WINSLOW UNITED 1-4 TRING ATHLETIC: FULL MATCH REPORT BY THE MOWDOG...

Tring Master the Wind and Breeze Past Plucky Winslow

Winslow United 1-4 Tring Athletic

Tring’s strong second-half opening shaded a forgettable first period, during which they struggled to master a gusty wind, as well as Winslow’s eager showing and also, it must be said, their own deficiencies. Their ‘keeper Jack Hopwood had already saved well from home skipper Ryan Freshwater, before left-sider Grant Karwacinski struck a smart goal for United and although Tring were thus harassed into some offensive action near the interval and home goalie Carl Knox saved from Chris Vardy, their other attempts drifted off target. Two early goals after the break, one a remarkable effort from the narrowest of angles and with the minimum of measuring up by Vardy, plus a birthday strike from midfielder Sam Joliffe, allowed the guests some leeway, although to be fair to the hosts a Richard Armstrong header and a Charlie Flanagan shot flew just astray with the score at 1-2 and then Hopwood made a fine save from replacement James Davey. A late flurry by the visitors deservedly won the game however as a vicious Vardy strike against the goal-frame was sandwiched between Joliffe’s penalty and the impressive Ryan Sturges’ emphatic added-time finish from, er, 23 yards…   

STONE, PAPER, OR SCISSORS?
IT'S A TOSS BETWEEN THE THREE...

Knox had already held onto near post left-booted efforts by Tring’s George Brinkmann and Jack Seaton, who had cleverly beaten Karwacinski to create his opportunity but when a right-side Hateley Mercer corner was won against visiting skipper Dan Steadman by home skipper Freshwater, Hopwood leapt right to claw the ball away from just inside his right upright. Annoyance had already resulted in a caution for Tring’s inventive midfielder Luke Dunstan who had carried on an argument, like the referee would surely change his mind but it appeared that Freshwater was also booked in an incident with Brinkman, who had flung himself to the turf in a fine display of Norman Wisdom acrobatics. Brinkman was a livewire, a perfect fellow to play the part of pantomime villain in Tring’s next production but his humour, possibly not appreciated by opponents, even stretched to suggesting that I, as well as the groundhopper lounging nearby should have fetched a ball for him from near the croquet lawn… I usually do volley balls back but I was intent on pigging George off on this occasion… We both wind people up, it appears. 

THE REFEREE APPEARS AMUSED THAT A PLAYER IS INJURED, BUT A SPECTATOR FINDS THE MATCH PROGRAMME MORE INTERESTING...

FLANAGAN REALISES THAT HE IS LESSER HURT THAN LESSA... 

DUNSTAN: "BUT I WANT TO SEE WHAT COLOUR CARDS YOU HAVE IN YOUR POCKET..."

GEORGE BRINKMAN PREPARES FOR A NUCLEAR ATTACK.
HE ASSURES HIS TEAM-MATES THAT IT'S THE ONLY PROTECTION NECESSARY...
THANKS, GEORGE.

WINSLOW'S PLAYERS DON'T BELIEVE HIM THOUGH...

Joliffe set up Vardy on the left side of the penalty-box for a low drive, which Knox beat away effectively but it was the hosts who scored following a weak Vardy header at the opposite end. A fine pass between two Tring defenders by lively forward Drew Mitten, threaded like a hand into a glove, saw Karwacinski hold his run and time his advance perfectly then beat the advancing Hopwood with a low drive from inside-left, which struck the net just inside the right stick.

THE CELEBRATING WINSLOW PLAYERS HAVEN'T QUITE GOT THE HANG OF A BALLET LIFT, AS YET...

YEAH, THE JIG IS BETTER...

1-0 NOW...

In an urged response to being behind to a lower ranked team, Sturges began to look more effective, Vardy and Joliffe both shot wide and the impish Jack Sunderland finished, well, like Sunderland, across the face of goal and not into it. The interval was signalled and although the wind had not been conducive to a flowing game Winslow hadn’t really used it too well, leaving Hopwood relieved that shots from distance hadn’t rained down upon him. Long punts by Knox had simply been like pulling apples from trees for the Tring custodian and in truth, surely Athletic could not play much worse after the cuppa and the rant from their coaching staff. This proved to be correct… 

GEORGE BRINKMAN: A GREAT CHARACTER...

Brinkman received a caution, following the start of act two, proving that brinkmanship can often finally end up with egg on the face and Sturges began to make inroads on the United defensive right, first clipping over a dangerous right-shoe cross, then providing a shooting chance for Joliffe whose effort was dragged past the left post and also firing over the crossbar himself. However Dunstan’s clever play on that left attacking flank finally offered Joliffe the chance to regain a relieving parity for his crew and the midfielder did so with aplomb. Dunstan tricked Ben Baines as he made towards the byeline, passed into the centre and Joliffe had time to put a foot to the ball and then smack it past the helpless Knox from 8 yards, with Armstrong in his wake.

LESSA GOES OVER TO LOOK AFTER HIS LITTLE MATE...

