Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Hitchin Town 1 Heybridge Swifts 2
Wednesday, February 11 2004
Hitchin lost this six-pointer against fellow strugglers Heybridge in a game of few chances for either side at sparsely attended Top Field.
But Kerry Dixon’s side had two late opportunities to come away from this game with a point, but new signing Darran Hay was off target on both occasions.
The early signs were not good for Hitchin as Heybridge went close through Simon Parker with a volley that was deflected wide by Paul Covington. Canaries goalkeeper Richard Wilmot also prevented Heybridge from going ahead when he saved point blank from Neil Cousins.
But in the 28th minute,Wilmot was beaten by Parker, who shot home after Chris Colby’s first attempt had been parried.
Four minutes into added time in the first half, Hitchin equalised, Darran Hay heading into the net at the far post from Rory Hutton’s cross.
Hutton had an excellent left-footed free kick turned over the bar by Heybridge goalkeeper Darren Smith in the early stages of the second half. But in the 58th minute, Parker scored his second goal, heading a cross by Cousins into the net from close range.
Hitchin could have saved the day in the last 10 minutes, Hay volleying over the bar and then heading past the post from Ryan Nicholl’s cross.
Hitchin: Wilmot, Childs, Hutton, Frater, Bone, Scott(Lamacraft 83), McElroy (Mills 67), Covington, Bridge, Hay, Nicholl
