It was under the lights at The Grassroots Stadium, the home of Tring Athletic, on a cold, wet, Tuesday night that we got ourselves back to winning ways after a disappointing result on Saturday at home to Dunstable Town. Connor Spinks was the man who rose to the occasion on the night, working tirelessly up top and contributing both goals in a narrow 2-1 victory.

In the early stages of the game, it was evident that the conditions were going to play a massive part with the ball sticking under players’ feet and with many incomplete passes from both sides. However, it was the home side that would take an early lead in the match. A cheap corner was given away and the ensuing tame ball in was met at the front post for the Tring midfielder to get himself an easy header. 10 minutes later and the mood of the home side was to drastically change. A long through pass was threaded down the middle of the Tring back line with Connor Spinks chasing down only to be beaten too the ball by the home goalkeeper who, outside of his area, completely misjudged the flight and bounce of the ball, decided his only course of action was to handball it and in doing so prevented what would have been the easiest goal of Spinks’ career. After a period of deliberation with his assistant, although there shouldn't have been much to discuss, the referee duly pulled out his red card and sent the goalkeeper on his way for a very early shower. From the resulting freekick we had a chance to test the new Tring goalkeeper, who was one of the defenders that had pulled on the jersey and gloves, but Rhys Ellis’ strike went just wide of the post.

After that period, we were yet to really test the new man in the sticks, that was until Connor Spinks’ 28th minute header levelled the game. Rico Clarke-Rowe crossed in from just down the left, inside the 18-yard box and the ball, which hung up in the air, was met by Spinks who found himself unchallenged at the back post. From that moment it was all to be one way traffic for the rest of the half. Rhys Ellis looked to get himself on the scoresheet from range, but his strike was unbelievably saved from the stand in stopper who got down to his left to tip the ball just wide of the post, receiving a round of applause from both sets of supporters for the save. Aldis Aliu was next to test the keeper, cutting inside, onto his right foot and from a similar distance to his goal on Saturday, but his effort was again well saved by the keeper. It looked like we might finally go in with the lead after Francis Tango's great knock into the box, just inside the home sides half, that beat all the Tring defenders in the air was met by the left boot of Aliu but his effort went just north of the crossbar.

Just after the restart and Broadfields got the lead they had been looking for, it was again Connor Spinks getting himself on the scoresheet, his low drive from just inside the area was drilled in low and underneath the home goalkeeper, who despite his best efforts, couldn’t stop the ball from trickling in over the line. The boys went searching for the third to put the tie to bed with wave after wave of attack, the best of which consisted of a 4 v 1 counter attack spearheaded by Spinks who after drawing in the last defender unselfishly crossed across the 18 yard box to Max Walcott but the ball was held up in the mud before Walcott could get his strike away allowing enough time for a second Tring defender to get back and put in a good block.

As the clock ticked down we couldn’t find the back of the net despite our attacking threat and as time went on there was a sense of renewed purpose from the home side that they could get something from the game, the 9 and 19 in particular worked their socks off, chasing down balls and trying to force errors from our backline, which did look the only way they would get something from the game. That was until late in the game where Matt Faley, who wasn’t going to be shown up by the Tring stand ins heroics, went onto to pull off a stunning save to keep the tie in our favour. A long-ranged strike from the Tring defender looked destined to go in until Faley managed to get a glove on it low down to his right, tipping the ball away and out for a corner. Despite the best efforts of the Tring dugout, the two assistants in particular, who had been trying to get any man in blue sent off throughout the game, which really was embarrassing, the tie stayed in our favour to get us back to winning ways despite riding our luck at times. Connor Spinks the obvious choice for man of the match with his contribution on the night.

FT: Tring Athletic 1-2 Broadfields United

It was a deserved result in the end, but we made hard work of it due to the valiant effort of the 10 men of Tring. We are back on the road again Saturday where we make the trip to Pancake Lane to face Leverstock Green.