Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Local derbies for Canaries over Easter
Thursday, March 24 2005
Hitchin’s season is ebbing to a close but the Canaries still need more points to rubber-stamp their Premier Division place for next season.
Title chasing Bedford provide the opposition on Easter Saturday at the New Eyrie, kick off 1pm, and Darren Salton’s side will come up against some familiar faces.
Striker Chris Dillon has been in stunning form all season, and Hitchin know only too well about his capabilities. Craig Rydeheard, James Robinson and Dean McElroy are also former Hitchin players and this will add spice to the occasion.
Bedford’s championship hopes are fading fast, but the play-offs are a distinct possibility. They have failed to win any of their last five league games, drawing three and losing two. They reached the final of the Southern League Cup this week, beating Paulton Rovers 4-1 in the semi-final.
Hitchin fans will need to reminding that the Eagles won 4-1 at Top Field at Christmas.
On Monday, relegation threatened Hemel Hempstead visit Top Field (3pm) in desperate search of points. They are six points behind Banbury in 18th place but two games in hand.
Hemel have had a troubled campaign and are currently on their third manager. They’ve also had a revolving door on their dressing room and have recently signed a cluster of new players in a bid to beat the drop. They recently won their first game since early January, a 2-1 success against Stamford.
Hemel will include former Hitchin defender Tom Neill, who scored against the Canaries in Hemel’s 2-3 home defeat on New Year’s Day.
Hitchin will be without James Ayres and James Kidd for the Easter fixtures, but Chris McMenamin will return and Shane Hill has shrugged off an injury.
