In a tense and tightly contested playoff semi-final, second-placed Tring Athletic saw their promotion hopes dashed by a resilient Wormley Rovers side, who emerged victorious with a 2-1 away win at The Michael Antony Stadium. The support tonight was immense with Tring showing up in numbers (509 to be precise) to support a massive penultimate game of the season, also being the final home game.

The match began pretty even with tackles flying in and a game of headers and volleys becoming a recurring theme within the first five minutes. The tense nature of the encounter was evident from the outset, as both sides aggressively contested possession, resulting in fouls within the first five minutes. The opening ten minutes also saw a balanced affair, with Wormley Rovers registering the first shot on goal, though it only found the side netting and posed no real threat to Josh in goal for Tring.

Tring began to find their rhythm around the 18-minute mark, with our best passage of play in the first half orchestrated by the influential Max Hercules. This period culminated in a Tring free-kick, also taken by Max, which unfortunately didn't yield a goal but signaled Tring’s growing intent.

The 20-minute mark saw Tring start to probe the Wormley defense with more purpose, beginning to test their strong defense. Two minutes later, in the 22nd minute, Bailey Osborne registered Tring's first shot on target and the Wormley goalkeeper was called into action, producing a good diving save to his bottom left to concede a corner. The resulting corner saw a rapid narrow shot off target, if it was on target, this surely would’ve seen an opening goal for Tring Athletic.

As the second half began, the game was evenly split with both teams trying to work their way around solid defensive work, from both defenders and midfielders on both teams. Tring seemed to be working the ball better, destined for a break that would see Tring lead this game. Both Bailey and Harry Jones hit shots that went over the bar, but Wormley had the better chances at goal, playing vicious counter attacking football, but overall never really struggled Josh in goal for Tring.

Tring produced a moment of brilliance with a great strike from Shep that forced an excellent save from the Wormley keeper, who parried the ball out for a throw-in, ensuring the danger was dealt with properly. However, the momentum shifted in the 75th minute when Wormley were awarded a penalty. Wormley’s number 9 converted from the spot with confidence into the bottom right hand corner, with Josh diving to the wrong side, putting the visitors ahead.

As Tring Athletic pushed forward in search of an equaliser following the penalty, they were caught out on the counter just five minutes later. Wormley executed a clinical 3v3 break, adding a second goal and presenting Tring with a daunting two-goal mountain to climb with only ten minutes remaining.

The latter stages of the match saw numerous Wormley players succumb to apparent cramp, alongside several substitutions for both sides. Consequently, the referee added a significant nine minutes of stoppage time, providing Tring with ample opportunity to attack in search of a goal. Just prior to the penalty, Kieran Turner, who had come on for Shep, pulled a goal back for Tring in the 95th minute with a fabulous right footed curler into the top corner, igniting hope amongst the home supporters and making the score 2-1. However, Wormley resolutely defended their lead, with their goalkeeper adopting a commanding 'sweeper keeper' role to deny Tring any further chances.

Overall, Tring Athletic should leave with their heads very high. WIth two cups this season already won, It’s definitely a season to remember. Thanks to Wormley Rovers for the good game this evening and good luck in the future. Also, thanks for all the home support this season, you have pushed us to a 23 game unbeaten run, which has been incredible.