Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Hitchin Town 3 Aylesbury United 2
Saturday, October 29 2005
Hitchin made it four wins on the bounce and extended their unbeaten run in league to four games in a lively encounter with Aylesbury United.
Hitchin got off to the perfect start and scored after one minute and five seconds. Josh Sozzo turned the ball back from the byline and Leeyon Phelan netted from close range.
The home side went two ahead after 15 minutes. This time Pheland was cast in the role of provider as he passed to Sozzo who fought off the challenge of two defenders before prodding the ball into the net.
Aylesbury enjoyed a considerable amount of pressure for the remainder of the half, but failed to seriously test the Hitchin defence. Just before the interval, Phelan almost added another for Hitchin, but sent a header from Ryan Jenner's corner over the bar.
Aylesbury had the upper hand in the first 15 minutes of the second half with Richard Wilmot pushing a long range shot by Paul Edgeworth round the post.
The visitors' pressure paid off when they scored after 62 minutes when former Hitchin striker Gavin Jaggard sent a glancing header from Matt Hayward's knock-on.
But two minutes later, Hitchin restored their two goal advantage when Phelan send a deftly-struck free kick past Jack Rashid from the edge of the area.
Rashid pulled off a flying save from another free kick, this time by Stuart Lochhead, and from the rebound, Glen Lamacraft headed over the bar.
Aylesbury pressed late in the game and in the 89th minute, another Hayward header created a chance for Rob Gould who headed home from under the crossbar.
Hitchin: Wilmot, Townley, Ayres, Hammonds, Jenner (Lamacraft 51), Cavill, Lochhead, French, Phelan (Hassan 81), Sozzo (Hayes 51), Pugh