Report
For some reason the Gods have smiled upon Hitchin when they have visited Halesowen and the last couple of seasons have seen the Canaries obtain remarkable victories – but at home it has been a different matter, with the Yeltz winning here last season with the only goal of the game. They did it again today with two clinical manoeuvres in a second half that they dominated.
Team news for Hitchin was encouraging with the return of our former player Jacob Hutchinson, who is on loan from Enfield. I recall his last loan spell with us where at Stourbridge he scored a hat trick in about half an hour. Such a feat would have been welcomed today, but it was a trying time for his return.
The sun had got his hat on as we got underway, with an eager Hitchin advance on the left with the Yeltz defending to good effect. The visiting supporters were already in good voice as always. Kieran Donnelly had the first shot of the game, but straight at Seb Stacey and then Connor Tee saw his free kick defended well. Hickman’s forward pass brought a corner, but Stacey was in command.
It had been a promising start for Hitchin against an in form, formidable side, who soon forced another corner that was headed clear. Play was halted owing to an injury sustained by Tee, who needed a bit more than the magic sponge, and Hickman’s free kick ran through to Stacey. Cassidy won another corner for the Yeltz, with Stacey claiming again, and his counterpart did the same at the other end, neatly cutting out a cross.
Jones and Syme attempted to give the marauding Hutchinson some service, but the striker was carefully monitored. Butterfield went down from a knock off the ball but soon recovered. With twenty-five minutes gone there came a chance for Hitchin with Franklin going down in the box from a clean tackle. A free kick for the visitors, inside the Hitchin half proved ineffective, but with over half an hour gone, the best chance came for Hitchin, where a dangerous cross was only just dealt with. There followed a weak and hurried shot from Stokoe. Cassidy, attempting a cross, won a corner, which was well defended. Jones sent a good ball forward, but it ended inelegantly over the bar, and a good cross from Brooks was claimed by Platt.
Donnelly got away on a run, but Hitchin recovered to provide a fair counterattack that was ruled offside. Forty minutes had not seen the promotion hopefuls impose their will on a battling Hitchin. Brooks contested a chance but was adjudged to have fouled Wynter. In stoppage time Jones foiled a Yeltz chance and he began a counter move that was well interpreted.
Given the pattern of the game, it was no great surprise that the half finished goalless, but there was an undercurrent that suggested either defence could be breached with one clinical move, and if course, both teams needed maximum points, if for different reasons.
The Yeltz began the second half with an attack, but Manning’s cross was held by Stacey, and the next effort was spoiled by inaccuracy. This bit of pressure saw the clinical moment I alluded to, and Connor Tee opened the scoring after a swivel and a shot. Predictably, visiting supporters turned up the volume to confirm their reputation of being the most vocal in the division. The scorer was then substituted by Reece Mitchell. Then, in a static moment for Hitchin, Halesowen sent a spark through Kieran Donnelly who finished smartly after forty- nine minutes following a delightful pass.
We had only reached fifty- four minutes and Hitchin looked nowhere near as competent as they had in the first half. They had been dismantled by two quality goals that seized the moment. Hitchin were playing as if they had received a collective punch in the stomach and were still winded. The ball was aggravatingly in their own half, and it made me wonder how they had annihilated the Yeltz 4-0 on their own turf.
Creeping into the opposition half Hitchin conceded a free kick and even when they won possession, they could make little of it. Playing out from the back saw errors and the concession of free kicks. Flanagan wasted the latest if these, a luxury his team could afford with their seemingly unassailable lead. Hitchin had a free kick of negligible worth, but they had a brief spell of possession that looked as if it were permitted by the opposition in the name of sportsmanship.
The next free kick for the Yeltz was defended, and then one of their players was cautioned for time-wasting. It really was not necessary as the visitors were firmly in control as much as Hitchin were in disarray. The hosts made three substitutions as the visitors sent in a corner defended by Ekongo, one of those brought on. Hitchin’s persistence in poor play this half was mystifying as they had matched their opponents so well in the first half.
There were more ragged moments as Halesowen cruised towards victory, and for the concluding minutes Heaps replaced Brooks. Hutchinson’s attempt at a shot was blocked for an unsuccessful corner and the next effort barely merits mentioning. This had been such a poor half for Hitchin who appeared to lose all meaningful sense of teamwork after conceding the goals.
Four additional minutes underlined the alarming sacrifice of quality in the hosts’ play and right at the end, loanee Hutchinson gave way to give William McNeill a few minutes. But this endgame had a surprise when the battling Bradley Bell scored an unexpected consolation goal thirty seconds before the final whistle. Even that seemed a token of generosity to suggest that Hitchin had performed well in the second half. I wish they had as at the interval the consensus was that they had matched their opponents and looked promising.
The Yeltz thus clawed their way to the top of the table, a fact gloried over by their supporters who squeezed into the bar and chanted gleefully. For Hitchin it is not nearly as happy as games in order to gain salvation are running out, but it is no reason to capitulate.
We know that the team will make every effort and indeed they are capable of playing in an impressive manner, where they can match opponents, however strong.
HITCHIN TOWN
Stacey, Franklin, (Ekongo), Dixon- Smith, Syme, Sponsors’ star man, Odell- Bature, (Tearle), Jones, captain, Stokoe, (Bell, GOAL, 90+ 4, 1-2), Gleeson, Hutchinson, (Mc Neill), Brooks, (Heaps), Titchmarsh. All substitutes used.
HALESOWEN TOWN
Platt, Hickman, Cassidy, this reporter’s man of the match, Smile, Wynter, captain, Willets, Flanagan, (Parker), Tee, GOAL, 49 minutes, 0- 1, (Mitchell, cautioned), Donnelly, GOAL, 54 minutes, 0-2, (Cameron), Butterfield, cautioned, Manning, (Wragg). Substitutes not used- Parker and Wollacott.
Referee- Mr D Deryll assisted by Mr J Young and Mr C Mackay.
Attendance 702
Report by Pipeman