Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Thurrock 2 Hitchin Town 0
Wednesday, March 31 2004
A better performance it may have been, certainly when compared to the Hayes debacle, but Hitchin were still beaten for the 10th time in 12 games on Tuesday night.
But this time, Hitchin can claim that they ran their opponents a close second. Before Thurrock took the lead in the 29th minute, the Canaries had struck the woodwork through young striker Bilal Hassan, who ran through and shot against the bar.
Hassan and Gavin Jaggard caused Thurrock some problems up front and Stuart Lochhead went close when he headed wide from a Stuart Maynard cross.
Just before the half-hour mark though, Hitchin fell behind. Ryan Frater was penalised for a foul on Simon Martin and Tresor Kandol netted from the penalty spot.
Thurrock hit the woodwork twice before the interval through Martin and Terry Bowes. After the break, Martin was denied by Hitchin goalkeeper Richard Wilmot.
Hitchin had their chances early on, however, with a Maynard cross being dropped by home keeper Paul Gothard only for the ball to be cleared off the line.
Ten minutes from time Thurrock scored their clinching second goal. Wilmot saved a header from a corner and Paul Linger shot home the rebound.
Hitchin: Wilmot, Neill, Duffy, Burke, Frater (Childs 84), Scott, Lochhead, Evans (McElroy 81), Jaggard, Maynard, Hassan
