Hitchin Town Football Club
"Football for the Future"
Stevenage Borough U16 v Hitchin Town U16
Sunday, March 21 2010
This could not have been set up any better, two strong and competitive teams, both vying for the EJA Bedford title, a closely fought (and somewhat bad tempered) league cup tie played only two weeks ago (which Hitchin Narrowly won 0 – 1). And now a place in the county cup final at stake, flip your coin!
The game started at quiet a pace, with Hitchin starting quickly (which hasn’t happened of late), there were a couple of early half chances, but the Stevenage keeper Knight wasn’t really pushed. With 15 mins gone and after some good play by Joe Webb and Jonny McNamara down the right, Stevenage conceded free Kick just outside the penalty box, Billy Baird Delivered the perfect ball for Jonny McNamara to head back across goal, where Macauley Mitchell was on hand to push the ball over the line at the far post, 0-1 Hitchin.
The goal seemed to really motivate Hitchin and several more chances where created, with Pierce, Mitchell and Harper all spurning opportunity. The game developed into a fairly even encounter, both having short periods of domination, then with three minute to go before half time, a lapse in concentration at a throw-in allowed Stevenage to play a ball in behind the right of the Hitchin Defence and Hodges coolly slotted away the chance , 1-1. With the scores now level the whistle went for half time.
With the second half barely started Stevenage created some space and put Edwards in behind the Hitchin defence, he got to the bye line and pulled back a cross to the on rushing forward, who scrambled the ball over the line, 2- 1 Stevenage. Over the next ten minutes, Stevenage tried to push home their advantage and had some of their best spells of possession, but in truth never really troubling Johnson in the Hitchin goal.
Slowly as the half went on Hitchin, like a fighter coming of the ropes, began to get a foothold back in the game, and with the introduction of Eze and Charles stretched the game into the wide areas of the pitch. During this period Harper and McNamara had efforts scrabbled off the Line. The game was slowly moving to its conclusion when a long clearance from Johnson eluded the Boro Defence and left a ball bouncing between Pierce and the on rushing keeper, (the clock was showing 2 minutes left in the game) Pierce bravely just getting there before the keeper and headed in to the open goal 2- 2.
This proved to be the decisive moment in this thrilling encounter, Pierce needing hospital treatment for facial injuries and Knight in the Stevenage goal needing treatment for a shoulder injury. Both boys’ need commending on their bravery, no malice just good old fashion 50/50 challenge, neither took any further part in the game, the stoppage held the game up for 10 minutes whilst the pair were treated, and when the game restarted the whistle was blown, sending us in to extra time.
The injury and the late goal, took its toll on with Boro, they had to find a replacement keeper, and then defending their way through two, ten minute periods of extra time… the dreaded penalty shoot out was upon us.
First up was Mitchell calmly sending the keeper the wrong way 1- 0 Hitchin;
Great save by Johnson, still 1-0 Hitchin;
O’Brien confidently sending the keeper the wrong way 2-0 Hitchin;
Another fine save by Johnson still 2-0 Hitchin;
McNamara powers in to the top corner 3-0 Hitchin;
Kelly for Boro finds the same corner 3-1 Hitchin;
Webb emphatically sending the keeper the wrong way and slots away the decisive pen 4-1 and Hitchin through to the final..
What a great afternoon entertainment, two evenly matched teams, a game played in the right spirit, and from our point of view a great result. Hitchin will now face Welwyn Pegasus on April 18th 14:30 at the county ground in Letchworth.
Result: Stevenage Borough U16 2 Hitchin Town U16 2 (Hitchin win 1-4 after extra time and Penalties)
Hitchin: - Johnson, Berry, Breed, White, Webb, Baird, O’Brien, Harper, McNamara, Pierce, Mitchell: Subs (all used) Brooke, Charles, Todd, Luca, Eze.