Report
This may have been Hitchin’s maiden visit to Telford, and for me it evokes memories of the two games I have seen the Shropshire club. This was as long ago as the FA Trophy Final at Wembley in 1988, where the opponents were the once formidable Enfield. A big crowd saw a tense 0-0 draw and the replay, (remember those?) was at The Hawthorns, home of West Bromwich Albion, and Enfield prevailed 3-2. I took a minibus load of supporters to both games, and I recall being impressed with the sheer numbers of Telford supporters.
Telford went into this game as the club in splendid form and as such it provided Hitchin with one of the sternest challenges of the season so far. It was the Bucks versus the Canaries inside an impressive modern stadium replete with facilities. The rain had ceased, the pitch looked pristine.
The game began and almost immediately Reece Styche had a speculative lob on goal, well wide. This was followed by a low shot from Ricardo Dinanga. The Bucks were seizing possession, not permitting Hitchin any time to get a grip.
Such home pressure was expected, and Hitchin were quite accustomed to it. Idiakhoa’s promising run, saw Galliford waste the chance of a telling pass. This would be the sort of game where profligacy could well be punished. Finley Wilkinson’s effort came after some solo artistry in the box and his shot was only inches wide. This was encouraging.
Telford had a free kick on the right, aimed into the crowded box, but Horlock plucked the ball to his chest. After a quarter of an hour, the visitors had settled relatively well, but were conceding too many free kicks, the latest of which went for a corner. Horlock held again.
After a prolonged move of good passing, Gleeson was afforded the chance of his usual shot whose inaccuracy invoked some derisory chanting from the supporters behind the goal, and whose drum had beaten sporadically. Bradley Bell’s persistence was again in evidence, but he needed a tad more support and more made of his hard-earned passes.
A promising attack was whistled to a halt as Idiakhoa had an off the ball confrontation with Piggott, who received a caution. The loudest cheer so far was a derisory one, as Styche, through on goal was adjudged offside. A free kick for Hitchin was defended well and we had played over half an hour, with not that many chances on goal. Styche was through on goal again from a long ball, but Horlock raced from his line to eradicate it. A half chance for Wilkinson saw a full one for The Bucks but neither was successful. Eadie put in a good cross to Galliford who deflected it for a goal kick. There was five minutes to the end of the half. Bell’s cross from the right ought to have been converted by one of the two in close attendance and Cotter’s shot was wild but won a corner.
Dinnanga’s good run to the other end won a corner in stoppage time and Hitchin may well have been quietly pleased at being level and having cooped well with the early pressure. They had grown into the half and began the second one with a decent attempt on goal, which caused a momentary flurry of excitement.
The hosts won a free kick in a strategically good area and Horlock made a point blank save from Pendley, hurting himself in the process. Gleeson’s pass to Wilkinson gave a chance but the shot was effectively blocked. There were no substitutions as yet from either team.
Idiakhoa in an attempted cross won a corner for Hitchin and a blocked effort for Galliford. Dinanga’s low shot bought a home corner, commanded by Horlock. Idiakhoa tried one from range, blocked almost contemptibly and the invective behind the goal became more personal. Apparently, Cotter’s hairdo was causing them some gender confusion. Other chants were largely incomprehensible.
I think that there was a sense of frustration as well from the majority of the 1,095 in attendance as Hitchin resolutely held their own, with almost seventy minutes elapsed. A free kick from the right was partially cleared by Hitchin but Telford could not make more of the follow up play. Syme made a vital interception as The Bucks pressed but Walker made a pig’s ear of his shot.
Hitchin brought on Freeman for Cotter and Gleeson looked as if he had taken a knock. There was a sudden chance for Freeman in the box, but he could not turn to effect control. A smoke bomb landed in front of the goal to enliven proceedings for a few seconds. Mitford replaced Styche as we stuttered to seventy-five minutes with the substitute firing way over the bar.
But the hosts were regaining prowess in possession to some degree, and Horlock was forced to concede a corner with Piggott making a harmless attempt on goal. Georgiou received a free kick and had a low shot that was easy for Hall, who had been less busy than his counterpart.
More substitutions followed. Dan Emovon was in for the limping Gleeson. Webster replaced Gibson for the Bucks. We had reached the last ten minutes of this somewhat dour encounter. There were moments of discomposure in the Hitchin defence as a point away from home became a distinct possibility. But concentration was necessary.
There was a fine shot from Idiakhoa and an equally fine save from Hall. A vital free kick was conceded by Hitchin giving the set piece chance, and this brought a corner, and the announcement of four additional minutes that we knew would last a lot longer. Poor passing did not help, but there were three minutes to endure and maybe even create another chance.
Long balls seemed sensible and Syme earned the pats of thanks from colleagues for deflecting a late shot over the bar. We were in the last minute with the ball in the Hitchin half. Then the whistle abruptly ended the game where the in-form home team had failed to gain maximum points. It was an equitable result and credit goes to Hitchin for their determination and their retention of third place.
Whilst Hitchin were not exactly a potent attacking force then the same applied to their hosts who never seriously brought Horlock to the need of heroics. I had, for whatever reason, expected the Bucks to have more flair than what was shown, but I would imagine that the travelling contingent were more or less content with a point.
TELFORD UNITED
Brandon Hall, Jared Hodgkiss, Nathan Fox, çaptain, Jordan Piggott, cautioned, Orrin Pendley, Sam Whittall, Ricardo Dinanga, Remi Walker, cautioned, Montez Gibson, (Ty Webster), Reece Styche, (Tre Mitford), Ellis Myles-Tebbutt.
Substitutes not used- Steffan Jones, William West, George Forsyth.
HITCHIN TOWN
Charlie Horlock, captain, Bradley Bell, Layne Eadie, Toby Syme, Kye Tearle, Stanley Georgiou, Kavan Cotter, (John Freeman), Stephen Gleeson, (Dan Emovon), Daniel Idiakhoa, Isaac Galliford, Finley Wilkinson. Substitutes not used- Arnold Matshazi, Jack Freeman and Diogo Freitas Gouveia.
Referee- Mr Dan Patterson assisted by Mr Alex Harris and Mr Lloyd Reddin.
Attendance 1,095.
REPORT BY PIPEMAN