WALSALL WOOD 1 TRING ATHLETIC 2 GODLOVE ANSWERS ATHLETIC’S PRAYERS...
TRING Athletic belatedly advanced to the last 16 of the FA Vase in a dramatic finish against Walsall Wood.
Last weekend’s tie at Tring was absorbing until the 78th minute when the floodlights went out with the score 1-1.
This time, it was Walsall Wood who had home advantage and the sides were again locked at one-apiece late on.
Then Frankie Hercules could have won it for Athletic when his free-kick had to be parried wide by Wood keeper Callum Smith with three minutes left.
The resulting corner saw the ball not cleared and in the resulting melee of head tennis, the ball skimmed off the back of Godlove Oppong’s head and into the back of the net.
In the short time that remained, Wood threw the proverbial kitchen sink at Tring. They headed against the crossbar in the process and Lewis Riley-Stewart also headed on to the top of the net.
Earlier, Wood, as in the first meeting, had started brightly. The referee had to wave away an early penalty claim from Kaden May.
On 13 minutes, Wood’s Joshua Mansell put a cross into the penalty area which just evaded the outstretched legs of Jai Verma.
However, Tring took the lead in the 21st minute.
A great run down the left-hand side by Oppong took him to the byline.
His cross found Lee Farruch around the penalty spot and he fired the ball into the right-hand side of the goal past Smith.
Five minutes from half-time, Wood captain Kevin Montiero fired a shot from 30 yards out which richocheted off the crossbar.
Walsall Wood were quick out of the traps in the second half and this time Verma converted the opportunity that was created for him.
Slick passing through the middle of the field from May found Verma just outside the Tring area.
He took the ball forward and fired past Oscar Frost to equalise on 51 minutes.
But ultimately it was the Hertfordshire side who won through and they will be at home to Bury AFC next Saturday in the fifth round.