Report
Blue Joy was the hero of the hour as he slotted home the nineteenth penalty of a remarkable penalty shoot-out that saw Hitchin win the Herts Senior Cup for the first time since 2016. The game had finished goalless as both teams defended really well and the midfield was fiercely contested throughout with no quarter asked or given. Neither side deserved to lose in what proved an absorbing contest despite there being limited goalmouth action as chances were few and far between.
Michael Jones kept to his promise of using the players who had played in the earlier rounds and this again showed the depth of the Hitchin squad and it all means a healthy competition for places as the play-offs approach. There was a cautious start to the game. After 22 minutes Bradley Russell had a weak shot easily saved but after 40 minutes Tyler McGregor made a great save from Aaron Greene. Hitchin did not trouble Stortford keeper Adam Hayton in the first half but had more than held their own against higher league opponents.
Cole Dasilva shot over the bar on 52 minutes and then shot wide from an even better chance two minutes later. George Morrall had Hitchin’s best chance after a good run but shot wide. Then a good move involved Kav Cotter ended with Josh Jackman shooting over the bar. It was nip and tuck as the two teams cancelled each other out with no space given. Stortford hit the post before Kye Tearle headed wide from a Cotter cross. Hitchin were enjoying their best spell of the game but the breakthrough did not come so it was down to a penalty shoot-out. Views are mixed about them but there is no doubt they do create excitement and the Hitchin drum brigade created a fantastic atmosphere with each penalty met with louder noise.
Dasilva took the first penalty with great confidence but there was never any doubt that Taylor Rhiney would score his to level the scores. Stortford scored their second and it was Diogo Freitas-Gouveia who scored our second. He came on after 90+7 minutes and did not touch the ball in the game! There was then a surprise as Stortford keeper Hayton took the third penalty and it was a good one. Josh Coldicott-Stevens then produced another fine penalty to make it 3-3. It was amazing how the penalties seemed to get better and better with the keepers having no chance. Kav Cotter, Kye Tearle,
Ciaren Jones, Callum Kane, Josh Jackman and Toby Syme all kept their nerve to make it 9-9 and then McGregor made a great save to stop Fabio Virciglio’s penalty leaving the youngest member of the Hitchin team Blue Joy the chance to win the game. He must have been nervous but produced a quality finish to cue pandemonium in the crowd. The penalty shoot-out was of the highest class and it was a 10-9 classic.
Another brilliant crowd of 737 saw Hitchin lift silverware after the despair of the past two seasons. They will all hope it is only the first part of a double celebration with the play-offs to come and this result against an excellent Stortford side will only help the momentum.
Penalty Shootout Info
Cole DaSilva (Bishops Stortford) – SCORED
Taylor Rhiney (Hitchin Town) – SCORED
Jack Smith (Bishops Stortford) – SCORED
Diogo Freitas-Gouveia (Hitchin Town) – SCORED
Adam Hayton (Bishops Stortford) – SCORED
Josh Coldicott-Stevens (Hitchin Town) – SCORED
Aaron Greene (Bishops Stortford) – SCORED
Kavan Cotter (Hitchin Town) – SCORED
Deivi Kreka (Bishops Stortford) – SCORED
Kye Tearle (Hitchin Town) – SCORED
Erin Amu (Bishops Stortford) – SCORED
Ciaren Jones (Hitchin Town) – SCORED
Leon Davies (Bishops Stortford) – SCORED
Callum Kane (Hitchin Town) – SCORED
Jake Thompson (Bishops Stortford) – SCORED
Josh Jackman (Hitchin Town) – SCORED
Charlie Johnson (Bishops Stortford) – SCORED
Toby Syme (Hitchin Town) – SCORED
Fabio Virciglio (Bishops Stortford) – SAVED
Blue Joy (Hitchin Town) – SCORED
Hitchin Town
Tyler McGregor
Josh Jackman
Callum Kane
Blue Joy
Toby Syme
Ciaren Jones (C)
George Morrall
Kavan Cotter
Taylor Rhiney
Fernando Bell-Toxtle
Cole Butler
Substitutes:
Kye Tearle (for Butler)
Josh Coldicott-Stevens (for Morrall)
Diogo Freitas-Gouveia (for Bell-Toxtle)
Steven Gleeson & Charlie Briggs were unused.
Bishops Stortford
Adam Hayton
Leon Davies
Jack Smith
Cole Dasilva
Jake Thompson (C)
Erin Amu
Frank Norris
Brad Russell
Jaden Ogwuazor
Aaron Greene
Charlie Johnson
Substitutes:
Obi Onyeagwara (for Ogwuazor)
Fabio Virciglio (for Norris)
Deivi Kreka (for Russell)
Mark Haines & Harry Forde were unused.