Tring Athletic 1 King's Lynn 5
16th September 2006
THE Linnets cruised into the second qualifying round of the FA Cup with a
resounding 5-1 win at Hertfordshire side Tring.The minnows from the Spartan South Midlands League had a couple of early chances, but first half goals from Michael Frew, Jack Defty, Alex Notman and Matt O'Halloran put Lynn in complete control.
O'Halloran added one in the second half before Tring got a late consolation. Most of the crowd of 301 were from Lynn.
Lynn boss Tommy Taylor said: "Shaun Marshall kept us in the game in the first ten minutes. He stood up, made himself big and made it difficult for the forward.
"They had a couple of people with pace but once the second goal went in, that was it."
Taylor said on first team debutant Sam Gaughran, who he rates highly: "He was magnificent. He did ever so well when he came on. I would have put him on even if it was 0-0.
"I'd made up my mind at half-time to sub Mark Warren, as his groin was still a bit tight."
Mark Camm had failed a fitness test on his groin, so Charlie Defty took his place in midfield.
In the first minute Grant Cooper flicked on an Adam Smith cross and Gary White - the smallest goalkeeper I've ever seen - saved at point-blank range from Jack Defty.
Athletic then had two great chances before ten minutes were up. The referee missed a handball in the build-up as Andy Humphreys fed the ball to the tricky Danny Gray, but Shaun Marshall blocked his effort.
Marshall then made another crucial save from Humphreys following a howler of a back pass from Notman.
Lynn broke the deadlock at the quarter-hour stage. Sam McMahon set up Frew, who evaded Peter Martin's tackle.
With Tring's Ben Williams (an FA Sunday Cup winner at Anfield) pulling the strings, the hosts were still in the tie, and a turning point came after 23 minutes.
The Hertfordshire side - home of two Premiership referees, Graham "three cards" Poll and Graham Barber - broke down the right.
Williams' cross/shot was parried by Marshall, the follow-up from Gray was blocked and Lynn went down the end and scored - Jack Defty lobbing the stranded on-rushing White from 30 yards.
Tring's heads were down, Lynn settled down, and on the half-hour mark came their third strike. Dean West won a free-kick on the far side of the box. Adam Smith took it, Jack Defty's header was saved, but Notman neatly turned and finished for his first Lynn senior goal.
Tring did not give up, but Gray wastefully shot across goal after finding himself in acres of space.
Three minutes before the break West counter-attacked down the right flank, Jack Defty helped his centre on to O'Halloran, who rifled a superb goal into the top corner of the net from 18 yards to kill off the game.
O'Halloran got his second goal four minutes from a cross by Matt Nolan (a half-time substitution for Jack Defty) after the restart as the game went down a couple of gears.
Taylor could afford to take off centre-half Mark Warren, giving 16-year-old Sam Gaughran his first-ever senior stint, as well as replacing Charlie Defty with Luke Kennedy.
O'Halloran spurned chances to complete his hat-trick, while there were opportunities for Cooper, Nolan, the excellent Smith, Notman and McMahon.
Tring got a last-minute consolation, which no-one would begrudge them in their biggest-ever game, Williams getting the final touch to a cross from late sub Matt Wort.
A touch of humour had come earlier, with the departing Humphreys saying to Wort: "Win it for us!"
Tring: White, Lewis (Eldridge 74), Foskett, Martin, Perry, Meenan (Stedman 74), Williams, Nicholson, Humphreys (Wort 81), Gray, Duncan. Subs not used: Gordon, Strange. Goal: Williams (90).
Lynn: Marshall, West, Smith, Warren (Gaughran 65), Cooper, C. Defty (Kennedy 62), J. Defty (Nolan h-t), McMahon, Notman, Frew, O'Halloran. Not used: Harvey, Fell. Goals: Frew 16, J. Defty 24, Notman 30, O'Halloran 43, 49.
Referee: N.D West (Leigh on Sea, Essex). Attendance: 301. MoM: Adam Smith.