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Maldon Town U15 v Hitchin Town U15

Saturday, April 18 2009

After their previous match, a disappointing performance, Hitchin needed to bounce back in their last away match of the season to maintain their challenge for a high EJA League placing.

They did this well eventually running out emphatic winners under difficult windy conditions on a sloping pitch. Hitchin kicked downhill with the wind advantage in the first half but they couldn’t take advantage of this in the first fifteen minutes which were fairly even and scrappy. Hitchin had a couple of chances from free kicks, one from Billy Baird and one from Scott Berry , but they didn’t trouble the keeper.

At the other end Maldon went close from a dangerous corner and a dipping free kick hit the bar with Adam Harpur beaten, and Joe Webb had to make a last-ditch challenge as the Maldon striker went through on goal. As the half wore on Hitchin gained more and more control without ever managing any real cohesive football, and Maldon got more and more pinned back. At the back Ryan Finan, Dan Breed and Matt White  and Webb started to dominate their opponents with Berry and Baird keeping the ball going forward in midfield.

Hitchin nearly scored when Hunter Diack beat his man and sent in a good right wing cross which just eluded George Duffin and Jay Brooke in the centre but Shane Carthy gathered on the left and sent another dangerous cross in from the left which Diack got a head on as the keeper came out and blocked. Carthy and Baird the both had shots on target but comfortably saved, then on twenty five minutes Brooke beat the keeper with a great lob which just carried over the bar. A couple of minutes later Webb sent forward a nicely weighted free kick to set Brooke in on the keeper and this time he made no mistake. Matt Hodgson almost added to the score with a close-in effort from a corner on the left, Diack fired a shot across goal and just past the post from the right and Ryan Finan sent in a right wing cross which was just cleared. Diack had another shot but straight at the keeper, so for all their possession half-time was reached with Hitchin just one up and it didn’t look likely to be enough with Maldon having the slope and wind advantage in the second half.

Hitchin however quickly adapted to the conditions and started getting the ball down and passing with much greater fluency such that they gained control of the game and Maldon’s only threat became long balls forward which ran through too quickly allowing Sam Swanton to deal with these confidently and get Hitchin going forward again. An adjusted formation saw Hitchin start to play good fluid football with Baird and recent signing Fraser Harper winning good possession just in front of the back four of Harry Rose, Breed, White and Tom Cartwright who pushed forward to good effect. Berry, Carthy and Diack being well fed by Baird and Harper started to play like they can and Maldon were continually pushed back with Hodgson’s running causing their defence problems.

Within ten minutes of the restart Harper’s long throw-in caused confusion in the Maldon box and as they failed to clear Carthy controlled the ball and scored with a good left-foot shot from an acute angle. This settled Hitchin and although Maldon were occasionally dangerous on the break, Hitchin continued to win good possession and play some good football in difficult conditions time and again exposing Maldon’s defensive weaknesses. On twenty minutes Hodgson went close almost beating the keeper at the near post as a left wing corner was swung in.

On twenty five Cartwright released Diack in left midfield and he finished off a good diagonal run with a low right footer which was just narrowly wide, immediately followed by a Hodgson run on the right ending with another shot wide. As full time approached Cartwright sent Duffin through to win a corner and good work by Harper and Baird in midfield again got Duffin in but the keeper blocked his effort well. Hitchin’s pressure eventually paid off when Duffin won a ball on the right and crossed beyond the keeper for Diack to collect at the far post, cut in past the keeper and fire in a third which was no more than Hitchin deserved.

Hopefully Hitchin can keep up the momentum on Sunday when they play their last league match against Stevenage.

Result: Maldon Town  0    Hitchin Town  3

Hitchin: Harpur, Finan, Breed, White, Webb, Carthy, Diack, Brooke, Duffin, Baird, Berry: Subs (all used) Swanton, Hodgson, Harper, Rose, Cartwright