Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Hitchin Town 0 Bath City 4
Sunday, February 25 2007
Bath City recorded their 10th win in 11 games thanks to a stunning first half display against an overawed Hitchin side.
So one-sided was the game that Hitchin had just one chance in the entire 90 minutes, and that was comfortably dealt with by the Bath defence.
The opening half was a catalogue of goalscoring opportunities by the visitors. Hitchin fans perched at the opposite end would have seen very little of the action. As early as the fifth minute, Canaries goalkeeper Rob Beckwith had to pull off a fine save from Bath leading scorer Scott Partridge.
Gethin Jones then missed an open goal and Beckwith was called into action when Mark McKeever was set up by Scott Rogers.
Partridge had another chance as Hitchin continued to live dangerously. But for the efforts of Ryan Frater and Beckwith, Bath might have built up a commanding lead before the half hour mark.
As it happened, Bath went ahead after 33 minutes when Darren Edwards headed home at the far post from a cross by Partridge.
The muscular Edwards set up his striking partner Partidge after 38 minutes. The former Yate man raced clear of the Hitchin defence, saw his shot saved by Beckwith’s foot but the ball rebounded at the far side to the conveniently placed Partridge who chested it into the net.
Bath’s first half goal burst continued in the 41st minute when Edwards headed into the roof of the net from McKeever’s corner.
There was still time for more Bath chances before the break but Rogers wasted two chances to increase his side’s lead.
The pace slowed at the start of the second half, but Hitchin showed plenty of spirit. Lewis Hogg went close for Bath but then cleared off his own line from a tame Gavin Jaggard shot from close range - Hitchin’s only chance of note.
But in the 73rd minute, Bath were presented with their fourh goal, Beckwith slicing his clearance and Edwards snapping up the chance to secure his hat-trick.
It could have been worse for Hitchin in added time when a long-range effort from Bath skipper Jim Rollo was saved by Beckwith.
Hitchin: Beckwith, Childs, Ducket (Lamacraft h/t), Frater, Folds, Miller, Williams, Deeney, Dillon, Sozzo (Jaggard h/t), French (Orphanou 66)
Bath City: Evans, Simpson, Rollo, G.Jones, Holland (Coupe h/t), S.Jones (Harris 74), Hogg, Rogers, Edwards, Partridge (Walsh 55), McKeever
Attendance: 431
Referee: G.Muge