MATCH REPORT

TRING ATHLETIC V HODDESDON TOWN F C 12TH NOVEMBER 2019

HERTS SENIOR CUP

LESSONS LEARNT MEAN WE PROGRESS IN THE SENIOR CUP

Missed chances and sloppy defending last Saturday what a difference three days make! Today, we were close to clinical in our finishing and our defence was just superb. That is an unbeatable combination. Take our defence first. Quite frankly, Hoddesdon never looked like scoring. Yes, they had a lot of possession and a lot of territory, but we always had an answer to the challenges that they presented. Mention could be made of each one of our defenders but two stood out. Charlie Mann exudes confidence which must give his team mates such assurance that, as the last line, it will need something special to beat him. Faultless again today Charlie. Ben Johnson has had a fabulous season to date and today he gave a fabulous performance. Fast, strong and decisive, he made sure that the enforced absences of our normal centre back pair went unnoticed.
Then the attack. It is true that we let a couple of chances slip in the first half but we scored when it mattered, early in the game to take command and then late on to secure the win. Three goals from a handful of chances is a decent return you cant be greedy!
The game was preceeded by a presentation to the boys of the September Team of the Month Award and it was good that our old friend Pete Hazel was able to make that presentation on behalf of the League. We freshened up the starting line-up, bringing in Ben, Mulik Rickman and Kieran Turner. Playing twice a week as frequently as we have to, it is important to ring the changes to keep people sharp and to get the whole squad involved. Moreover, when the finishers came on from the hour mark onwards, they helped to take the game away from Hoddesdon. When you can bring on such talent as Phil Lowen, Terry Dixon and George Brinkman as the opposition are tiring, then you can do damage.
Max Mitchells early goal, in the 5th minute, was exquisitely curled in to the corner of the net. Frazer Johns goal was the result of a cleverly taken quick free kick, and a square pass in to the penalty area from Terry Dixon, whilst the third involved an assist from Brinkman for Dixon to fire home at the second attempt.
So, all in all, a good day at the office, although in deference to the opposition, the 3-0 scoreline was rather flattering.
We return to league action on Saturday with the mouth-watering prospect of a local derby against an in-form Leighton Town.


Team: C Mann, J Sunderland, P Madhu, B Johnson, J Carter, L Dunstan, M Rickman (P Lowen 55), D Ferrigno, K Turner (T Dixon 65), M Mitchell (G brinkman 70), F John.

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