Report
He does it very time. ‘Who are you playing?’ asks my elder brother. Kettering, I tell him, and he says, ‘Do you like Kettering?’ and then he provides his own reply, ‘I don’t know, I have never Kettered.’ Most amusing I tell him. Well, we were Kettered last season at Top Field, losing at home in the league and also in the FA Cup, with both games being settled by a solitary goal. The odd thing is that we had gone to Kettering for an evening game, and we enjoyed a 4-0 win, being the better team in all respects.
I recall Ken Samuel, president of the Northamptonshire side, was the first to send an email expressing hope that Hitchin would gain a reprieve and so here we were, and today looking to gain our first points of the season. There had been steady rain for most of the morning and at the kick off, but the weather steadily improved. Of interest to Hitchin supporters was the inclusion of Dan Emovon in the Kettering squad. He was with us last season and we wish him success with his new club.
The first bit of meaningful action came from a well worked attack for the Poppies along the right with a good low pass from Ben Hart that needed proper defending. This was followed by a wasted free kick from the visitors that was initially placed in a promising position.
A corner followed, with Hart again the playmaker, and Hitchin were now facing continual pressure. A decent shot from Fifield saw Forster tip the ball over the bar and the corner was untidily defended. We sensed that a goal was probably in the offing.
A token Hitchin attack saw Franklin cross to an outnumbered Wilson. Fifield’s fine work, where he was allowed space saw Dan Jarvis slot home the opening goal after twelve minutes. Then there was some hope when Kpapke’s cross saw a header from Wilson, but it was way off target.
Possession was a problem for Hitchin, and a bustling Kpapke did his best to sneak a penalty, but the referee was unimpressed and then he booked the Hitchin manager, presumably for dissent. Long balls from the hosts were intercepted with ease. Free kicks were conceded and were defended well enough, and criticism flew towards the referee for ignoring what home supporters saw as obvious infractions.
There was a delay for an injury to Franklin but on resumption it was the Poppies who looked the more dangerous and Forster made a double save, and a third effort was deflected over the bar. Ironic cheers greeted the award of a free kick to Hitchin and Kpakpe was involved in an off the ball incident, which led to a free kick for the hosts, but Jezeph the keeper snuffed out the chance.
Kettering were physically intimidating in many challenges, (in a legitimate sense), regaining possession but Hitchin stood up to this well, and Dreyer broke through, and his touch was just too hard and Jezeph was able to intervene. Forster’s kicks created possibilities but if was the visitors who were getting the shots on goal with Fifield firing low, and Forster saving comfortably. His next save was truly outstanding but conceded a corner.
Wilson went down in the box, with what looked like a knock to the head which was accidental, and the same player drew a decent save with a good shot on target. One shot from Hitchin was deflected and the follow up saw Wilson try again but Jezeph held it well. In this move there was a hopeful but reasonable appeal for a penalty, which was dismissed but Hitchin were definitely on the prowl. A free kick from the left saw an outstanding overhead kick from Wilson that was just inches short of bringing the equaliser.
There were just two additional minutes which was somewhat erroneous in my view, given the many delays in play. But it is good to report that Hitchin ended the half strongly, improving like the weather.
At the start of the second half, Wilson looked certain to score when he broke away, but the keeper got the faintest of touches to prevent the equaliser. There was a substitution when new signing Sam Caiger came on for his Hitchin debut, replacing the hard-working Lewis Franklin. There was a tremendous effort from Brooks which was defended at the expense of a free kick. The ball hit the defensive wall, but Caiger wormed his way through to put in a good cross that found no Hitchin boot.
The game became a lot more free flowing and Hitchin were pushing. Kpapke bundled his way through only to be denied progress. A well worked Kettering move involving a cheeky back pass, which was dealt with summarily and an effort from Kelly- Evans landed amidst the visiting supporters. But the visitors had renewed their pressure in a good spell and their supporters had their turn to howl at the referee at his alleged ineptitude. It was ever thus, of course. Jezeph did well to come out and punch the ball to safety, as Hitchin went on the offensive, and Caiger put in a cross that Jezeph held but received a knock in the process.
It was now exciting end to end stuff, and Hitchin had brought on both Titchmarsh and then Morrall and Hall. Forbes, Wilson and Kpapke had departed. Campbell came on for the visitors, replacing York. Then a second goal came for Kettering, again well worked and it was finished calmly by Luca Miller in the seventy- second minute. This was something of a hammer blow to Hitchin who had looked likely to score an equaliser. Frustration set in with Ciaren Jones booked. Following this Jarvis sent in a cross that went for corner, followed by another and this was punched away by Forster. Brooks broke away and was halted by a clean challenge and two successive Hitchin attacks simply petered out. But the next saw Brooks try to hook the ball beyond Jezeph who clasped it close to his chest.
Then Caiger hooked one clear from close to the Hitchin goal, but the visitors were still on the hunt for another goal, and only poor finishing prevented this. Lacking now in coordination, Hitchin were forced to defend, which they did, but there came no creative opportunities from this.
Remaye Campbell had the best chance to score and in his one on one with Forster we saw the keeper save well. Brooks tried his own run which culminated in a dive that fooled no-one, and his next excursion found him well offside.
Jarvis strutted his stuff in the penalty box, and he too did his best to sneak a penalty and Brooks hustled at the other end which saw a Hitchin attack end in a concession of a free kick. It became standard now for free kicks given to either side to be met with derisory jeers. We had six minutes tagged on, but Hitchin were unable to make the most of it. Indeed, it was Kettering who capitalised with a third goal, scored by Dan Jarvis. Immediately after, the whistle went and signalled a fourth successive defeat for the Canaries who stay at the bottom the league with no points.
Kettering went to acknowledge their good support, flags and all and they had deserved their win with clinical finishing and the goals were well worked. Even so, this match was closer than the score suggests, and Hitchin will regret not making the most of their chances.
The Bank Holiday sees the Canaries travel to the other Canaries, and by that, I mean Barwell, in Leicestershire. It is superfluous for me to mention that a win for the Hitchin Canaries is somewhat overdue.
HITCHIN TOWN
Kyle Forster, home star man, Lewis Franklin, (Sam Caiger), Alex Kpapke, Toby Syme, Daniel Sears, Ciaren Jones, cautioned, Jack Dreyer, Kieron Forbes, (Harry Titchmarsh), Coree Wilson, (Albie Hall), Liam Brooks, Connor Vincent. Substitutes not used – Jay Rolfe, George Morrall.
KETTERING TOWN
Daniel Jezeph, Ben Hart, cautioned, Aaron Powell, Devon Kelly- Evans, Connor Johnson, Sidik Atcha, (Harlan Mbayo), Wesley York, (Remaye Campbell), Luca Miller, GOAL, 0-2, 72 minutes, Daniel Jarvis, TWO GOALS, 12 minutes, 0-1, 90+ 2 minutes, 0-3, Isiah Noel-Williams. Kai Fifield. Substitutes not used- Andi Thanoj, Daniel Emovon.
Referee- Mr C Darling, assisted by Mr C Cattenach- Chell.
Attendance 598.
Report by Pipeman.