Hitchin Town Football Club

Preview: Hitchin Town v Slough Town

Thursday, August 19 2010

League leaders Slough Town, who beat Hitchin in the Zamaretto League Play-offs in April, return to Top Field on Saturday. The game is sure to rouse the passions of both sets of fans.

Revenge on the mind of Canaries
Saturday August 21 2010, Hitchin Town  v Slough Town at Top Field, Kick Off 3pm

Slough again – don’t we have a score to settle?
We certainly do. Last season, after beating Slough home and away, we lost 1-2 at Top Field in the play-off semi-finals. Slough had finished 23 points behind Hitchin in the league table. Both teams are expected to be among the front-runners this season and as the two best supported clubs in the Central Division, a decent crowd is expected.

Recent history
Hitchin have had the upper hand in recent years. Last season, we won 3-2 at home in a rousing game, while the 1-0 win just a few days before the play-off, was a tepid affair. Prior to that, Hitchin won an Isthmian League Cup game 1-0 in 2001-02 and a year earlier, the Canaries won 3-0 home and away. Slough’s recent history is not good – they don’t have their own ground and the decline from their Conference days is probably even more depressing then our own fall from grace.

The best away support?
There’s been some good natured banter about “who’s got the best away support”, which only really gained any credibility in the play-off game. Certainly last season Slough brought only a handful of fans to Top Field for the league encounter – but it was midweek. Hitchin’s away crowds versus Slough’s were higher at 11 grounds last season (versus 9 for Slough). Given that Slough are riding high and it is a Saturday, we should see a big turnout from the visitors.

How are they shaping up?
Pretty good so far, underlining Slough’s credentials as title contenders – a tag they didn’t like much last season. On the opening day of the season, they edged past Barton Rovers by 2-1 and thanks to a last minute penalty, they beat Bedfont away by the same scoreline.

Who are the danger men?
Sean Sonner is a highly rated player and much is expected of him this season. Manager Steve Bateman has added some steel  to his squad in the form of Paul Coyne and Stuart Swift from Burnham and it was the latter who scored the winner at Bedfont.