Report
After the disappointing performance at Leverstock Green Hitchin returned to winning ways with a comprehensive victory against Beaconsfield at Top Field, Lewis Franklin scored a brilliant hat-trick following in the footsteps of Ciaren Jones who had also scored a hat-trick in the previous home game. Hitchin dominated the game and played some good passing football and manager Michael Jones was ‘’delighted’’ with the performance,
Team news saw the injured Kye Tearle replaced by Will McNeill in the only change to the starting XI at Leverstock Green. Callum Nicolson and Josh Coldicott-Stevens had shots blocked after four minutes but just three minutes later Hitchin took the lead. Liam Brooks and Taylor Rhiney were involved in the build up before Franklin supplied an emphatic finish. Hitchin doubled their lead just a minute later as Coldicott-Stevens scored after a one-two with Nicolson.
Hitchin looked for more goals and after another good move Brooks and McNeill had shots blocked and from the corner Franklin headed just wide. Then Brooks came close before Beaconsfield pulled a goal back as Nnaemeka Anyanwu headed home after uncertainty in the Hitchin defence.
McNeill was making intelligent runs down the right and had another shot blocked before half-time but it was 2-1 at the break. Hitchin soon added a third and it saw neat build up from Nicolson and Callum Kane before Franklin’s shot was diverted into the net for an own goal. This was after 53 minutes and soon after a good diagonal ball from Jones to McNeill saw a cross put wide by Nicolson.
Franklin was really unlucky not to score when his venomous shot hit the inside of the post and bounced clear after 72 minutes but just two minutes later he produced a brilliant finish to put Hitchin 4-1 ahead. He was still not finished having another shot blocked before another exceptional finish on 87 minutes after a Diogo Freitas-Gouveia assist completed a memorable hat-trick.
Hitchin used all five substitutes to complete a successful afternoon. All the other top teams won so the three points were imperative. The return to form after last Saturday was very encouraging and confidence should result from a good display. All Hitchin can do is to make sure they win their games and hope other results go their way. The support was again exceptional with 852 in attendance and they would have departed Top Field in very good spirits.
Hitchin Town
Tyler McGregor
Will McNeill
Callum Kane
Brett Longden
Charlie Briggs
Ciaren Jones (C)
Liam Brooks
Josh Coldicott-Stevens – GOAL 9 mins
Taylor Rhiney
Lewis Franklin – GOALS 8, 74, 86 mins, Sponsors MOTM
Callum Nicolson
Substitutes:
Toby Syme (for Longden)
George Morrall (for Coldicott-Stevens)
Blue Joy (for Franklin)
Kavan Cotter (for Brooks)
Diogo Freitas-Gouveia (for Rhiney)
*Hitchin Town’s third goal was a Luke Neville own goal
Beaconsfield Town
Tommy Dymott
Aaron White
Luke Neville (C)
Zidan Akers
Manu Oke-William
Oliver Turner
Matthew Harriott
George Brough
Samuel Wraith
Nnaemeka Anyanwu – GOAL 28 mins
Alex Peapell
Substitutes:
Ellis Brown (for Brough)
Tyler Webb (for Anyanwu)
Jamie Davies (for Wraith)
Jack Warne (for Turner)
Ezekiel Ifekoya was unused.
Referee: Gifford Manyange
Attendance: 852
Report by Roy Izzard, Photos by Peter Else