Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Northwood 0 Hitchin Town 0
Tuesday, October 11 2005
Hitchin kept their first clean sheet of the season and ended a four-match losing streak in the league, but this goalless draw against bottom-of-the-table Northwood was far from satisfying for the tiny crowd at Chestnut Avenue.
Canaries manager Darren Salton introduced a new central defensive partnership in recent signings Stuart Hammonds and Leon Townley. Both players had good games, with Townley making a solid debut.
Hitchin had the upper hand in the early stages with Josh Sozzo seeing his shot on the turn saved by goalkeeper Dean Lindsay. But Northwood ended the half on top with Peter Dean lobbing over the bar and Harry Howell shooting wide. Northwood’s superiority continued after the interval and Richard Wilmot did well to stop a long range effort from Gavin Hart. Further Northwood chances fell to Ryan Kirkland and Luke Evans.
Sozzo almost squeezed past Lindsay in a mix-up in defence and a Hammonds header was cleared off the line by Lee Harrington. At the other end, Dean went close again for the home side.
In the dying seconds of an undistinguished match, Sozzo was about to shoot home from six yards when the towering Evans intercepted with a well-timed tackle.
Hitchin: Wilmot, Lamacraft, Duffy, Hammonds, Townley, Baldry (Pugh 58), Cavill, Jenner, Phelan (Hayes 78), Sozzo, French