Report
“Who are we playing, Norwich City?” asked a Banbury steward as the coach disgorged the Hertfordshire Canaries rather than those from Norfolk.
But today Hitchin were in their away strip of magenta and black. The hosts were in their usual Melchester Rovers kit and they kept to the usual script for that fictitious team, coming from behind to obtain a handsome and well deserved victory.
Banbury had made a good start to the season with two wins, by a goal margin, and a draw. This placed them at third position in the table and as yet unbeaten. Hitchin, with one win and one defeat were looking to consolidate and perhaps avoid the frantic finish of last week that denied Nuneaton an equaliser.
Canaries’ manager Mark Burke was sufficiently impressed to field an unchanged team and for three minutes they looked the business. The last two fixtures between these clubs failed to yield a goal home or away but that was never going to be the case today.
Hitchin made the best possible start with a goal after three minutes. That was the last time that the Puritans stood back. It was a snap shot from Luke Brown and converted smartly. It was a goal that made Banbury cross and they set about doing something about it.
Hitchin supporters seeing the bulky figure of Christopher Wreh had no difficulty in remembering that striker scoring four goals in the first half when he was in the Rushden and Diamonds team that walloped the Canaries 7-1.
I am not exaggerating when I say that Banbury could have matched that today but for the post, the crossbar and some extravagant finishing.
Having gone behind Banbury exerted some stylish pressure. At first it was defended quite nobly but Hitchin found themselves struggling for possession and only gaining a breather with the long hopeful ball to Callum Stead who will accustomed to being marked by muscle bound defenders who will make their presence felt.
Wreh, fancying his chances had a good shot deflected for a corner. Horlock double punched this away but Rasulto’s effort almost brought an equaliser which seemed inevitable. Hitchin were living dangerously but seemed to heed the warnings.
Having been effectively prevented from elaborate passing play chances for Hitchin seemed to rely on the through ball to Stead hoping that his superior pace might enable a poached goal. He had one reasonable chance but Jack Harding dealt with it confidently.
Wreh was positioned well for a strike that was meek by his standards and Horlock was relieved to make a routine save. Alex Marsh had mixed fortunes with his free-kicks today with most feeding the goalkeeper.
This one was headed out for a corner which was defended at the expense of another and we wondered if Hitchin might get some purchase from a set piece. The Puritans were able and disciplined in defence, blocking a shot from Dasilva who had difficulty getting into this game, being harried and out muscled at every turn.
Wreh netted and was ruled off side and Landers was inches wide with his fine shot following an impressive forward move. A Banbury free-kick saw Lawrie Marsh defend well and Babos, who should have at least been in target sent the ball further into Oxfordshire. Rasulo , in a scoring position sent his shot wide.
There was critical support in both senses from home supporters who felt with some justification that the hosts should have scored by now. They did not have to wait much longer. Acquaye saw his effort saved and there was an alarming moment when the embattled Horlock inadvertently acting as sweeper keeper left his back door open and he nearly got lobbed. There was variety on show today.
Hitchin’s nervous defending was being fully exploited and they were simply not allowed any time on the ball. There was nothing puritanical about the Puritans’ play and lording possession they finally found a way through after half an hour with Acquaye finishing off a fine bit of preparatory play.
The critical support was now entirely switched to positive mode and home supporters must have thoroughly enjoyed the remainder of this match and it leaves them unbeaten and they will be seen as keen challengers for the title if they maintain this sparkling form.
With a penalty appeal dismissed Banbury poured forward with Rasulo making a pig’s ear if a simple chance and Wreh just missing a goal as the ball all but scraped the far post.
A late attack from Hitchin petered out almost apologetically and it was those in magenta and black who most looked forward to the whistle for the interval.
Hitchin were indeed fortunate to be on level terms and they knew it.
Any hopes Hitchin supporters had of this being the proverbial ‘game of two halves’ were quickly dispelled. Wreh – The Canaries nemesis at Rushden hit the foot of the post when a goal seemed a certainty. A Landers effort ricocheted off the crossbar but he was rewarded on the hour mark when he put the Puritans ahead.
Wreh had drawn another good save from the busy Horlock and after another sweeping forward move from the hosts we thought it was 3-1 but the offside flag was raised.
But seven minutes after his goal Landers landed another one and this one counted. We wondered if more were on the way. Mercifully there were no more goals for the hosts but there were none for Hitchin and forward moves had only a token effect with free kicks almost being aimed at Jack Harding who gathered safely each time.
After Landers had scored I heard a joke from one of our supporters who wanted to relieve our gloom, especially as we had gathered optimistically behind the goal Hitchin were nominally attacking.
It was about a man who taught his dog to play the trumpet on the London Underground and within an hour it had gone from Barking to Tooting.
There were a couple of creditable efforts from Snee but a Banbury win was never in doubt once they had equalised. It was a good game and officiated fairly.
Banbury officials where as welcoming as always and apart from the score it was a good day out. Kitchen have a chance to improve on this relatively poor performance when they face fellow Hertfordshire side Royston Town on Bank Holiday Monday .
BANBURY UNITED
Jack Harding, Connor Roberts, Caution, Samuel Brown, Thomas Sharpe, Kelvin Langmead, Jack Westbrook, Henry Landers, TWO GOALS, 60 and 67 minutes, Georgia Rasulo, Chris Wreh, Alexander Babos, Benjamin Acquaye, GOAL, 30 minutes (Charlie Pattison).
Unused substitutes: Tom Rowley, Ben Taylor, Harry Reilly and Ethan Johnston.
HITCHIN TOWN
Charlie Horlock, Daniel Akubuine, Alex Brown, Ryan Smith, Lawrie Marsh, cautioned, Darien Furlong, Alex Marsh, Josh Coldicott-Stevens,( Kye Tearle), Callum Stead, Luke Brown, GOAL, 3 Minutes, ( Henry Snee), Rio Dasilva,( Maliki Black).
Unused substitutes: Sam Okoye-Ahaneku and Ciaren Jones.
REFEREE: Mr R Dix, assisted by Mr D Jones and Mr B Wilkinson .
ATTENDANCE: 604
REPORT BY PIPEMAN