Hitchin Town Football Club

Hitchin Town 0 Bishops Stortford 2

Monday, April 12 2004

An early goal and a late goal by the visitors consigned Hitchin to their seventh home defeat in nine games and seriously damaged any lingering hope the Canaries had of reaching the Conference South play-offs.

Furthermore, Hitchin received another injury to their growing list when Gavin Jaggard was stretchered off early in the second half.

Hitchin fell behind after just five minutes when Stortford player-manager Martin Hayes stabbed the ball home after Paul Kyriacou’s pass ran favourable for the former Arsenal player.

Anthony Allman and Dave Rainford both went close to adding to Stortford’s lead, with Richard Wilmot and Dean McElroy both stopping the ball from finding the back of the net.

McElroy had a half-chance at the other end, scooping the ball over the bar after good work by Jaggard and Stuart Lochhead saw a curling shot just clear the Stortford goal.

Stortford’s Alex Martin missed an open goal after being set up by Rainford who also tested Wilmot with a back header.

Hitchin came back well in the second half, although Rainford was denied by Wilmot in the opening stages. Good work by Mutsa Magadah and Darran Hay ended with Glen Lamacraft being stopped by a last gasp tackle from Grant Cooper and Lochhead slalomed his way past the Stortford defender before being blocked by Cooper.

Five minutes from time, however, Stortford clinched three points with a goal from Glen Southam. Martin’s free kick was met by Cooper who struck the upright and the rebound fell to Southam who finished from close range.

Hitchin: Wilmot, Neill, Childs, Burke, Lamacraft, McElroy, Nicholl (Magadah 70), Maynard, Hassan, Jaggard (Hay 53), Lochhead

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