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Biggleswade United U14 v Hitchin Town U14 COVE

Sunday, February 21 2010

Hitchin Town COVE visited Biggleswade and were desperately unlucky to come away with just a single point for their efforts in a fixture that they knew would be a tough one, considering the early season cup tie between these teams went all the way to the agony of penalties.

It was made all the harder too as for the first time this season the Canaries had no substitutes available thanks to injuries and holidays. However, the eleven who played did so with grit and determination, fighting back from two goals down while playing the better football for the most part, and creating most of the chances to almost nick it in the dying seconds.
 
Unfortunately, the lads got off to a poor start after an early free kick, taken by Chris Smith, was cleared back out to the right wing and a good cross into the area resulted in an untidy goal mouth scramble and a very quickly conceded goal.  COVE kept their composure and began the fight back instantly. After some great movement on the right, Adam Ward surged forward, firstly beating two defenders and then, showing his great sporting nature by staying on his feet after the sliding keeper took his ankles rather than the ball, regained control and slammed the ball at target from an acute angle but it powered back into safety off of the "out dated" square far post. Had the upright been round, the deflection would have provided the equaliser, but it didn't which proved unbelievable bad luck, and after the keepers clumsy contact we would have had a penalty had Ward gone down, but he didn't which proved this boy's unbelievably good character.
 
Keeping up the pressure, Hitchin forced a corner, that fell for Jack Kitchiner-Day but his shot was blocked. A free kick from 20 yards out to the left, well-taken by Cameron Swinburn, saw a Josh Howard header parried only for Dean Morrell to miss a golden chance from point blank range as he hit wide!

Biggleswade responded strongly to these threats, and also missed a clear chance after their forwards failed to make contact with a cross ball as it sailed past the goal mouth and out for a throw after glancing off a Hitchin defender. However, United then extended their lead after the long throw in reached the box and a second goalmouth scramble went their way.
 
Hitchin still continued in the same way as before, having most of the possession and knowingly playing the better football, they were not going to surrender to a couple of unlucky scruffy goals. Then at last it came good as Kitchiner-Day and Swinburn linked up well to gain a corner. Ward took it brilliantly and Swinburn blasted home first time. In the few minutes remaining of the first half COVE kept the ball away from danger and went into the break looking the stronger side despite no fresh legs to start the second period with.
 
With the restart, came a change in tactics by the hosts, emulating Stoke City as they used their "Rory Delap" long throw specialist to create their chances. Throw-ins deep inside our half were as good as corners and had to be defended as such. It was a good tactical change, too, as including the actual corner balls in, COVE suddenly found themselves on the defensive for a full fifteen minutes. But our defence was on fine form with man of the match Harry Day, Michael Trever, Smith and Luke Turner repelling everything that Biggleswade could manage, and Town keeper Scott Mardell produced a brace of excellent saves when the shots did get through. Hitchin only had a couple of chances though during this time, both from free kicks but Swinburn and Danny Burton saw their attempts saved.
 
Suddenly, just as anyone could have been forgiven for assuming that the Canaries lack of subs had finally brought the hammer down on their chances, as more than a few of the lads looked to be desperate for the unavailable reinforcements, the team showed everybody their superb team spirit and pooled all their remaining strength, not just turn the tide, but dominate, equalise and then very nearly win the game as well. Indeed, for the last quarter of an hour it was all Hitchin Town.
 
All eleven players played their part in the great recovery, as firstly Smith forced the United keeper into a marvellous diving save from distance, before Swinburn was denied from closer in. Good control and pace by Kitchiner-Day saw him execute a lovely right cross in from the corner for Ward to fire narrowly wide, then Ward instigated another chance for Smith whose cheeky back heeled flick almost caught the keeper out. Ward then put a further chance behind from the edge of the six-yard box, and Swinburn was stopped by the keeper from the edge of the eighteen-yard box. COVE were unrelenting in their search for the elusive goal and finally their efforts were rewarded. With all the normal time on the clock used up, they got a free kick from just inside the opposition half which Burton took quickly and superbly and Smith rocketed in the equaliser, leading to massive celebrations all round. The point saved almost then turned into three in the dying seconds of injury time as Ward laid on Howard whose shot missed by a whisker.
 
The game was hard fought and as close as expected. The young Canaries had not allowed the lack of substitutes to diminish their performance, and had completed the Mother of all comebacks. A win would have been nice, but with the odds stacked against them today, the single point was a good fine result and the culmination of an equally good, fine team showing. With both Fairlands and Royston having their games called off it means that the lads are now second only by goal difference to the Stevenage based rivals and things are hopefully looking up again.
 
BIGGLESWADE UNITED (2) 2   HITCHIN TOWN (1) 2
02                                         Swinburn 32
30                                         Smith 70 + 2
 
Man of the Match   Harry Day (strong, hard work at right back)
 
Match report by Kevin Kitchiner-Day