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Gray day for Green
Danny Gray came off the bench to inflict a bitter-tasting defeat on Leverstock Green.
The Tring Athletic midfielder came on for the second half of Tuesday's 3-2 win at Cow Lane and played a part in the goal that got them level and the winner.
His cross was headed in by Vinnie Iannone for 2-2 before his cross-shot went in off the post on the stroke of full time to earn Phil Casserley's men three points.
"You've got to beat your arch nemeses haven't you," said the 28 year old Athletic star.
"It was a cross come shot - no one else got a touch.
"We were lucky - they played well and we weren't as good as we have been."
Athletic went ahead in a scrappy but competitive first half after 30 minutes when the uncharacteristically quiet Graham Hall played the ball through for Ryan Redford, who tucked away his sixth goal of the season past Gareth Tynsley.
But just before the break Green's 17-year-old right back, who can usually be found skippering the youth team, scored a goal worthy of the Football League.
On the right hand side of the box 25 yards out, Steve Hatch took a touch and dispatched a ferocious volley over unsuspecting Tring number one Mike Underwood.
A defensive lapse six minutes into the second half then gave Green the lead.
Chris Salmon dallied in possession, giving impressive lone striker Louis Austin enough time to steal in and swipe the ball, before running in 30 yards and nudging the ball past Underwood.
The dominant Green kept the lead until the 70th minute, when Iannone bagged his sixth goal of the season heading in Gray's free kick from the right.
An already fiery game began to boil over as both teams went in search of the winner, Tynsley making a couple of excellent saves from a resurgent Athletic.
But he could do nothing as with two minutes of normal time left to play Gray cut in off the left wing and clipped the ball across the goal and in off the far post to keep up his side's winning start to the MSSML Premier Division season.
Both managers afterwards admitted Green deserved more from the game.
"That was the worst we have played all season but credit to them," said Casserley, whose side are second in the league.
"If I was Heathy I would be pretty gutted. But once we equalised I thought there was only one team that was going to win it."
Steve Heath's side are now 17th in the table.
He added: "I thought we were the better team and we did enough to win the game.
"We have been in probably every game we have played we are just not getting the rub of the green."
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Weather for Hemel Hempstead
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -0 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: South west
