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WEEKLY BULLETIN – 29TH NOV

6

FIXTURES

  • Saturday 30th November – Home to Barwell – League – Kick-off 3pm.
  • Monday 2nd December – Home to Lowestoft – League – Kick-off 7:45pm.

AWAY COACH TIMES

  • Next Saturday 7 December the coach to Hednesford will leave at 10.45pm.
  • On 14 December the coach to Stratford will leave at 11.15am.

PLAYER NEWS
Jacob Hutchinson has joined on loan from Colchester United. He is a striker who has scored a number of goals for their youth team and has made a number of appearances for their under 23 team. Jacob has previously been on loan at Grays and Brightlingsea.
He will be in the squad for the Barwell game.

Steve Cawley has returned to Hemel Hempstead after his loan move. Mark Burke paid tribute to Steve saying he had made a difference to the team with his hold up play and had really helped in the improvement in the team’s performances.

  • Lewis Rolfe received a one game suspension after reaching five bookings and will miss the Barwell game.
  • Josh Mollison has joined Barton Rovers to get more regular football.
  • The squad came through the Welwyn game with no injury worries.
  • Kai Phelan has now received international clearance and is available to play.

PLAYER REUNION
On Saturday at the Barwell game we are holding a reunion of 1980’s players and management. Those who have agreed to attend include:

  • Tony Luff
  • John Woodward
  • Steve Fountain
  • Ian Kavanagh
  • Stuart Harding
  • Paul Grant
  • Steve Miller
  • David Taylor
  • Ian Lindsey
  • Paul Giggle
  • Steve Gear
  • Rory Gleeson
  • Carl Stock
  • Neil Kane
  • Peter Milton
  • Alan Cosby
  • Steve Mahoney
  • Alan West
  • Ian Stratford

Obviously Mark Burke will be attending to the management of the side but will meet up with his ex colleagues after the game. Supporters are also welcome to meet the ex players in the Canary Club after the game.

RADIO COMMENTARY FROM NORTH HERTS RADIO
North Herts Radio will be at Top Field on Saturday 30th Nov 2019, to bring you live commentary of Hitchin Town’s league match against Barwell.

Freddie Cardy and Marac Alionic will be your hosts with the programme starting at 2:45pm.

Freddie and Marac will be back at Top Field on Monday evening 2 Dec 2019, to being you live commentary of the Canaries league match against Lowestoft, with the programme starting at 7:30pm.

We are on the ‘North Herts Radio Extra’ channel on the North Herts Radio website.

If you are using a mobile device the latest North Herts FM Android App is available to download from the Play Store which will give access to the ‘North Herts Radio Extra’ channel.

North Herts Radio is also available as an Apple App and on Alexa.

HERTS SENIOR CUP
The draw for the second round is as follows:

  • London Colney v Tring Athletic
  • St Albans v Bishop’s Stortford
  • Potters Bar v Hemel Hempstead
  • Cheshunt v Colney Heath
  • Royston v Boreham Wood
  • Kings Langley v Baldock
  • Ware V Stevenage or Hadley
  • Leverstock Green v Hitchin Town

We play at Leverstock Green on Tuesday 17th December, Kick-off 7:45pm. The winners will be away to Potters Bar or Hemel Hempstead in the quarter final.

BOXING DAY
The Boxing Day game at Biggleswade Town will have a 1.00pm kick-off.

COLLECTION FOR NORTH HERTS SANCTUARY WITH KATE DELLER
At each home game there will be a basket to collect contributions for the North Herts Sanctuary and this will run for the whole season not just for Christmas. Suitable donations include the following:

  • Tinned food
  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Sugar
  • Sweet treats – selection boxes
  • Shampoo and conditioners regular size (please not travel size or family size)
  • Body wash Deodorants
  • Some razors and shaving cream male and female
  • Large ziplock bags for making up welcome packs
  • Toothpaste and brushes
  • Sanitary products
  • Towels

Please give generously and help those less fortunate than ourselves.

WEDNESDAY VOLUNTEER ARMY
I would like to say thank you to Alan Jordan who came to the inaugural Wednesday Voluntary Army this week. Your help was so appreciated. The next WVA meeting will be 11th December 2019 at 9.30am clearing leaves from the Canary Club garden and any litter around the ground. Thereafter the WVA will meet the last Wednesday of every month. Thank you to everyone who has contacted me so far and I have been thrilled with the response. Well done Canary supporters.

HITCHIN TOWN UNDER 19’S
On Wednesday the academy side drew 1-1 with Bishop’s Stortford.
Next Wednesday they are at home to Croydon.

