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PIN GREEN YOUTH U14 v HITCHIN TOWN U14 COVE

Sunday, May 9 2010

Hitchin Town COVE's campaign ended with a VE Day win thanks to a brace of second half goals by Jordan Massey against Pin Green Youth in Stevenage. Although still second at the moment, they must endure an agonising three week wait to see if they can hold onto the runner-up spot while Bishops Stortford, just five points adrift in third, catch up with their three fixture backlog. Stortford face current leaders Royston, mid table Arlesey and drop zone Broadhall, so it doesn't take a mathematician to work out that for their results to go in COVE's favour, is a big ask and so promotion into the top flight is by no means guaranteed yet!
 
The final match of the season began with a determined looking Hitchin Town the first to put the pressure on, with some neat movement involving Adam Ward, Dean Morrell and Cameron Swinburn, who saw his close range opening shot stopped on the line by the home keeper. Swinburn then tried his luck again, after receiving a through ball from Massey but this time hit just wide of the right post. Shortly after, he turned provider, only for Ward’s first attempt to go the same way.
 
After Hitchin's third attack, Pin Green suddenly decided to make a game of it and hit back at COVE in convincing but thankfully unproductive style, proving that when they want to, they are capable of far better football that their imminent division drop suggests. Within a five minute spell they fired off two powerful shots from distance, which luckily were slightly off target, and forced keeper Scott Mardell to perform some fine saves to stop two more.
 
The game now began to ebb and flow like a fast moving tide, as both teams opted for the long ball and were obviously as eager to open the scoring as each other. After a great run with the ball down the left by Josh Howard, he passed right to Morrell who breezed past their right back, side stepped the keeper, and looked a dead cert to score but was thwarted at the last second by a magnificent piece of defending by the centre back who put the ball out for the first corner of the match. Swinburn struck it beautifully, but unfortunately Michael Trever headed over the crossbar.
 
The rest of the first period was exciting stuff but amazingly neither team could find the net despite all the shots at both ends. Pin Green had two more saved by Mardell, one cleared by Luke Turner and another sailed just wide. In reply, Swinburn was again denied by the keeper, as was Howard, and Jack Kitchiner-Day, set up by Swinburn, sent a fair effort scraping over the top. It was Morrell however, who had the best chance just before the break, as yet again, Swinburn put in a superb cross, but the striker inexplicably missed an open goal from little more than six yards out!

As the second half commenced, despite an early save from Mardell, it was Hitchin that took the initiative, and following strict management instructions to keep the passes on the ground, soon found themselves a goal to the good as Howard set up Massey out right for an incredible curler that rocketed straight into the top left corner.
 
The Canaries, now boosted by the opener, immediately seized control of the game and for almost the rest of the match, Pin Green were busy desperately defending the onslaught. Massey assisted Ward twice but on both occasions the shots were well saved, and Ward also hit two further attempts wide after assists by Chris Smith. Ward also played his part in setting up others for chances, namely Jakob Oconnor who ended up sending the ball off target, and Sam Chapman who should have scored but took too long to control, allowing a defender time to track back to block the shot.
 
Then came the first of two penalties, one for either side, and both resulting from handballs. First to concede a spot kick was Pin Green, and Massey slammed home the five yard dead ball into the bottom right with ease. Just nine minutes later, in only their second, and final attack of this period, it was the host turn to try their luck from the penalty spot as George Bellwood handled, but Mardell did enough to put off the taker and the freebie hit the bar, and was subsequently cleared to safely by the Town keeper. Hitchin then almost made it three just before the final, final whistle of their season, as Oconnor received a great ball from Massey, but hammered it into the side netting.
 
It was nice to the lads smiling after an enjoyable and deserved win to round of their part in the season, but of course it's not over yet, and as other teams play catch up, all eyes will be on a certain team from the Essex direction whom hopefully will...slip up, allowing COVE to lift the runners-up trophy, and play in the first division in 2010/11. Fingers crossed then!
 
PIN GREEN 0 (0)   HITCHIN TOWN 2 (0)
                          Massey 39, 50
 
Man of the Match   Scott Mardell (excellent keeping for a deserved clean sheet)