Report
Hitchin arrived at Woodside Park knowing that maximum points was an essential, but our Hertfordshire neighbours had the same need since a loss for them would drag them into the dreaded relegation zone. Bishop’s Stortford had gained all the points in the corresponding fixture, much earlier in the season and were looking to do the double over Hitchin.
There was a bit of a crisis for Hitchin since goalkeeper Seb Stacey failed a fitness test and Brian Okwonko had been recalled to Arsenal. So, a bit of good fortune enabled us to use Josh ‘Boomer’ Mollison, who was available since Biggleswade United had no game today, so the long serving Hitchin man went straight into the team of his parent club. Other news released with the knowledge that Luke Stokoe had gained a professional contract with a Finnish club.
It was a sunny Spring day and a pleasure to be at Woodside Park, surely one of the finest stadiums in the Southern League Premier Central division. The pitch, given the time of the season, was superb. The travelling supporters gathered behind one goal with a degree of hope and expectation, with the Canaries in their home strip since the away purple was too close to the home all blue.
We began a little inauspiciously with a home blocked shot but then a corner for the visitors that saw Rio Deall brought down in the penalty area after just four minutes and Daniel Stokoe obliged from the spot. So perhaps it was not that inauspicious after all. The hosts responded as expected with some good attacking intent with Hitchin responding with swift counter play.
Ekongo and Stokoe were constructive in attacking moves, but a purposeful move along the left from Stortford led to an equalising goal, squeezed in at the foot of the post by Melvin-Lambert. This goal was timed at thirteen minutes. Not long afterwards a home free kick promised more than it achieved but there was a degree of pressure spoilt by extravagant finishing.
Another free kick from the hosts was forcefully nullified, but the initiative was with them. Hitchin demonstrated that playing out from the back can be a hazardous choice. There was a cross that gave Brooks no chance of connecting, At the other end, the hosts tried to open up the Hitchin defence but only caused a momentary awkwardness and Ekongo sent in a shot but straight at Krasniqi.
The next corner for Stortford was cleared with as much emphasis that could be mustered and the home crowd were delighted in seeing Mollison nearly outwitted by a hopeful lob. A free kick for the blues saw the effort finish with the ball clearing the crossbar. Brooks was fouled and this enabled a free kick from a good position, taken by Stokoe, but cleared robustly.
Then, with Ekongo slipping, Scott galloped forward in possession, and he hit a good shot but Mollison was equal to it, The next effort was also a bit of a let off for Hitchin, whose attempts to get forward were proving unproductive. Deall seized in a favourable ricochet but could do little with the chance. Then, after some patient but skilful work from Gleeson, Lewis Franklin restored Hitchin’s lead. It was a neatly poached goal scored at a vital time. It was netted before the announcement of three extra minutes.
Franklin sent in another cross the produced a corner, but Ciaren Jones was adjudged to have committed a foul, conceding the free kick. This came to nothing, and we had reached the interval.
Being ahead in this closely contested game meant a second period of probably profound pressure from Bishop’s Stortford. Blood had been shed accidentally with Luke Stokoe having a nosebleed and then the numberless blood shirt. Odell-Bature showed some skill and provided a chance that was unfulfilled, but Hitchin had begun this half reasonably well, but they needed more punch up front.
Then there was amusement when, after a peccadillo from a Hitchin player, there was a chant from the home crowd of ‘you dirty northern b***ards.’ It was geographically debatable, but it reminded me of a time I was at Weymouth with Dunstable, and we received the same chant. The next week at Corby, we were accused of being dirty southern b***ards. It is all relative, I suppose.
Then Deall was replaced by Bradley Bell and following a home corner skipper Jake Thompson swivelled artistically in the box to snatch an equaliser for Stortford. From the restart a Hitchin free kick gave unfulfilled hope as did a long throw. Stokoe provided a realistic chance for Brooks who could not get near the ball. Franklin won a corner for the visitors and there was a semblance of an attack when the header tennis subsided.
Titchmarsh win a free kick that went to Franklin whose shot from an awkward angle win a corner which was if negligible worth. Scott’s run produced a run and a cross that was cut out and a defensive error relied on Mollison’s timely intervention. The home side then made more substitutions. Hitchin stuck at it tenaciously, aware that a single point was but little consolation in the relegation struggle. Cole Dasilva popped up with a shot that was routine for Mollison, and then Gleeson finished his shift with Heaps coming on. Across to Ekongo might have worked if he had not run forward in anticipation. It was the eightieth minute and Tearle then replaced Stokoe. A home free kick was wasted in unwonted elegant fashion and Titchmarsh’s effort only just cleared the bar.
Some lackadaisical defending from Stortford saw Hitchin fail to capitalise and at the other end Scott’s noble run saw his shot strike the side netting. Bradley Smith replaced Brooks, and the conclusion of the game was played in a haphazard fashion. Dixon-Smith made a cameo appearance for the parting shots. Hitchin could have won it after Titchmarsh sprinted forward purposefully, but Bell was unable to finish. A further six minutes were added by the referee, and they proved significant. Both teams went at it with a grim determination and at one point Mollison dithered on his line and the third goal was prevented, but not for long as in the fourth minute of stoppage time Melvin-Lambert scored a fine headed goal that put the hosts ahead for the first time and it ended Hitchin’s valiant effort. It might be the defeat that meant relegation would be now unavoidable as the number of games remaining was dwindling.
So, Bishop’s Stortford do the double over Hitchin with a sneaked win at the death, but there was much to praise about Hitchin’s performance. Yet gritty determination does not always guarantee points. Results elsewhere might have been favourable but it may prove irrelevant. Only a sequence of successive wins would help us avoid the drop and that is improbable. Having taken the lead twice, the Hitchin contingent was no doubt disappointed at the result, but their support was again notable.
We can only see out the season obtaining the best results we can, but the fight goes on until mathematics bring the conclusion for us.
BISHOP’S STORTFORD
Krasniqi, Dasilva, Warner- Eley, (Freeman), Okuwatimilehin, (Russell), Thompson, captain, GOAL, 2-2, 60 minutes, Haines, Melvin- Lambert, TWO GOALS, 13 minutes, 1-1, 90+4 3-2, Scott, Chalwell, (Cohen, cautioned), Amu, Virciglio, ( Evans). Substitutes not used- Ogwuazor.
HITCHIN TOWN
Mollison, Franklin, GOAL, 43 minutes, 1-2, (Dixon-Smith), Ekongo, Syme, Odell- Bature, Jones, captain, Deall, ( Bell), Gleeson, cautioned, (Heaps),Stokoe, PENALTY GOAL, 3 minutes, 0-1, (Tearle), Brooks, (Smith), Titchmarsh. All substitutes used. Referee, Mr M Scott, assisted by Ms E Hardstaff and Mr W James.
Attendance 577
Report by Pipeman