Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Robbie O'Keefe column
Saturday, August 30 2003
I returned from holiday to find that in my absence, the Hitchin Town management team had done its best to make my role superfluous! In the first three league games, we got the best possible results and I have to give credit to Ian Donnelly and Kerry Dixon for playing their part in our success. I could not have asked for anything better.
On Monday, I thought a draw was just about right and what a strike by Basingstoke's centre forward! A lot of people were complaining that they got out of jail, but I thought over the 90 minutes, the result was fair.
But the game also demonstrated that we have greater strength in depth, although we were very depleted on the day. With so many players out and Carl Williams playing an improvsed role up front, I thought we did very well.
After last season, the current run is all the more refreshing and I hope we continued our good start at Northwood yesterday.
We must not get carried away, though. We know it will be hard to win this league in a season which will see everyone scramble for the top 13, but we must enjoy the success while we can. We're good enough to improve on last season, we have a better side and the mood is very positive at the moment.
This week, however, we have two hard home games against local opposition. Bedford will come to Hitchin on Tuesday keen to make up for last season's last minute defeat, and Aylesbury are never easy for us- they won last season at Top Field.
Once again, our start is down to team work on and off the pitch- the players, management and the supporters, who have given our team total encouragement from the first game. I have a feeling we're in for an interesting campaign!
