Report
Too early to say a six pointer? What is a six pointer anyway? Three valuable points were available and were contested for and once again Hitchin faced a club in a similar plight and once again they lost by the narrowest of margins. The Saints had begun the season well enough but following injuries they have been finding points hard to come by.
This second trip to Huntingdonshire follows the League Cup outing to St Neots, but there would be no penalty competition tonight, but a penalty of a different kind, namely leaving the field empty handed, with an even bigger mountain to climb. Not being uncharitable I can honestly say that St Ives were not among the strongest teams Hitchin have faced and yet they huffed and puffed and could not find the elusive goals to win the match.
Peversely, I stood in the rain, and even the home goalie asked me why I was not seeking shelter. I told him I was an optimist and wanted to get a close-up of the Hitchin goals. A vibrant match was envisaged on the new artificial pitch at Westwood Road, so there can be no moans about the state of the pitch, as used to be the case here, and it is not the only improvement that was noticed since my last visit.
Before the game, Hitchin secretary Roy Izzard, who had spent a gloomy weekend over the trouncing the club received at the hands, or rather feet of Needham Market, said he just hoped that former Canary Urijah Gordon-Douglas would not score against his former club, and, of course, as the script demands, he did, with a free header, and it was a goal that should have been avoided. It turned out to be the only goal of the game.
Standing behind the goal meant I was in earshot of the gallows humour of some of our hardened supporters, who received a soaking as well, but it did not dampen their caustic wit. Their range of reference to underwhelming performances of the past is encyclopedic and they were somehow fortified by shared anecdotes that interspersed their withering observations.
At one stage I suggested that the performance tonight had determination and a great improvement. They were of the opinion that I had taken leave of my senses or had another substance than tobacco in my pipe. I will stand by this; each player did his utmost to halt the decline and poor old Lewis Barker was injured in the process and could not return to the fray for the second half.
His place was taken by one Callum Stead, you know, the chap that was snapped up by South Shields. Seeing his name on the team sheet led me to believe that there had been an error, as at one stage Gordon-Douglas appeared to be selected for both sides. That error was cleared up and I was told that Callum Stead was on his way from the chilly north-east and would be in time for the second half. It would appear that his connection with the Northern Premier club had reached a premature conclusion and full marks to the fellow for driving all that way to help out the Canaries. He came on in the second – half and came the closest to bagging the equaliser. Had he been fully match fit, it might have made a difference, but he had nor sharpened his game by sitting on the substitutes’ bench up north and was back where he needs to be, on the pitch, looking for that one chance that could turn a game.
If we had a script for him and the team, fate decreed otherwise and instead of the points lifting us from the foot of the table, there we remain, and instead it the hosts who ended up celebrating a win that lifts them spiritually and a few places as well. From the Board Room we could hear them whooping it up with some gusto as their manager came in, requesting a dust pan and brush for come reason.
We saw a bit of a cautious start, and it was the hosts who got in the first shot on goal when McWilliams fine pass to Dylan Williams saw Horlock make a routine save. Hitchin showed a willingness to get forward and forsook the ponderous playing out form the back routine. It was like a good old fashioned non-league match where the professional game is not imitated. Luke Brown connected with a through ball and clipped the ball just over the bar. Kye Tearle was well involved, shooting wide with one effort, and Rio Dasilva in possession found himself outnumbered and not for the last time.
Both teams defended adequately and both tried to get forward quickly, shrugging off erroneous passes or crosses that were too heavy or too close to the keeper. We needed goals, not finesse. Tearle constructed another good move that was defended, and I am delighted to say that Dan Webb was peerless in defence. Ciaren Jones essayed a forward ball that just needed to be a couple of yards shorter, and Marsh’s low shot was easily saved by Ben Heath.
Then, oh calamity, The Saints took the lead on the twenty-seventh minute when a cross from Williams gave Gordon-Douglas the free header and his goal would have given him satisfaction, scoring against the club where he had only limited opportunities. Up to that point it seemed that Hitchin were the likelier to take the lead Free-kicks from Hitchin were not too bad, with Alex Brown firing wide with one, but the Canaries still looked a bit lightweight up front.
