Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Harrow Borough 0 Hitchin Town 2
Sunday, December 14 2003
Hitchin picked up their first league win away from home since mid-October with a thoroughly industrious performance at Harrow Borough.
Hitchin made a good start, and a fifth minute free kick by Carl Drew was promising. But Harrow had the best chance of the opening stages, a header from Weale that struck a post and rolled along the Hitchin goalline, only to be cleared after a scramble.
Harrow suffered a blow when Steve Dogbe was carried off after a challenge by Carl Williams. The game was held up for four minutes while the former Luton striker was stretchered off.
In the 37th minute, a corner from Stuart Maynard found Craig Rydeheard at the far post and his overhead kick shot into the side-netting.
For all Hitchin’s enthusiasm, their passing, particularly in the final third of the pitch, often let them down. After the break, though, Hitchin looked the better side and soon took control.
Rydeheard had another good opportunity in the 57th minute, but his shot, which took a deflection was well saved by Harrow goalkeeper Keita Karamoko.
Ten minutes later, the Canaries took the lead when Leeyon Phelan sent a powerful header past Karamoko after the Harrow defence failed to clear a Maynard corner.
In the 80th minute, Hitchin made it 2-0, Maynard’s free kick from 25 yards going straight in, but helped in no small way by Carl Drew’s presence in the penalty area.
It could have been even better for Hitchin, but Mark Bridge missed an open goal in the dying seconds of the game.
Hitchin: Wilmot, Childs, Rydeheard, Frater, Ayres, Evans, Williams, Phelan (Bridge 87), Drew, Osborn, Maynard