HITCHIN TOWN LADIES FC WITH CALLUM ELLIS
It was a heart wrenching afternoon as we took on Hemel in a top of the table clash in Division One. Hitchin took the early lead when Darling sent her shot in to the corner of the net from the edge of the 18 yard box. Hemel equalised in the closing minutes of the first half. After a penalty shout in the closing stages was waved away for Hitchin, Hemel capitalised and found a gap in the Hitchin defence doubling their lead and then converting a penalty in the 90th minute. Hemel extended their unbeaten league run to 8 games while Hitchin recorded their second loss of the season.

Hitchin Town Ladies Reserves FC by Jez Davies, Reserves Manager:

It was an entertaining afternoon for the reserves who took the lead courtesy of a goal by April Spang following a ball forward from Meg Franklin. Flitwick levelled the score shortly before half time then stunned their hosts by taking the lead early into the second half. To their credit the reserves never gave up, Spang doubled her goal tally to get Hitchin back into the match latching onto a ball down the line by Fiona Davies. With the game in the balance, it would be the hosts who would take the lead, with some strong work from the impressive Franklin, her ball over the top being met by Spang who kept her head to complete her hat trick with a low left foot shot into the bottom right hand corner. Three wins on the bounce for the reserves going into next week’s break.

Sunday 1st December 2019 – Division One, 3pm kick off, Ickleford Recreation Ground, Ickleford.
Hitchin Town Ladies FC Firsts v Northwood Ladies FC.

EJA NEWS WITH NICK CARR
Only three of our four EJA teams were in action on Sunday as the U18s were left without a game following the postponement of their fixture at Newport Pagnell Town.

The three teams that did play were all involved in high scoring games.

Our U17s continued their unbeaten league campaign running out 5-1 winners at home to Barkingside Youth with goals from Ajay Lidder (2), Tyler Lowden (2) and Ashley Hay.

Our U15s lost their 100% league record going down to Cheshunt Youth by a 4-1 score line with Richard Kusorgbor netting for us.

Finally, our U14s suffered the same 4-1 loss at home to Barkingside Youth in the EJA Treasurers Cup.

This Sunday two of our teams are in County Cup action with the U14s hosting Berkhamsted Youth at North Herts College in a 11:00am kickoff. The U15s are also at home, with Berkhamsted Raiders Youth the visitors to The Arena, Baldock kickoff 10:30am.

Our U18s are in league action at home to Cheshunt Youth at The Arena, Baldock in a 2:00pm kickoff.

MANAGER’S NOTES WITH MARK BURKE

NUNEATON BOROUGH

I always knew we would be in for a difficult match against Nuneaton and this proved to be the case. I felt Nuneaton were in control of the first half and deserved their half time lead. We told the players in the dressing room that they needed to up their work rate and tempo in the second half and I thought that they responded very well.

We put Nuneaton under a lot of pressure and we deserved our equaliser. I should mention goalkeeper Josh Mollison who put in a really good performance in his first game at this level for a while. Overall I thought it was a fair result and each term deserved a point. From our point of view it was another good performance against a strong side who I expect to be in the play-off equation.

WELWYN GARDEN CITY

The horrible weather conditions made life difficult for both sides to ;play football. I felt comfortable with our first half performance and felt we deserved that we deserved to take the lead when we did.

However we were not clinical enough with the opportunities to put the game to bed and we were nearly punished as a result. Once Welwyn scored they took the initiative and we were thankful to Charlie Horlock for an excellent penalty save which made amends for the error he made for the Welwyn goal.
He then went on to make a further save in the penalty shoot out as we prevailed 4-3. Hopefully we have finally put our penalty nightmare to bed having now scored 8 consecutive penalties!

Finally I would like to really thank those 73 diehard supporters who turned out on such a foul evening.

BARWELL

Barwell are a much improved side from last season and have enjoyed some notable wins. In Brady Hickey they have a player in fine scoring form. We will have to be on our mettle to make sure we keep him quiet.

I am very much looking forward to the 1980’s players reunion. Hitchin is a very special club and it is always very gratifying that ex players remain keen to return to Top Field and I am looking forward to swapping memories with my old colleagues.

LOWESTOFT

Despite their lowly position Lowestoft possess a number of quality players and as it seems to be with every match in this division it is going to be another difficult game. Despite this I will be looking for us to continue on our unbeaten run and want to keep putting distance between us and the relegation zone.

BY ROY IZZARD