Report
Our visitors from Nottinghamshire made their first ever trip to Top Field, in a league game loaded with significance. Long Eaton have spent the majority of the season propping up the division and their two victories, a league double over fellow strugglers Berkhamsted is worth mentioning, especially since we lost to our Hertfordshire neighbours in our last home game.
The forecasted big freeze had evaded us so far and the pitch had been prepared to its usual excellent standard. The big question was whether or not the home form could be improved upon. From the outset it was clear that the visitors’ style was simple and direct, and Jack Rogers had the first shot, with the ball careering wide of the far post. But it was worth a punt.
A Hitchin attack was defended, and it led to an opportunistic shot from Andrew Wright that was well off target. When Hitchin moved forward, they faced a kind of improvised defence. Tommy Blennerhassett constructed a move that was just short of ultimate success when keeper Ross Durrant took command. Then there was a home free kick on the right that invited an accurate cross. Gleeson obliged but the ball was headed to safety.
Matshazi neatly avoided the offside but when he should have struck, he dithered and the chance went, and Toby Syme’s header from the corner went astray. Hitchin increased the pressure and met some no nonsense defending. Another corner followed and Blennerhassett could not keep the ball in play. Emovon pushed Rogers over, conceding the free kick but attention was focused on Gleeson who lay prone on the hallowed turf whilst the magic sponge did the job.
A cross from Emovon was headed over by Bell and with almost twenty minutes gone I wondered when I would be making remarks about the basement side playing in a manner that belies their position. Well, they wasted a corner with a couple of apologetic shots a Bell was instrumental in winning the next corner, which saw Durrant rise to claim the ball. Cotter then wasted an opportunity for an accurate cross.
Some elements of play were decidedly scrappy, and Cotter’s next chance was lacking in proper emphasis. I fancied that a goal for the hosts would provide the right tonic for a more memorable performance. Nyahwema had an attempt at a shot that was blocked. Tricky play from Emovon saw a corner awarded, which Durrant punched clear and in quick succession both defences had to be on their mettle, with Horlock needing to make a decent save. Ryan Campbell Gordon’s excellent tackle denied Matshazi, and with half an hour gone it was not particularly heartwarming to see Hitchin’s attacks fizzle out. Gleeson’ next corner saw a tame lob from Georgiou straight into the waiting hands of Durrant.
Long Eaton cared nothing for finesse, but they were holding out and indeed creating chances on the break. Nevertheless, it was not exhilarating stuff and a free kick following a foul on Matshazi, which bounced off a defender who knew nothing of the manoeuvre. There was yet another corner, which Idiakhoa kept alive it the attack finished as barren as the others. I was losing count of how many balls had been put outside the ground by the visiting defence. Emovon tried a manoeuvre from the left, and it ended unsuccessfully. There were only minutes to half time and the lack of a successful home strike would be pleasing to the visitors.
Emovon, caught on the run, was awarded a free kick in a central position, just beyond the ‘D’. Gleeson’s tame shot struck the defensive wall and ensured the frustration continued. Matshazi shaped for a shot, took an extra touch before blasting the effort well over the bar. Long Eaton were bearing the brunt of arduous defending, frustrating us like Berkamsted but with none of the slick opportunism at this stage. It was not a memorable half of football, and a goal was badly needed.
After the interval, where the most telling comment was that if Hitchin had their shooting boots on, they would be three or four goals to the good, and in light of this, there was a fairly positive start. This did not last, however as the visitors dug in again. Relegation for them is virtually certain, but there was always the chance of causing a few upsets on the way. It was just as well that their own efforts matched Hitchin’s for inaccuracy. Another Gleeson free kick was a gift to the keeper.
Then the unthinkable happened, Nyahwema wove some magic, and his shot struck the foot of the post, and then was tapped in by Mandjoba. We had played fifty-three minutes and another humiliation for Hitchin was on the cards, and at home as well. The goal was celebrated with great glee, and you cannot blame the players, since most would expect them to lose.
Blushes were eventually spared when after fifty-seven minutes Idiakhoa levelled the scores with a low shot. ’About time’ yelled a spectator near me, and I know he meant that the hosts ought to be winning and by a decent margin. But the visitors had a chance after a clumsy foul by Georgiou. This was wasted as was a counter move from Hitchin that required a few yards more of pitch.
Eadie then came on for Syme and Bell had a shot after cutting on from the right. Some ponderous play masquerading as an attack resulted in a goal kick. Durrant did well to tip the ball away from danger following a cross. Tearle’s shot was defended and time was in his winged chariot. Then there was a triple effort on the Long Eaton goal that was somehow kept out. Tearle’s next cross was cut out by the busy keeper.
Blennerhassett combined with Matshazi in a move that failed to fulfil its potential. Then the former shot wide, but a corner was given, held up by some treatment for Manjobawo was replaced by Hewlett. Durrant again punched clear and was no doubt approaching heroic status for the knot of visiting officials and supporters. An Eadie lob forward did result in what seemed the second Hitchin goal, but it was ruled offside. At the other end disaster struck when the visitors took the lead, with eleven minutes to go. The scorer was George Atwal and it was a neatly taken strike. Then two minutes later Matshazi made it 2-2 and I made it about ten minutes to go with stoppage time.
Long Eaton survived one frenzied attack and were pinned back but determined. For many it was not good enough to be just achieving parity against a team blown out of the water on a weekly basis. They deserve credit of course as avoiding defeat is a massive result for them. Hitchin wasted a free kick, and then, Long Eaton countered with a superb individual goal from Joseph Nyahwema. His ball control and vision were both notable. This came as the ninety minutes had expired and the referee added eight minutes, which might be time enough to avoid further humiliation. Indeed, Rogers ought to have made it 4-2 but hit over the bar.
This was indeed worse than Berkhamsted. One over-elaborate attack was almost playfully undone, and the criticisms began mingling with the disappointment and the stark statistic that we have not won at home since October, when we beat Sudbury 2-1. Attacks did continue until the whistle but there was a familiar hollowness about them.
Whilst we accept that our visitors were well aware that a slice of good fortune aided their victory, they deserve credit for their audacity, and although relegation is all but settled for them, they may yet spring another surprise. They are not flying but falling in style, which is no bad thing.
Time inevitably ran out and we had to face the truth that a game that we really ought to have won, we ended up losing and in ignominious fashion. Heads will not necessarily roll but there ought to be a meaningful inquiry into what has gone wrong, especially at home.
HITCHIN TOWN
Charles Horlock, captain, Bradley Bell, (Jack Snelus), Dan Emovon, Toby Syme, (Layne Eadie), Kye Tearle, Stanley Georgiou, Arnold Matshazi, GOAL, 2-2, 87 minutes, Stephen Gleeson, Dan Idiakhoa, GOAL, 1-1, 57 minutes, Thomas Blennerhassett, Kav Cotter.
Substitutes not used – Isaac Galliford, Joel Jolly, John Freeman.
LONG EATON UNITED
Ross Durrant, Callum Cocks, Ryan Campbell Gordon, Cieron Keane, Aaron Cole, Luke Martin, Joseph Nyahwema, man of the match, GOAL, 90 minutes, 3-2, Andrew Wright, Andy Mandjoba, GOAL, 1-0, 53 minutes, (Thomas Hewlett), Jack Rogers, George Atwal, GOAL, 2-1, 79 minutes. (Lewis Belgrave). Substitutes not used- James Spruce, Prestyn Moore, Alans Voskresenskis.
Referee – Mr James Hall, assisted by Mr Jack Frost, and Mr Chad Greatorex.
Attendance 680
REPORT BY PIPEMAN