First Team
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Sat 04 Feb 2017
Leighton Town F C
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Tring Athletic
Tring Take Points At Bell Close

Tring Take Points At Bell Close

Andrew Parker5 Feb 2017 - 19:45
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Leighton Town 1 - 3 Tring Athletics

After a good point was gained against Holmer Green in midweek, Leighton would’ve been hoping to kick on here at home to Tring after a recent upturn of form.
The hosts started quickly against their neighbours from Hertfordshire but it was the visitors that should’ve gone 1-0 very early on after Chris Stapleton hit a low shot a mere inch past the far post after a good Tring break.
Leighton were matching their counterparts who were just outside the play-offs and Lewis McBride hit a neat strike on the turn that wasn’t far wide.
When George Carberry was in space in the box for Tring he should’ve done better, but the Leighton defence did very well to clear his effort and avert the danger.
Lorrel Smith had a shot deflected out for a corner and after this followed a good spell of Leighton pressure as the resulting corner was cleared off the line, Smith hit another shot that was tipped over the bar by the keeper but the referee had already blown his whistle.
Leighton really should’ve gone 1-0 up when McBride was in on goal he tried to square it to Martin Griggs for a tap-in but put too much on it and misplaced the pass.
Tring then hit 2 goals in quick succession soon after first through Chris Vardy who broke through the Leighton back-line and struck past Sillitoe. Barely 2 minutes had passed as Stapleton countered and Sillitoe had little chance as Stapleton slotted past him.
Whilst the first half had been relatively even Tring had taken their chances well, Leighton had to start strongly in the second half to have any chance and they did so well.
First Griggs had an audacious overhead kick that was cleared and then McBride was unlucky as a low shot came off the post.
Leighton were on top in the early stages of the second half and when Vinny Greco shot speculatively from range Jack Hopwood in the Tring goal had to be alert to tip it over the bar.
Griggs tried another overhead kick and this one was better than the last as Hopwood was rooted to the spot as his effort wasn’t far wide.
Despite this pressure it was Tring who scored next through Sam Jolliffe. A Tring corner came in and Jolliffe had a free header to glance past Sillitoe.
At the very least Leighton deserved a goal and they got it also immediately after through Smith. It was good one touch interplay from the Reds and Smith coolly slotted past Hopwood.
Leighton were unlucky not to reduce their arrears after a speculative ball found Ben Gallant in space in the box, all he needed to do was get a decent touch to shoot but he was off balance and couldn’t control it.
Substitute Jamie Warne also should’ve added another goal to the game when 1-on-1 with Sillitoe but under pressure put his shot wide.
Tring were defending well against Leighton and despite their best efforts couldn’t break them down and 3-1 it finished.
The boys worked hard today but couldn’t take their chances and were unlucky not to get more out of the game, on another day McBride’s shot would’ve gone in instead of hitting the post and Griggs might have got a tap in, however Tring looked like a strong side again and defended well against Town.
It’s another busy week for Scott Reynold’s team, we travel to Sun Sports this Tuesday before we return to Bell Close next Saturday for the visit of Oxhey Jets.

TEAM: Sillitoe, McMillan, Norton, Greco, Condon, Mercer, Griggs ©, McBride, Smith, Gallant, Marsala SUBS: Greco for Richards, Gallant for McKee, Griggs for Odutolu UNUSED: Tamakloe

Report by
James D'Arcy

Match details

Match date

Sat 04 Feb 2017

Kickoff

15:00
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