Report
This was a game that Hitchin should have won. Despite being well below their best they still dominated possession and created plenty of chances. But a combination of a lack of sharpness in front of goal and some unexpectedly sloppy defending meant Rayners Lane picked up an unlikely point. There is no doubt that Rayners Lane were much improved from earlier in the season and it confirmed that nothing less than 100% commitment is needed even against teams at the bottom of the table.
Charlie Briggs was injured and Toby Syme replaced him in an otherwise unchanged starting line-up. Hitchin started positively and after 9 minutes Callum Kane put in a good cross which Taylor Rhiney flicked towards goal but Trent Carter-Rogers saved.. Rayners Lane hit the bar with a header in a rare attack. But Hitchin remained in control. Lewis Franklin’s cross caused panic in the Rayners Lane defence and then he had a good chance from an excellent Kye Tearle pass but he put his shot over the bar. Tearle then had a shot well saved before the breakthrough came in the 45th minute. Kane showed great persistence in a forward run. He won the ball back and finished with an accomplished shot at the near post.
Unfortunately Rayners Lane only took 3 minutes in to the second half to equalise. It was an untidy goal to concede as both Syme and Ciaren Jones dived in to tackles they did not win and Deshane Dalling went on to score. Hitchin pushed for the next goal and Rhiney headed wide after 52 minutes but he made no mistake 4 minutes later when he finished a Josh Jackman cross. Hitchin then had the chances to put the game to bed. Rhiney and Franklin between them should have scored after 57 minutes while Rhiney just failed to connect with a Josh Coldicott-Srevens cross.
Rayners Lane had not given up and worked hard. They equalised from a 75th minute corner where there was a free header at the far post for Jeremy Stewart. Hitchin’s defence has been really strong in recent weeks and they will be disappointed with how both goals were conceded. Hitchin pushed for the winner but it was not to be.
A draw is not the end of the world but the game showed that you need to keep performance levels high even against supposedly lesser teams. Two local derbies now await and Hitchin will be going all out for six points.
Hitchin Town
Tyler McGregor
Josh Jackman
Callum Kane – Goal 45 mins, Sponsor’s MOTM
Brett Longden
Toby Syme
Ciaren Jones (C)
Kye Tearle
Josh Coldicott-Stevens
Taylor Rhiney – Goal 56 mins
Lewis Franklin
Callum Nicolson
Substitutes:
Liam Brooks (for Tearle)
Fernando Bell-Toxtle (for Jackman)
Ade Gbolahan (for Coldicott-Stevens)
Stephen Gleeson & Diogo Freitas-Gouveia were unused
Rayners Lane
Trent Carter-Rogers
Bobby Bircham
Adeyemi Adewale
Tariq Straker
Jeremy Stewart
Kershaney Samuels (C)
Deshane Dalling – Goal 48 mins
Omarr Lawson
Mario Quiassaca
Kleyton Dowglas De Biazze Junior
Troy Silvera
Substitutes:
London Brookshaw (for Dowglas De Biazze Junior)
Tarik Ibrahim (for Bircham)
Youel Emmanuel, Ilyas Khader & Martin Youngah were unused.
Referee: James Keane
Attendance: 636
Match report via Roy Izzard, photos via Peter Else.