Report
A bumper local derby attendance of 729 watched the still improving Hitchin Town secure a precious three points in a battling but satisfying manner. The win was made all the more important since Nuneaton defeated Tamworth and Redditch also won whilst Lowestoft lost and stay bottom. Hitchin move to third from bottom, nominally a relegation place but since we are a team missing, such a position we might see as clear of the relegation zone, but there is not a lot in it and much, much more to do.
We could not have asked more from hitchin players today and there is a keen view that Callum Stead, scorer of the only goal, right at they end off the first half, might well have had a hat-trick, but was foiled by goalkeeper Dimitrios Kyriatzis, who was declared home player of the match.
Christmas fixtures have a habit of upsetting the form book and so it was at Garden Walk, where the game was played in persistent light rain on a heavy, sodden pitch. In the corresponding fixture, The Crows gave a slick and confident display, but today they were neither but often looked dangerous with their persistent crosses and aerial strength.
Both teams were wearing their away kits as agreed, with the charity Shelter being a beneficiary of funds. Hitchin had to do without the services of Stephen Gleeson whose two match suspension began and Jake Hutchinson was still isolating owing to Covid. Of personal interest to me was the Royston number six, one Ronnie Henry, now thirty-eight and still playing. He was a former pupil of mine at Hemel Hempstead School and at the time on schoolboy forms at Tottenham Hotspur. He is the grandson of Ron Henry, a member of the Spurs double winning side of 1961 and all Arsenal supporters will tell you that they have not won the title since. I was pleased to speak to Ronnie after the game, and he told me of successful moves to Stevenage and Luton Town.
Hitchin’s last two away fixtures have seen a handsome 4-0 win and a battling 2-2 draw and today was the second away win of the season in the league, and the third successive game without defeat. Granted that in the abandoned game against Tamworth the team did look a little jaded, but they made up for that today, with excellent defending, meaningful attacking play and a fine team spirit was manifestly on show.
As usual it was an underwhelming start for the Canaries since the Crows began to pepper the box with crosses of varying height, all of which looked dangerous and inviting for the hosts. But Hitchin defending was resolute, with Matthew Maloney back in the team, keeping out an early effort, but a following shot from Royston was not that far off the target and brought a corner, which Horlock pounced upon.
Maloney’s defensive header was fine but Stead conceded a free-kick which came from James Brighton and was held by Horlock. Possession was difficult for Hitchin in these early minutes. A cross aimed for Royston talisman Adam Murray was defended, but the tactic was clear. Isaac Galliford, formerly of Hitchin began to make his presence felt, but it was never authoritative. More crosses came in, one involved a Brandon Adams appeal for a penalty. He may have taken the knee before the kick-off but here he took the hopeful dive and the referee waved it away.
Jack Green and Josh Coldicott-Stevens were themselves aiming to send in crosses, as was Ciaren Jones, and it was only partially successful at this stage.
A good forward ball to Murray saw Maloney challenge successfully, with Webb in support. Hitchin then did their party piece of conceding a free-kick just outside the area and we waited with trepidation. That cannoned off the wall but Galliford gallivanted in the eighteen years box but it led only to a goal kick for Hitchin. Hitchin looked a little frail, but improved on this considerably.
Stead was outwitted by the off-side trap, and not for the last time, but he seems to suit playing wide. Hitchin did need to co-ordinate play since passes were going needlessly astray, but again, this improved as we went on. Brandon Adams adjudged off-side gave a bit of relief, as it did seem that the hosts could well break through. But Stead’s cross across goal was found by Barker who sent it back in to a neat touch by Cawley. It went for a goal-kick, but already Cawley’s touches, his deft flicks, were making a bit of a difference. He had a fine game and did the whole ninety minutes and was vital to the team effort.
Stead cut in from then left, JCS added weight but Green’s foul put an end to that foray, but Hitchin were clawing their way into this game. Murray was fouled and the free-kick saw Galliford’s cross saw a defensive header that was just a little close to an embarrassing own goal. Brighton, covered in mud, sent in a corner that was dealt with adequately. Brown was adventurous, playing a neat ball to the outnumbered Cawley who slid it to green and JCS was dispossessed. Stead picked up a loose ball on the left but he was ushered off the ball. Royston looked just a little rattled, as it was clear they wanted to get the full initiative in this game, which was repeatedly denied them. They were patient in the midfield congestion, breaking when they could but goal attempts were remarkably few.
Barker, from the left sent in a fair cross but Stead lost possession, but Green sent in another diagonal ball that needed dealing with. Brown crossed again, which was defended and a counter attack saw a cross that Horlock grabbed confidently. Then there was a Hitchin shot of negligible worth but Hitchin were containing their opponents with increasing dexterity.
With ten minutes of the half remaining, Hitchin were making inroads and playing confidently. I felt at the time that to get to the interval without conceding would be a fair reward, but there was a delightful end to the half, right in the last minute.
