Tring share the spoils with London Tigers in six-goal thriller

Lee Stobbs opened the scoring for Athletic. Picture (c) Colin Sturges

Tring Athletic and London Tigers shared six goals as they played out an entertaining 3-3 draw at The Grass Roots Stadium on Saturday.

Athletic started the better of the two sides, with Jack Seaton just unable to find the target following an early corner and then Lee Stobbs having a shot saved by keeper Ravan Constable.

At the other end, Tigers centre-forward Sufiyan Bettamer brought a good save from Jack Hopwood, before Athletic came close to opening the scoring when Stobbs hit the post following good work by Jay Caines.

Athletic dominated the period up to half-time, with Caines volleying wide before Kieran Turner chipped the ball towards goal only to see Constable scramble back and tip over the bar for a corner.

Jack Seaton was on target for Tring. Picture (c) Colin Sturges

Tring put further pressure on Tigers defence, and were duly rewarded in stoppage time when Stobbs headed in after Turner’s shot rebounded to him off the crossbar.

The second half saw Tigers kicking down the slope and they equalised on 52 minutes when Terence Cariba headed home at the near post.

Tigers were seeing a lot of the ball and in the 60th minute they took the lead. Sufiyan Bettamer picked up possession on the halfway line and drove forward before unleashing a fierce shot into the far corner.

Further chances fell to the Tigers when centre-half Rafiq Bettamer headed wide in the 64th minute and then Ayoub Amellal shot wide.

Following this Athletic were gifted an equaliser from a corner. The ball came into the area, Constable went up to claim the cross but dropped it and Seaton took his chance.

Undeterred, it was the visitors who again took the lead in the 79th minute when Bettamer’s shot from the edge of the area took a wicked deflection over the stranded Hopwood.

Not to be denied a share of the spoils, Athletic equalised again just two minutes later when a free-kick came in, and defender Dave O’Connor headed into the top corner.

TAFC: Jack Hopwood,Stuart Steadman (Ben Seaton 71), Lee Stobbs, David O’Connor, Jack Seaton, Jay Caines (Ryan Sturges 84),Taylor Collins, (Chris Blunden 71), Kieran Turner.