Hitchin Town Football Club

Hitchin Town 4 Waltham Forest 1

Saturday, September 10 2005

Hitchin won their first FA Cup tie in four years with a comfortable victory against Waltham Forest. The Canaries go into the hat for the second qualifying round draw on Monday. The result was never in doubt from the moment that Hitchin took a ninth minute lead. 

The Canaries opener came from a Chris McMenamin corner when James Ayres, totally unmarked, glanced his header past goalkeeper Charlie Hasler.

Josh Sozzo had two chances to extend Hitchin’s lead and there was let-off for the visitors when Thomas Hayes struck the post with a header.

Hitchin scored again in the 37^th minute, when Sozzo stroked the ball home from Daniel French’s pass. The Canaries’ skipper almost scored again at the start of the second half with a spectacular overhead kick. 

It was 3-0 after 61 minutes when Cavill passed inside to substitute Mark Bridge and he shot low into the net.  Sozzo then shaved the outside of the post and Cavill saw a header saved by Hasler.

Waltham Forest pulled a goal back in the 68^th minute when Wesley Thomas bundled the ball into the net from a Darren Duporte cross. But this failed to deter Hitchin, who went in search of further goals. Bridge, looking menacing, tried a long range effort that Hasler did well to stop. 

Hitchin were not finished and in added time, Cavill robbed a defender and ran on to score their fourth goal. 

Hitchin: Wilmot, Lamacraft, Ducket, McCulloch, Ayres, McMenamin (Lochhead 79), Cavill, Mills, Sozzo, Hayes (Bridge h/t), French