Another chance came when Tearle sent in a cross that asked too much of Dasilva. We had an appreciable delay when Lewis Barker received a facial injury and he did not return for the remaining minutes of this first half that continued to frustrate the visiting supporters, and the rain fell steadily.
A single goal deficit at half-time is not too dispiriting since Hitchin, as I say were not short of either effort or ideas, but when you are on the ropes the punches hurt and although we came close in the second period, so did the Saints, and right towards the end Horlock forsook his goal, sprinting up field for a corner and when this was cleared we were fortunate to avoid conceding as the goal was untenanted but Kye Tearle’s intervening boot sent the goal bound shot out for a corner. Well done, that man.
A shot from Tearle brought a corner, Marsh shot wide again and Luke Brown did his best to evade challenges as Hitchin made repeated but fruitless attacks as time ticked away. Saints countered gleefully, having theor chances but they were intent on defending their precious lead. Malaki Black slid in trying to connect with a cross and Stead’s golden chance grazed the post. From a Tearle corner Brown miskicked and Dasilva’s cross to Stead was too heavy. Even so I felt a goal was probable and not just possible as chances were still being created, and defended astutely. Ben Toseland looked lively for the Saints and he had two goes on goal, one defended and one that went well wide.
Richens effort was held by Horlock and Stead’s cross to Black saw him unable to control the ball, but I will say that no heroics were called upon for Ben Heath, who had a steady game. Luke Brown’s deflected shot brought another corner and Heath plucked the ball from eager heads. There was enough activity within the Saints eighteen yard box but that one bit of defensive panic did not materialise, but had Hitchin scored the hosts could have had no complaint.
Credit must be given to Hitchin for determination and effort and this is vital, because it does show an improvement over the last game where the team lacked motivation. Stead’s return, even if it might prove to be temporary, is still of importance as he has the pace and ability to poach a goal or two and they may well be worth points. Naturally we would like to finish above the bottom three and at present this is a sizeable task, but, as we know a trio of successive victories would make a huge difference.
One might say that it is expected to create chances against one of the weaker teams in the division and I still believe that the team can raise its game against the stronger opponents. Team spirit can be engendered from even one emphatic display, which is within this team’s ability. The celebrations of the Saints afterwards could easily have been Hitchin’s. I will say again that I liked the more direct approach tonight, even of the sin of the long ball was committed, and Charlie Horlock opted for a route one occasionally. The finesse may be sacrificed for the kind of swift counter play that we saw, especially in the second half. This team is overdue a win, and the visit of Stratford Town provides that opportunity. We know there is the difficult task away at Tamworth after that, but I am confident that they will raise their game and I am sure that the critics on the terraces, would love to see their caustic observations replaced by praise and admiration.
These are troubling times and I have seen it before. Where do we go from here I was asked after the game, and of course the answer is back to Top Field, with the positives from tonight. There is an appreciable way to go, and, paradoxically perhaps, I feel the beginnings of that were in some evidence tonight, despite defeat. If Callum Stead can drive down from South Shields to put in a shift, so can we as supporters, home and away in the forthcoming games. Our task is to keep the faith, be the twelfth man and I am sure the points will be gathered.
ST IVES TOWN
Ben Heath, Eniola Agemoh-Davies, Camron McWilliams, (Samir Nabi, cautioned,) Ben Toseland, Brett Solkhon, captain, Ed Hottor, Urijah Gordon-Williams, GOAL, 27 MINUTES, Micheal Richens, cautioned, Nabil Shariff,(Nathan Hicks), Dylan Williams, Jack Snelus.
Other substitutes – Callum Milne, Paul White and Liam Cross.
HITCHIN TOWN
Charlie Horlock, Dan Akubuine, Alex Brown, Lawrie Marsh, Dan Webb, captain, Ciaren Jones, Lewis Barker, (Callum Stead), Kye Tearle, Rio Dasilva, Luke Brown, Malaki Black.
Other substitutes – Ryan Smith, Henry Snee, Matthew Maloney and Stanley Georgiou.
REFEREE: Mr Joshua Crofts, assisted by Mr Stefan Lewis and Mr James Cliffe.
ATTENDANCE: 201
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