Report
In this rearranged game, caused by a controversial postponement, Hitchin secured three valuable points, kept a second clean sheet in a game that they dominated for long periods, playing positive attacking football that somehow only brought the one goal, scored by a lively and hard-working Rio Dasilva whose ubiquitous presence caused the home defence a good deal of trouble.
The muse certainly deserted the Bards tonight, but the Canaries were definitely on song in all departments, being diligent in defence, secure in midfield and probing in attack, deserving to win by a greater margin. Their determination to regain possession and construct opportunities was in evidence in the early exchanges. The two Stephens – Gleeson and Cawley were absent through injury, but the starting eleven looked composed and cohesive.
An early foray involving Jack Green and Rio Dasilva saw goalkeeper Liam O’Brien off his line to cut out as cross to Hutchinson but a corner was awarded. The patent corner was not employed this evening but the standard cross from this and others needed careful defending. A cross from the continually impressive Josh Coldicott-Stevens saw Ciaren Jones head over the bar. The Stratford defence looked curiously vulnerable and in attempting to build from the back were frequently caught in possession, and they conceded a number of free-kicks.
Dasilva seemed to be on a mission, and his first shot was a whisker wide and his next was deflected to the keeper. He latched onto another probing forward ball and again shot just wide. Play was held up when Lewis Barker, whose magnificent goal on Saturday secured the points against Rushall, sustained an injury and he was replaced at the start of the second half by new signing from Biggleswade Town, James Peters, who almost scored on his debut, when his header hit the cross bar.
Jacob Hutchinson was in the hunt when a neat forward pass was just a little heavy and favoured O’Brien, an affable keeper who exchanged good natured quips with a good dozen or more Hitchin supporters behind the goal.
Another Hitchin attack came from a determined regaining of possession and out did seem that the ponderous Stratford defence would soon be forced into an error.
With admirable determination, Hitchin refused to allow the hosts any time on the ball, but the pressure was relieved a little when Jack Turner needed treatment for his injury. Hitchin’s energetic play was again in evidence and Hutchinson appeared to get away from his marker but his run on goal was halted by a perceived infringement. I did wonder if Hitchin could maintain this pressure but the Bards were still finding out difficult to get forward to some purpose and in the whole game Horlock did not have a single shot on target to deal with. They had spells where they were able to move the ball about, switching from flank to flank but they were all to easily thwarted.
The ebullient Jack Green won a corner, which was aimed for Webb whose intended header was prevented by O’Brien. Dasilva, charging along the flank, won another corner but there was an infringement in the box. We were almost in stoppage time in the first half when Stratford won their first corner, which was taken short and subsequently wasted. There was still time for another Hitchin attack and Malaki Black came very close to establishing a deserved lead, but his shot went wide.
Hitchin supporters were somewhat aggrieved that their team had not taken a lead to the interval, and there was also concern that relegation rivals Biggleswade Town had already put four goals past Needham Market. Knowledge of that made a Hitchin win a necessity. It took a further twenty minutes of play and sustained pressure for Hitchin finally to get the much need and overdue goal.
Ironically it was Stratford who got the ball in the net first but the off side flag was entirely undisputed. Hitchin resumed their siege on the Stratford goal and a fair shot from Hutchinson was deflected for a corner. It was a good one and Peters was a little unfortunate to see his header bounce off the top of the cross bar. Jones’ magnificent cross field pass to Dasilva saw a mediocre first touch but there was yet another corner and the familiar drama in the area, following a corner.
In a rare foray forward Stratford’s constructed a good move involving Grocott and Dawes but the cross flashed across the goalmouth with no player in orange near the ball. A free-kick from Grocott looked to be on target but it was deflected harmlessly to Horlock. Stratford begin to see more of the ball but this tended to be played sideways rather than forward, and repeated efforts were broken down by Hitchin defenders or by poor passing.
Then, on sixty-five minutes, Jack Green’s super pass to Rio Dasilva saw the latter put Hutchinson into the lead they had threatened for so long. So here is an appropriate Shakespearean quotation (from ‘Macbeth’),
‘I would applaud thee to the very echo
That should applaud again….’
Rio was delighted as were his team mates and of course so were the travelling supporters. Stratford have installed a rather posh electronic scoreboard but whoever operates in left it stubbornly at 0-0 until the closing minutes of the game. This brought some adverse comment but the lads were generally happy at the state of play and I can work in something from ‘Henry V’ here –
‘…as this ever common that men are merriest
When they are (away) from home.’
But, having said that, it was still just the one goal and we dared to hope that the team might replicate what they did against Rushall and get another for the sake of comfort and of course the goal difference, which might turn out to be important. Stratford began to be more cohesive as a unit and their best chances perhaps came from central free-kicks, but any shot that was created was well wide of the target. One or two put forward the theory that as a mid-table team, out of the promotion hunt and in no danger of relegation the overall effort might be seen as lacking. Yet they did play better in the second half, but they were still lacking in penetration. Dawes did manage a weak shot and at the other end Dasilva again tried his luck and was again just wide.
JCS put one into the box that had to be scrambled away, close to the goal line and that second goal proved to be as elusive as ever. A glance at the watch showed just seven minutes of normal time to go and it proved top be a nervous time as Stratford at last showed a little venom. Dasilva won a late corner and O’Brien managed to hold the cross.
At the other end, Horlock dived to snuff out a cross and took a knock and we were now in stoppage time. But Hitchin saw the game out and took the points. To conclude I will add a little more from the local lad William Shakespeare that Hitchin had ‘ indeed better bettered expectation’ (Much Ado) and for the hosts, well, they may well feel that, as it’s says in ‘Othello’, that it was for them a ‘ lame and impotent conclusion.’
There now follows another away trip on Saturday where the Canaries take on Alvechurch, and they must keep the awareness that as we are doing well, so are our immediate rivals, and this relegation dog-fight might well go right to the final game of the season.
The biggest frustration of the night was the coach journey home that was complicated with the closure of the M1 motorway, which caused a meandering diversion and a much later arrival than anticipated.
STRATFORD TOWN
Liam O’Brien, Daniel Vann, Melis Bushaj, cautioned, Ashley Sammons, Jordan Williams, Jack Turner, Lewis Wilson, (Brennan Denness Barrett), Daniel Lafferty, Leroy Lita, (Jack Storer, cautioned), William Grocott, captain,William Dawes.
HITCHIN TOWN
Charlie Horlock, Jack Green, Alex Brown, Stan Georgiou, Dan Webb, captain, Ciaren Jones, Josh Coldicott-Stevens, mentioned in despatches, Lewis Barker, (James Peters), Jacob Hutchinson, Rio Dasilva, GOAL 65 MINUTES, this reporter’s man of the match, (Johnny Allotey, 90), Malaki Black.
Referee- Mr A Cox, assisted by Mr R Jennings and Mr S Postin.
Attendance 257
REPORT BY PIPEMAN