Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Hitchin Town 2 Maidenhead United 0
Saturday, November 15 2003
Hitchin’s much needed victory against Maidenhead was overshadowed by the events that followed the final whistle at Top Field.
Within minutes of the Canaries 2-0 win, manager Robbie O’Keefe resigned after just under two years in the manager’s seat.
His team gave him the ideal send-off, however, winning for only the third time this season at Top Field. Goals from returning striker Carl Drew and one of Wayne Mills, one of O’Keefe’s portages, were enough to beat a team that doesn’t normally lose at Hitchin.
In the opening 45 minutes, though, Hitchin looked like a side low on confidence. Maidenhead had the better chances, with former Luton striker Phil Gray missing a diving header that should have given his team the lead.
Just before the break, Lawrence Yaku, who caused Hitchin countless problems last season, volleyed wide after beating James Ayres to the ball.
After the interval, Maidenhead almost took the lead when Andy Jennings’ header was cleared of the line by Kevin Evans.
But in the 64th minute, Hitchin went ahead through Carl Drew, a clean header after a cross from the right by Wayne Mills.
Maidenhead responded immediately and Yaku saw a close range shot blocked on the goalline by Ryan Frater. Hitchin could have made the game comfortable, however, with Adam Parker breaking clear only to thwarted by Maidenhead goalkeeper Nick Hart and Drew racing for goal and shooting wildly over.
In the 83rd minute, however, the O’Keefe era at Hitchin was ended with an excellent finish by Mills, who ran onto Chris Dillon’s pass and clipped the ball home in off the woodwork.
Richard Wilmot ensured that the Canaries kept a clean sheet when he pulled off a late point blank save from Mark Boyce.
Hitchin: Wilmot, Childs, Rydeheard, Frater, Ayres, Evans (Maynard 75), Mills (Bone 90), Abbott, Drew (Phelan 86), Parker, Dillon