Hitchin won a free-kick, to the left, right on the edge of the area. Naturally, the thought is that this would be a vital time to score and so it turned out to be. Stead had a fine chance, neatly foiled by the keeper. Murray’s glancing header was wide, but this free-kick, right at the end of the half turned out to be a pivotal moment.
Stead was held on to for the free-kick and Coldicott-Stevens took it and a header from Stead was steered home with unerring accuracy. The whistle went immediately after the restart. That was something of a bonus and it left us wondering what the tactics would be. If they sat back, we agreed they might be caught out – and as it turned out they did not and, Stead, as I say, might have bagged another goal or two.
It was expected that Royston would come out with proverbial guns blazing and early on in the second half they did get the ball into the net, but the players running off to celebrate did not see the off-side flag raised.We had agreed that the more direct football may have been played by Royston but the prettier stuff had come from Hitchin.
There was, of course, a good deal of defending to do, and it was done, and well. Stead had a snap shot following a counter move and it was well wide. It showed a bit of pugnacity, anyway. Henry defended and marked Stead diligently, and the former Stevenage skipper began to create some fine moments. Brown, Barker, Stead and Black put together a fair attack but it went for a goal-kick. Black then had a shot but it was right into the path of Asafu-Adjaye. Green was displaced by Murray in another move, but Hitchin looked comfortable and their considerable support behind the goal were encouraged.
Yes, there were awkward moments, with the ball sliced into touch, a fortuitous fall of the ball, but Hitchin were solid and Royston still trying to attain the slickness we expected from them. Galliford’s shot was wayward, and Royston’s passing began to be less accurate as the half wore on. Royston employed two substitutes to try to alter proceedings and, significantly Hitchin used none. This eleven was doing well. And Stead should have made it two but Kyriatzis deserves praise for keeping that one out, albeit with his left knee.
It was felt that the referee was a trifle captious, and it seemed that he gave Hitchin little, but of course that was not the case. Alex Brown’s caution for time wasting was not as notable as Horlock’s delay in taking goal-kicks at Tamworth, but all teams do this if they have but a slender lead. Anyway there were loads of minutes to go. Royston won a number of corners and as these sailed across it was anybody’s guess who would get on the end of them, but generally it was a Hitchin defender. Newton headed wide from one of these, and as he missed the floodlights came on.
Cawley was energetic in the most unaccustomed way, and it was good to see him fulfil ninety minutes, given his slow progress to fitness. I spoke to him afterwards and said that his deft flicks reminded me of Alan Gilzean and he said ‘Who?’ Stead, in a solo run had just the keeper to beat but it was the keeper who again won this duel. But only just.
With the Royston subs on we noticed that one of then was a Hitchin town alumnus in the form of Marcus Goldbourne. He did his best to put one over his former team. Newman’s shot was saved by Horlock, who seemed determined to keep a clean sheet. Mensah’s bright idea of a diagonal ball was almost met effectively, but Hitchin were unyielding.
JCS was bundled over and we were as unhappy as he was for not winning a free-kick, but what was important was to keep the ball in the Royston half.
This was not always the case, of course, and we had to endure not only a full five minutes of stoppage time that’s seemed to last three times as long, but a free-kick in stoppage time was given away in what might seem to be an optimum position. However Brandon Adams’ shot was a meek as a lamb when it needed the cunning of a crow.
That will do nicely, we said, but it still seemed a long way to go but the whistle went to our great joy, knowing that three points would lift us at least a place – and it did. There were no complaints from Royston officials, and supporters I spoke to were impressed with the improvement in the team they turned over quite easily at Top Field in August, with a near identical attendance of 735.
They win was celebrated and all eyes were on the other results and it is as tight for us as ever. The visitors on Saturday are Peterborough Sports who are very anxious to return to form. But we are anxious to keep the unbeaten run going, and need every point we can get. No more could be asked of today, a win, three points and a clean sheet and a rejuvenated team spirit.
ROYSTON TOWN
Dimitrios Kyriatszis, home man of the match, Ed Asafu-Ajaye, Carl Mensah, Daniel Newton, Ronnie Henry, Adam Murray, captain, Finlay Titchmarsh, (Tom Newman), James Brighton, (Marcus Goldbourne), Isaac Galliford, Brandon Adams, Matthew Bateman, cautioned.
Substitutes not used – Joe Welch, Rahmar Garrett-Douglas, Spyros Mentis.
HITCHIN TOWN
Charlie Horlock, Jack Green, Alex Brown, cautioned, Josh Coldicott-Stevens, Dan Webb, captain, Ciaren Jones, Callum Stead,GOAL, 45 MINUTES, Lewis Barker, Stephen Cawley, Matthew Moloney, cautioned, Malaki black, cautioned.
Substitutes- all unused- Jordan Kinoshi, Delsin Akom, Rio Dasilva, Stan Georgiou, Kye Tearle.
REFEREE – Mr M Norton, assisted by Mr J Karram and Mr A Tregoning.
ATTENDANCE 729
REPORT BY PIPEMAN