United progress in challenge trophy

Taylor Rhiney had shone on his debut last week so it was unsurprising to see him heavily involved in the visitors’ offensive play as he fired two shots wide of the near post in the early stages.

A calamitous error from James Smith allowed Tring to take the lead midway through the half, however, as the centre-half failed to deal with a long punt upfield convincingly which resulted in his attempt at a clearance sailing over goalkeeper Oliver Leslie and off the crossbar before Alex Woodfine headed in the rebound.

United would eventually regain control of the tie and almost pulled level through Rhiney’s strike that bent just wide of the post before George Brinkman provided the finishing touch they had been lacking thus far, chesting the ball down in the box and firing into the bottom corner.

It got even better for his team when Sam Holmes benefitted from Brinkman’s spilt free-kick as he pounced to stick the ball home from close range.

After the interval, the away side appeared determined to put the contest to bed and that was rewarded within five minutes of the second period as Jaiden Irish sliced the defence apart with a superb pass down the right channel that was matched with a composed finish by Dylan Logan.

And United’s fourth wasn’t too far away with the effervescent Rhiney channelling the frustration of being denied by the keeper as he burst through on goal minutes earlier into a free-kick that he whipped ferociously into the top right corner.

Tring did respond with a dead-ball strike of their own as Kimion Weeks drove in at Leslie’s near post.

United face Wormley Rovers under the lights in the FA Vase at Second Meadow on Friday, 7.45pm.