Date | Tuesday 28 February 2012 |
Match | Tring Athletic v Royston Town |
Competition | Molten Spartan South Midlands Football League: Premier Division |
Result | Won 3-0 |
Royston Scorers | Lockett, K. Fehmi(2) |
Man of Match | Joe Clemo |
Attendance | 114 |
After a couple of weeks of below-par performances and poor results The Crows travelled to Tring Athletic, never an easy game at any time of the season. Games against Tring whether home or away have always been closely contested in recent seasons but the Royston team found the right performance on the evening and left with a fully merited scoreline.
The evening did not start great for manager Paul Attfield who had a number of players struggling to make kick off on time due to traffic problems but a team was selected and The Crows got off to a flyer with a goal within two minutes. Ryan Lockett picked up a loose ball in midfield an unleashed a firm drive that deceived the keeper and found the bottom corner.
This settled the Royston team who worked hard and looked defensively solid. The hosts became more and more frustrated, gaining little time and space on the ball and largely they reverted to longer balls from defensive positions that were ineffective and decisively dealt with. When Royston countered they looked lively and threatening, which had been lacking in recent games, and they were unfortunate not to add to their lead.
Mid-way through the half captain John McGrandles had a header from a corner headed off the line and just before half time Luke Robins broke clear down the left with his deft chip superbly saved a full stretch by the keeper with Matt Standen's follow up scrambled from the line and into the grateful keeper's hands.
The Crows played down the slope in the second half and with Tring throwing more bodies into attack the visitors found better space to exploit crossing half way. Tring were better in possession of the ball in the second half but they failed to breach a very determined Royston defensive unit. Will Norris had impeccable handling from all crosses and it was credit to the team that he had no meaningful saves to make for the entire 90 minutes.
Paul Attfield made an early second half change with Ross Collins replacing the cautioned Martin Standen but as the half wore on it was evident that Royston looked more and more likely to extend their lead. This was confirmed mid-way through the half when a foul 25 yards out gave Kaan Fehmi the opportunity with the ball flying through a poor defensive wall giving the keeper no chance to the bottom corner.
A fine team move down the left was eventually crossed by Jack Bradshaw to Matt Standen who fired over from ten yards and Fehmi shot high and wide from 12 yards from another fine move before he completed the scoring fifteen minutes from time. Cutting into the area from the left he wrong footed a couple of defenders before arrowing a strike into the far top corner giving the keeper no chance.
The Crows saw out the remainder of the game with relative ease obtaining a well earned clean sheet, which was just as pleasing as the attacking play witnessed in the second half. The win also sees
The Crows climb back to the top of the table after winning this game in hand over Dunstable Town and AFC Dunstable, with all three teams now having played 30 games.
Team: Norris, Clemo, Bradshaw, McGrandles, Beck, Martin Standen (Collins), Edwards, Lockett (Endacott), Matt Standen, K. Fehmi, Robins (Young) Unused: Redford, Lawrence