Recap
A subdued Hitchin Town suffered their second successive 3-0 defeat and there was a marked similarity in tonight’s performance where it was hoped that the team would atone for their meek exit from the FA Cup against Heybridge Swifts.
Newly promoted Bedford Town thoroughly deserved their victory and given their standard of play one wonders just how they could have suffered such a mauling against Tamworth recently. An unusual gesture was that both goalkeepers were captains, and before the match there was a respectful minute’s silence in remembrance of our late Queen, which was right and proper.
Last Saturday’s matches were all postponed as an initial gesture and Hitchin’s game against Welwyn Garden City has also been postponed, since it is the day of the State Funeral.
It was expected that Hitchin, prematurely ‘concentrating on the League’ would indeed do that, but such expectations woefully exceeded the event.
The pitch was excellent, the weather mild, and hopes were high. But it was the hosts who began by nearly scoring in their first attack, the ball being nervously cleared, but it was the briefest of respites because before the first full minute had expired, the hosts were one up. In a flowing move involving Connor Tomlinson and Hugh Alban-Jones, Tyrone Lewthwaite netted the first of his two goals.
Our Bedfordshire neighbours then followed this with Drew Richardson heading over the bar from a corner. The response from Hitchin was generally unsatisfactory since there was a preponderance for long balls and many clearances were hasty, the ball being punted up field to no-one in particular.
Malaki Black showed a glimmer of hope when, seizing on a loose ball he advanced, sent in a cross that was neatly cancelled out by Alex Street.This was followed by a Steve Cawley header that went well wide, as did Kye Tearle’s effort from range.
As against Heybridge there was a lack of creativity and tactical awareness, with all the smart football being played by the Eagles who dominated possession and had a tight, confident midfield. Joe Butterworth was having a lively time, forcing two corners and winning a free kick which saw a home header against the post. Hitchin were up against it, but to their credit they did not buckle and Bedford, for all their fluent style, were kept from scoring again until a few minutes before half-time. But forward play was more of a gesture than a definite statement. A run from Wilkinson did bring a corner that Gleeson sent across too deeply. A marked feature of Bedford’s play was the eager counterattack and in one of these, Lewthwaite put in a shot that brought a corner. This was defended but against such elaborate and meaningful play, Hitchin were diffident and lacking ideas.
There was a deflected shot from Bradley Bell that Street gathered and then launched the next counter move, and in one of these, Tomlinson wastefully shot wide. The Hitchin long ball tactic was easily contained and the Bedford Ultras were gleefully deriding the opposition. Once chant suggested that Hitchin Town was falling down, but in reality it was the Bedford players who seemed to tumble over at the slightest nudge. They were right about one thing, though. Given their teams attacking dominance they chanted that ‘we’re gonna score in a minute’ and it was correct almost to the second, but it was, really, handed to them.
The experienced Charlie Horlock, not generally known for bloopers, picked up a deliberate back pass and the Eyrie erupted into legitimate claims for a free-kick, which was granted and Alban-Jones converted smartly to double the lead. Half -time was still five minutes away and up to that point it was not an unrealistic hope that, even though they were under the cosh, Hitchin could regroup tactically after the break and maybe improve enough to snaffle an equaliser. I should cocoa. Honesty compels me to admit that the terms did not look like scoring at all, just as it was in the limp exit from the FA Cup.
Apart from the optimistic long ball, there was no real effectiveness up front, and it underlines our need for what is termed a natural goal scorer. I emphasise that there was no lack of effort, but a good deal of chasing shadows, and again the opponents seemed to dictate the way we played, harrying us in to errors and losing possession that had taken so long to obtain.
Near neighbours we may be but it did not stop the predictive chant of ‘you’re going down with the Rushden.’ It did serve to remind us that the unexpectedly bright start to the season was now being brought more firmly into perspective. The half ended with Richardson putting his effort over the cross bar and a beleaguered Steve Cawley not being able to make anything of his half chance right at the end.
