Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Hitchin Town 4 Yate Town 3
Saturday, April 1 2006
Hitchin, who went into a four-goal first half lead, hung on to beat Yate Town by the odd goal in seven.
Hitchin took a seventh minute lead when Glen Lamacraft was pushed in the area and Josh Sozzo netted from the penalty spot. Two minutes later, the home side extended their lead when Liam Folds volleyed home from inside the penalty area.
In the 35th minute, Stuart Lochhead scored again for Hitchin, sending a free kick from just outside the penalty area into the top corner of the net.
Yate's response, a shot from Paul Metheringham, was tipped over the bar by Hitchin goalkeeper Richard Wilmot.
But Hitchin were not finished in the first half. In the 41st minute, a long clearance was met by Sozzo and he lobbed Yate goalkeeper Tony Court.
Before the interval, Wilmot pulled off another good save, this time from Jason Wood.
Just after the break, Thomas Hayes went close to adding a fifth for Hitchin, but Court saved his effort.
Yate brought themselves back into the game in the 60th minute, a cross by Dave Elsey being turned into the net by Wilmot.
Seven minutes later, Yate scored again, when another cross by Elsey was shot home by Jimmy Cox.
There was another blow for Hitchin in the 78th minute when Yate scored again, another good ball by Elsey was headed into the net from close range by Scott Brice.
In the final minute, Hitchin substitute James Ayres cleared off the line as Yate went in search of an equaliser.
Hitchin: Wilmot, Pugh, Ducket, Hammonds, Folds, Denney, Lamacraft, Lochhead, Hayes (Phelan 86), Sozzo, French (Ayres 87)