STURGES SURGES...

SAM JOLIFFE REHEARSES FOR SUNDAY MORNING AFTER HIS BIRTHDAY NIGHT OUT...

THE MASSED RANKS OF TRINGERS BEHIND THE GOAL...

1-1: JOLIFFE...

DUNSTAN PRACTISES HIS ROBOTICS...

The second goal was soon to arrive and deflate the home resistance but what a strange, if beautifully taken strike it was. A long ball forwards, carried no doubt by the wind, was chased at inside-left by Vardy, but Knox had advanced, didn’t make it and Vardy nicked the ball away towards the left touchline and without so much as a glance at his protractor, set-square, or satnav, he clipped a very narrow angled delivery, left-footed, just inside the far post for a remarkable goal. Vardy simply turned as if he’d just posted a letter to his aunt, until his team-mates, duly impressed, mobbed him. I’d seen Jamie Vardy play for Stocksbridge Park Steels at Retford United (The Badgers, oddly…) in 2008-09 and how his career changed afterwards… Keep the dream, Chris.

SCORING? SIMPLES...

...DESERVES A HUG THOUGH...

1-2: GOAL BY VARDY...

POST-GOAL HUDDLE...

Substitutions then affected the game a little and although on top, despite the promptings of Dunstan and Sturges, who were by now well in command in midfield, alongside Joliffe, Tring loosened their grip a little and Winslow nearly capitalised. Davey replaced Geno Tosolari for the hosts, whilst Adam Scotcher and George Carbery (I hope that’s right…) replaced Sunderland and the giant, embattled, hurt Lessa Boka for the guests. Oddly, Boka hadn’t gone forward for set-pieces during the opening half but I guess Tring’s tactics didn’t include that ruse.

LUKE DUNSTAN: SO EFFECTIVE...

Indeed, Armstrong rose well but nodded a left-side free-kick past the right post, before Hopwood sliced an awkward back-pass but survived, then after another Sturges shot rose too high for Athletic, Charlie Flanagan who had worked well at times with Mitten, leaned back and clipped a shot just over the Tring goal-frame. After the injured James Banfield, at left-back for Tring, had been replaced by Stuart Stedman, who had been vociferous on the sideline, the home team so nearly pulled level. First, following another fine delivery by Mercer from the left, Ollie Goulding’s low ball in from the right flicked off Armstrong, was headed out by Joliffe but onto the right volleying boot of Davey 18 yards from goal. His fine effort was well saved diving right by the alert Hopwood, at the expense of a corner, following a scramble. The corner caused a few problems but was eventually cleared safely by Tring, whose butt had been truly kicked and they finished the stronger.

PENALTY AWARDED...

Scotcher was pulled by Alex Iyenger in the penalty-box, Joliffe clipped the resulting penalty into the top right corner of the net, Sturges and Dunstan combined to feed Vardy, whose powerful 15 yarder crashed down off the underside of the crossbar and as time ran out, Sturges received his reward. Fine work on the left by Dunstan who appeared to nutmeg Goulding, led to a clearance by United but Brinkman challenged, Vardy nudged the ball off Iyenger and there was Sturges maybe 22.65 metres out, to smack his shot into the bottom left corner of the net to leave Winslow distraught. 

...& IS SCORED BY JOLIFFE...

1-3 NOW...

1-4...

...& A DESERVED GOAL FOR STURGES...

Tring venture on in the FA Vase, the game had improved after the interval and the nippy Vardy, the clever Dunstan (who had done well to avoid trouble after his early booking) and the irrepressible Sturges had forced Winslow into a plucky defeat. Right-back Jack Seaton, one of a prial of Tring Jacks, was always willing to support for his team and skipper Steadman steadied his colleagues well enough. Mercer’s deliveries were good for United, Freshwater a rock at the back, Armstrong a physical plus but Mitten and Flanagan looked very useful on occasions.

In the match programme, one of the Tring players listed was the splendidly named Tommy Twelves but what number would he have worn? I think we should be told… 

TEAMS:

WINSLOW UNITED:

CARL KNOX, ALEX IYENGER, HATELEY MERCER, RYAN FRESHWATER (CAPT), BEN BAINES, RICHARD ARMSTRONG, GENO TOSOLARI, OLLIE GOULDING, DREW MITTEN, CHARLIE FLANAGAN, GRANT KARWACINSKI.

SUBS:

CHRIS SETTERFIELD, LEO BROOKS, CARL CLAY, MICHAEL REED, JAMES DAVEY.

TRING ATHLETIC:

JACK HOPWOOD, JACK SEATON, JAMES BANFIELD, LUKE DUNSTAN, DAN STEADMAN (CAPT), LESSA BOKA, RYAN STURGES, SAM JOLIFFE, CHRIS VARDY, JACK SUNDERLAND, GEORGE BRINKMAN.

SUBS:

CALLUM GREGORY, STUART STEDMAN, ADAM SCOTCHER, GEORGE CARBERY.