ARDLEY UNITED v TRING ATHLETIC, BUILDBASE FA VASE, SATURDAY: A MATCH PREVIEW...

 ARDLEY UNITED v TRING ATHLETIC: 

THE FA VASE TIE PREVIEW…

A return to Ardley’s Nolan Oils Ground beckons The Mowdog on Saturday for their FA Vase 2nd Round tie against fellow Spartan South Midlands League opponents Tring Athletic.

The League & FA Cup Matches…

League form sees Ardley lying 11th in the standings with 4 wins, a draw and 5 defeats from their 10 outings so far, their goal difference being +4 and the points total is 13.

Tring however lie last of 20 teams in the listings, having won just once, drawn 4 times and lost 6 of their own encounters. A goal difference of -11 has been accrued and the points total is currently 7.

Ardley began their campaign away at Flackwell Heath, where an Anaclet Odhiambo penalty saw them claim the win. A 2-0 victory at home v Ashton & Backwell followed in the FA Cup but it was substitute Liam Talboys who bagged both goals on that occasion.

LIAM TALBOYS...

A 0-2 loss at Arlesey Town led up to an FA Cup tie at Royal Wootton Bassett Town, where the lads drew 2-2, courtesy of a brace by Talboys but the replay was duly won 3-1 by United, which saw Talboys score again, added to a brace by Odhiambo.

JULES MCCALMON, ARDLEY'S MANAGER...

A 0-3 success at Harefield United, where Talboys netted again, along with strikes from Mason Courtney and Chris Jordan, preceded a 1-1 home draw v Leighton Town, earned by a Lewis Gabbidon penalty, although the guests had Ethan Flanagan dismissed for two cautions.

LEWIS GABBIDON...

The FA Cup run ended at Banbury United, where a 1-0 defeat was suffered by Ardley, after which the FA Vase campaign began, which will be discussed below.

FREDDIE LAPWORTH...

A 3-2 loss at Risborough Rangers, where Odhiambo and Elliott Osborne-Ricketts scored for United, was followed by another defeat on the road, 2-1 at New Salamis, where Odhiambo scored another goal. Luke Foster of New Salamis and Ardley’s Caelan Isaac were dismissed from the field during that contest. The hosts missed a penalty in that game also, with United’s Freddie Lapworth making the save.

ANACLET ODHIAMBO...

The FA Vase then intervened again before two league losses deflated the club a little. First, a 1-2 defeat at home to Baldock Town, where Ben Willoughby scored for United was all the more galling because Luke Rowland of Baldock had been sent-off after 33 minutes.

A 3-2 loss at Harpenden Town included goals by Willoughby again and also James Casbieri, then a 3-1 win at home v London Colney steadied things, with goals by Casbieri (2) and Jacob Blackstock.

Last Saturday the lads beat Holmer Green 4-0 at Oxford Road, with goals by Casbieri, Talboys and a brace by Leam Howards.

Tring drew their opening match 1-1 at Oxhey Jets, where Tommy Twelves scored Athletic’s goal and in a subsequent home FA Cup tie v Keynsham Town, Twelves scored again, adding to strikes by Oli Butler and a Chris Blunden penalty in a 3-0 victory.

CHRIS BLUNDEN...

A 2-0 FA Cup loss at Bishops Cleeve was followed by a 1-2 home defeat being inflicted upon the Cow Laners by Holmer Green, Athletic’s goal coming from Butler again.

OLI BUTLER...

Butler’s next goal came in the 1-1 draw at home v Harpenden Town, then the FA Vase interceded, before the lads were trounced 4-0 at Harefield United in the league.

A 0-4 loss at home to Leighton Town, for whom Ashton Campbell notched a hat-trick, was followed by another defeat at Cow Lane, this time 0-1 by Dunstable Town.

A HAPPIER DAY...

After the welcome break of an FA Vase win, the team’s fortunes began to change, drawing 3-3 at Crawley Green, where Blunden, Cameron Brooks and Kieran Turner grabbed the goals. Finally, a win came, 1-0 at home to London Colney, courtesy of a goal by Blunden.

KIERAN TURNER...

A 2-2 draw on the road at Hadley came next, where Turner and Twelves were on the scoresheet but last Saturday, the lads slipped at Cow Lane again, a 1-2 defeat to Flackwell Heath, despite yet another goal by Blunden.

In midweek Tring faced Broadfields United at their Grass Roots Stadium, the visitors playing only their 7th league match this term. Tring were beaten 1-2 but after Twelves had scored for Athletic, their ‘keeper Jon Pitts was sent off and subsequently United went on to win the match.

TOMMY TWELVES...

Not the best preparation for Saturday’s FA Vase game, then…

The FA Vase… 

Ardley began their run in the Vase with a 5-0 thumping of Burton Park Wanderers at the Nolan Oils Ground, the goals coming from braces by Odhiambo and substitute Talboys, plus another by Callum Convey.

In the next round, another 5-0 home success was secured against visitors Rothwell Corinthians and the goals were nabbed by Blackstock, Talboys, Osborne-Ricketts, Odhiambo and substitute Howards.

ELLIOTT OSBORNE-RICKETTS...

A third FA Vase 5-0 home win on the cards against Tring, one wonders?

Tring began their Vase journey with a 2-2 draw at Long Buckby, where Emmanuel Gbejuade and Twelves scored the goals to take the match to a penalty-shootout. Thanks to a pair of Dave Saunders saves, Tring won the shootout by 2-4…

DAVE SAUNDERS...

A 1-4 victory on the road at FC Deportivo Galicia followed in the next round, a match which was memorable for Chris Blunden, who snaffled all four goals. 

So, a third successive away tie in the FA Vase for Tring. A draw so far (with a penalties win), an outright win and a need for some positivity, following a tough run in the league… 

Coverage…

Full coverage of this tie will appear from Sunday morning at themowdog.blogspot.com which will include a full match report, images, video highlights with commentary and also screenshots from the video footage…

The Mowdog…