score: Tring Athletic 1 Hertford Town 2
The home team again began the second half the more dominant but their pressure soon subsided. Then just three minutes after the restart Tring's Dave Whicker was shown a yellow card, apparently for swearing, though it appears that only the referee heard what was said. Three minutes later it became apparent that Matt McArdle had indeed been booked in the first half. Following a challenge on a Tring player the referee awarded a free kick and had words with McArdle. The player was shown a yellow card, swiftly followed by a red. Hertford Town now had to play the best part of forty minutes with ten men.
Ten minutes into the half Tring made the first substitution of the game bringing on Chris Salmon for Dave Whicker, possibly to prevent Whicker being shown a second yellow by the over-zealous official.
Although reduced in numbers and put under significant pressure the visitors were still able to apply pressure of their own. Eighteen minutes into the half a well-crafted move involving Pablo Ardiles, Owen Beale, Reece Lyons and Chris Spiteri, finally broke down when the latter was unable to get in an effective shot on goal. Four minutes later Spiteri had another chance but his effort was blasted over the bar. A minute later the ball was back down the other end and the home team won a corner, though this came to nothing. They then won a free kick followed by two successive corners, but on each occasion the Hertford defence was able to deal with the pressure.
With less than fifteen minutes remaining both teams made substitutions. Tring brought on Rob Duncan for Leo Mullett, and Hertford Town's Reece Lyons made way for Jack Bruno. As the game went into the final five minutes, play became a little tense as the home side pushed for the all important equaliser that would send the match into extra time. Hertford's player manager Pablo Ardiles was cautioned for dissent and he was soon followed into the referee's book by Tring's Andy Mullins. The home side were now mounting most of the pressure though the visitors were able to make the occasional break and at one point Owen Beale was able to get in a shot though this was wide. Jack Bruno then became the latest player cautioned. As the game went into injury time Tring won a corner and even threw 'keeper Clark forward to try and help force in that elusive goal. Hertford were again able to deal with the pressure and the referee soon blew the final whistle, much to the relief of the travelling supporters.
Final Score: Tring Athletic 1 Hertford Town 2