Tring raring to go with new season days away

With the new football season now less than a week away Athletic’s manager Ian Richardson and his assistants will be quietly satisfied that they are making good progress ahead of their first competitive games in early August.

They have retained nearly all of last season’s squad and have added some new faces who have impressed in the three friendlies they have played so far.

Athletic followed up their 9-1 thrashing of Chinnor in their opening friendly with an impressive 3-0 win on Tuesday night over AFC Dunstable, who reached the playoff finals in Southern League Division One last season.

All three goals came in the second half and were scored by new signings – Louis Smith, Dan To and Quarm Thomas.

Athletic backed that up with another good performance on Saturday when they beat Hellenic League Division One side Chalfont Wasps 4-1 at Tring’s Grass Roots Stadium.

The visitors played some lovely football and with the score at 1-1 were very much still in the game.

But in the last quarter, Athletic’s superior finishing saw them run out comfortable 4-1 winners in the end.

All the Tring strikes came in the second half and were netted by Tommy Twelves, Max Hercules, Chris Blunden and Thomas.

Athletic have two more friendlies before the season begins in earnest on Tuesday, August 1, when they entertain local rivals Leverstock Green in the Herts Charity Shield.

The penultimate friendly is tonight (Wednesday) when they travel to Chesham United’s ground where they will play Aylesbury United.

Athletic’s fifth and final friendly will then take place at home this Saturday where they entertain Redhill, who play in the Combined Counties League.