Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Canaries have to fear Tigers in fighting mood
Friday, February 24 2006
Relegation threatened Gloucester City will provide a stiff test for in-form Hitchin, despite recent results.
The Tigers won for the first time under new manager Tim Harris last weekend, but are one point above the bottom four. Hitchin, by contrast, are full of confidence after two away wins in a week – 2-1 at Merthyr and 7-0 at Cirencester.
The Canaries still harbour hopes of a play-off place, although manager Darren Salton is aware of the size of the task. “It is difficult to see Chippenham, Kings Lynn, Bath and Bedford slipping up, so it may be that a play-off place is asking a lot,” he says. “But if we continue playing the way we have since the turn of the year, who knows?”.
But Salton is far from complacent about the game with Gloucester. “We will be up against a team that is battling for points and they will have no greater motivation to win. We will have to be at our best.”
Gloucester have struggled all season, and their 4-1 victory against Grantham last week was their first in the league since mid-December.
Hitchin will be without Gavin Jaggard, who begins a four-match suspension. Otherwise, Salton expects to have his squad intact.