Report
The onus was on this current Hitchin team to gain a win against the Lincolnshire club who have won all recent league and cup games against the Canaries. This unhappy sequence continued, and it was seen as rough justice by many home supporters who otherwise praised the performance of their team.
The weather had a wild and windy aspect and precise passing was thus made more difficult. In the first assault Franklin’s spirited run allowed a wayward shot from Luke Stokoe. Another attack followed and the counterattack needed Seb Stacey to affect a fisted clearance.
Another attempt saw Harry Titchmarsh fire in a low shot that Thomas Jackson had to save, which he did well. The Daniels defended well with forward players showing pace and intent. Sambou’s effort, having been ruled onside beat the keeper but went past the wrong side of the post.
Hitchin were not opposed to the long ball, which has proved effective and the eagerness to attack was pleasing. Stamford instigated an encroaching move following a free kick and eventually won the first corner of the game. This was a perfect in swinger, and James Blunden had a tap in to give the Daniels the lead. One can only admire the technique. Sixteen minutes had been played.
Hitchin response was a short corner that did not live up to expectations and Ciaren Jones had a shot that was off target. His next long pass saw a foul and a Hitchin free kick on the left, and fairly central. It was defended despite some intricate play and then came another counter move, which was dealt with smartly.
A cross brought a Hitchin corner, not if the best quality and far too low to swing in for a devastating touch. Even Stacey’s lofted clearance had possibilities but his great save from a rasping shot was a thrilling moment. The corner from the Daniels was another in swinger and Robert Morgan’s header was just wide of the mark.
Hitchin were playing well and with confidence as they had in the corresponding fixture where two avoidable goals were conceded to lose the game. At the half hour mark, the Daniels had absorbed the pressure and looked really dangerous on the break. Then the goal scorer Blunden was substituted by Marcanzo.
There was another Hitchin free kick, with the cross defended a bit too easily. They made progress hard for the hosts, pushing them back in a subtle manner. Offler was booked for a foul on Sambou, but Deall’s free kick was easily interpreted. Franklin was doing good stuff wide on the right, but crosses, when they came were easy for Jackson.
A speculative lob from Henry Snee would have been so welcome had its outcome not been so obvious. Stokoe’s intended cross went for a corner, which slipped through the goalkeeper’s hands, with no-one near enough to capitalise on the error, and it was rather unfortunate that the Canaries did not go to the interval on level terms. It was not through lack of effort.
The second period began in earnest from a Hitchin point of view as they faced the Daniels’ challenge of what is called game management. A home attack saw Thomas Jackson off his line to intercept. His father was sitting next to me in the stand and told me he had travelled down from Doncaster to see his son play.
Stubbornly, Stamford blocked routes to goal and slowed the pace. I was reminded of how Sudbury had done this. A Daniels’ corner whizzed across the face of the goal and was then cleared, and Deall, attempting to break through, had the ball taken from his feet. A further Stamford corner was partially cleared. An offside decision frustrated and time was ticking.
Ekongo’s pace beat everyone but his cross needed more than a token touch. It would have been a smart equaliser. Deall tried to hoodwink the referee with an artful fall, but the referee waved play on, of course. Hitchin attacks were pushed back, Stamford gained territory for a push. Sambou was replaced by Daniel Stokoe.
A cross to Ekongo failed to reach him and Stamford made substitutions. This was a hard and bruising game where both teams made strenuous efforts. A Hitchin free kick saw Ekongo cross to Snee who could get no purchase on it. Exercising my bias for a moment I thought the visitors jolly unsporting rotters since they seem to insist on beating us home and away since their return to our division. Even a point would be nice. What was pleasant, by the way the Stamford supporters sitting around me as they were all families with well- behaved children. Ekongo wove some magic, but the spell was broken by a well-timed tackle and another chance went. I have never seen Hitchin play as well as this and not score, and credit goes to the Stamford team and their disciplined, organised defending for what would be the three points, to boost their chances in a play off place.
Snee drifted offside in the next foray and the bustling Tearle replaced Syme and Jackson once more cut out a hopeful cross. Still Hitchin pressed and Stamford held their line. The energetic Ekongo was replaced by Bradley Bell, who plays in a similar style.
Tearle’s cross was too heavy, and Jackson resumed play in a leisurely manner. Hitchin attacked with desperate intent. Thwarted as they were, they continued, and they had the ‘minimum of five additional minutes’ to salvage a game they did not really deserve to lose. Bell’s free kick was weary but there was another just outside the area.
This was delayed for the usual referee warnings and Ciaren Jones had a shot blocked. But then , Duffy who had been standing on the kick off spot received a through ball and he ran alone in Stacey and win the challenge, netting the second goal in stoppage time, the very last seconds of the very last minute. Such a goal is like a stab to the heart as it gives an unrealistic idea of the result.
Credit goes to Stamford for their disciplined performance. Once they took the lead they seemed to grow in authoritative stature. But we may be proud of the energy and effort shown by Hitchin who deserved a lot more, and although it is something of a cliché, a draw would have been an equitable result.
This result sees Stamford in touch with the play off places and Hitchin, with nearly half the season gone, languishing at second from bottom. With four clubs going down relegation is to be seen as a likely prospect unless the team can put together a winning run to lift us clear of the bottom four.
HITCHIN
Stacey, Franklin, Ekongo, Sponsors’ Man of the Match, (Bell), Syme, (Tearle), Barker, Jones, captain, Deall, Sambou, (D Stokoe), Snee, L Stokoe, Titchmarsh. Unused substitutes- Heaps, Chidyausiku.
STAMFORD
Jackson, Burgess, Bartle, Offler, cautioned, Cooke, Blunden, GOAL, 0-1, 16 minutes, (Marzano), Hobbins, cautioned, Morgan, captain, Duffy, GOAL, 90+5, 0-2, Shaw, (Bennett, cautioned), Liversidge, (Chitiza). Substitutes not used – Sumnall and Frew.
Referee- Mr C Barnet, assisted by Mr A Birnea and Mr L Ballinger
Attendance 677
REPORT BY PIPEMAN