As the whistle went it crossed my mind that the Eyrie really is a fine stadium, and I was very pleased to see some familiar faces from previous matches. The vocal support was noticeable even if it was generally unflattering and the hospitality was first class. We of Hitchin were of a gloomy disposition since we had witnessed a painful first half where the team had been found wanting and had been second best from the kick-off. We agreed that Horlock’s horrendous decision had made the task of saving the game almost insurmountable.
Our hope for an improved second half was only partially granted and the deployment of substitutes did not markedly affect the pattern of the game.
We saw Diego Freitas-Gouveia enter the fray, with a suggestion that the best from him is yet to come, and there was a debut from Jack Snelus, and Leon Chambers- Parillon completed the changes.
It was rather odd that the hosts, comfortably ahead and cruising to maximum points committed needless fouls that led to four cautions. Gleeson joined their number for Hitchin after a clash with Butterworth. Freitas-Gouveia showed some determination but was routinely dispossessed, putting an end to his considerable artistry. Indeed it was shortly after had had been outgunned in possession, so to speak, that the third and final goal was slotted home. Another relentless counter attack saw Lewthwaite score this second after fifty-seven minutes.
Tearle squirmed his way into the penalty area, and his half-hearted penalty appeal was ignored but there was a decent shot from Freitas-Gouveia that needed a fine save from Alex Street who conceded the corner. Our Diego did get another chance but this was headed way over the bar. Street unnecessarily dived on a dead ball, I think just to make his kit a little bit dirty to suggest he had had a busy time, but he did not and was not seriously challenged again for the remainder of the match.
Snelus did have a pop that was comfortably held and Wilkinson effort needed some defending for another corner. Stan Georgiou did his best with a half chance but it was robustly defended. Late in the game our Stanley did manage a header but it was not on target. Toby Syme put another late effort over the bar, but the game was already well lost.
We had, for the second successive game been outplayed, but it was the concession of the second goal that hastened the defeat. We were lightweight and our opponents sensed the decline in confidence. I spoke to a number of opposition supporters and officials and was told that this had been Bedford’s best performance this season so far.
So, what was that line….. ‘crisis, what crisis?’ The unexpected bright start has, as I have said, been put into perspective and we do miss the combative talents of the suspended Lewis Barker and the recovering Jack Morrell, but there is obvious work to be done if we wish to avoid a third successive defeat.
Bedford played a fine game and I think their new stability will continue apace. They face Kings Lynn away in the FA Cup whilst Hitchin have an unwanted free Saturday, and no league opponents could be found to fill that vacancy. As a Bedfordshire man I naturally wish the Eagles success in their cup game, but tonight I was hoping that a rejuvenated Hitchin would have at least battled to gain a point, but will concede that it was something they did not deserve.
BEDFORD TOWN
Alex Street, captain, Jack Keeble, Sam Wartburton, Drew Richardson, cautioned, Sam Dreyer, Hugh Alban-Jones, GOAL, 40 MINUTES, (George Thorne, 65), Connor Tomlinson, (Charley Sanders, 70), Callum Donnelly, (Danny Setchell, 59, cautioned), Tyrone Lewthwaite, man of the match, TWO GOALS, 1 and 57 minutes, cautioned ), Joe Butterworth, cautioned, Daniel Jarvis. Substitutes not used- Craig Mackail-Smith, William Summerfield.
HITCHIN TOWN
Charlie Horlock, captain, Jack Green, (Leon Chambers- Parillon,83), Malaki Black, Toby Syme, Stan Georgiou, Josh Coldicott-Stevens, (Jack Snelus, 56),
Kye Tearle, Stephen Gleeson, cautioned, Bradley Bell, (Diego Freitas-Gouveia, 46), Stephen Cawley, Finley Wilkinson. Substitutes not used- Johnny Allotey, Callum Kane.
Referee- Mr Simon Kavanagh, assisted by Mr Thomas Ratheram and Mr Stuart Latham.
Attendance 466
REPORT BY PIPEMAN