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Weekly Bulletin – 24th March

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FIXTURES

On the night you can pay by cash or card. There is no coach to this game.

MANAGER’S NOTES WITH MARK BURKE

HEDNESFORD

We left Hednesford bitterly disappointed not to have come away with some reward. The performance was below the standard we would expect although it still warranted at least a point. Unfortunately we were not ruthless enough in front of goal and ultimately that is what cost us the game.

On Monday evening before training commenced we analysed the match video with the players so they were aware of the mistakes that were made and to highlight areas where they could improve. We have done this analysis through the season and I have been happy with the response of the players.

STRATFORD

Stratford will come to Hitchin in fine form as they are unbeaten in their last 7 games and are fourth in the last six games league table. They have had some good results recently and have eased themselves out of the relegation zone. It is important that we take something from this game and hopefully we can get a victory to boost our confidence going in to the Herts Senior Cup final.

BERKHAMSTED

Berkhamsted may well be celebrating promotion on Saturday. They sit a whopping 21 points clear at the top of the Division I Central Division and need one point from seven games to guarantee promotion. Their stats are very impressive. They have won all of their 14 home league games and in their last 18 games they have won 17 and drawn one. Their last defeat was against Ware on 19th November so it goes without saying we face a very difficult game in the cup final.

Hopefully the Hitchin supporters will turn out in big numbers and we will be looking to replicate our last Herts Senior Cup final at Cheshunt when we beat Boreham Wood in May 2016.

MARK BURKE

PLAYER NEWS

  • Cieran Jones is now fully fit and we have renewed his loan from Brackley to the end of the season.
  • We have also extended Josh Allen’s loan from Luton to the end of the season.
  • Jack Morrell has been given permission to dual register with Kings Lynn who are chasing promotion from the National League North.
  • Stan Georgiou and Steve Gleeson are still on the injured list and will miss the Stratford game.
  • George Devine scored for Cockfosters on Wednesday as he continues to reach full fitness.

NON-LEAGUE DAY
Saturday is Non-League Day so why not encourage a friend or family member to experience the attraction of non-league football at Top Field. There are no Premier League or Championship games so it is an ideal time for fans of clubs in those leagues to discover the friendly and welcoming nature their local club can offer and Top Field is still an iconic non-league ground that groundhoppers really enjoy visiting and we have really tried to improve the match day experience. Feedback suggests our efforts have been appreciated and it is so good to see increasing numbers of females, children and family groups attending games. So why not give it a try on Saturday if you have not been to Top Field before.

MERCHANDISE UPDATE BY PAUL SPRAGUE
Make sure you call in to the club shop on Saturday at the Stratford game and stock up on your club merchandise so you are ready to show your colours at next week’s Cup Final.

Whether it’s a shirt, scarf or a hat we have a great selection. Home shirts are now reduced to £25 for adult sizes and £20 for junior sizes. After a long wait we also now have the very popular purple bobble hats back in stock for just £10.

You can also buy the match programme and team sheet. If you cannot get to the game please visit the online club shop.

ACADEMY UPDATE BY MICHAEL JONES
On Wednesday 22nd March we travelled away in the development league. Despite a very impressive 2023 so far we have dipped in our performances and as a result we had lost our last two games. We were looking for a performance to get us back on track. The match started with us in total control without playing anywhere near the level we know this group is capable of. Despite this we created loads of chances. Two well taken finishes from Joel Jolly gave us a 2-0 lead going into half time. Unfortunately in the second half a poor mentality all round allowed the hosts to score 3 goals. Final score 3-2.

Head coach Stephen Gleeson

“This young group has been brilliant in 2023 so far but the last two weeks we have not been hitting our non negotiables and as a result of this we have lost the last 3 games. Wednesday was utterly disappointing as the hosts did not win the game, we lost it. Despite not being anywhere near the levels we expect from them we had a comfortable 2-0 lead at half time. Second half even more complacency crept in and a poor all round performance gifted the hosts the win. We will now be working hard over the next few training sessions so that we can go into the Easter break on a high.”

We have our next open training session on Monday 3rd April between 12noon – 2pm at The Arena, Norton Road, Baldock, Hertfordshire, SG7 5AU on the all weather pitch. For further information or to register your interest please use this link – https://www.northhertsarena.co.uk/next-trial-dates

HTWFC UPDATE BY KARLA CHAFFEY
Only the one team in action last weekend, this is how they got on,
Kempston Rovers FC 4 – 1 HTWFC Firsts

Fixtures on Sunday 26th March 2023, 14:00 kick off
HTWFC Canaries v EB Lions
Ickleford Sports & Recreational Ground, 14:00 kick off

We are looking for new players to join our progressing teams. We train weekly at The Arena, Norton Road, Baldock. We train 19:00 – 20:30 each Tuesday and you have to be 16 years old or over.

We are also looking for new sponsors for the women’s set up. We are looking for sponsorship for training kits and tracksuits. If this is something you are interested in please get in touch with Callum on HTLFC.ClubSecretary@gmail.com

BY ROY IZZARD