Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Rugby Town 0 Hitchin Town 0
Sunday, March 4 2007
After recent results, keeping a clean sheet and gaining a point away from home has to be seen as some sort of progress for Hitchin Town.
The Canaries gained their first ever point at Butlin Road, no mean feat given their recent run. It was not a game for spectators, however, with very little action to cheer the small crowd.
Manager Darren Salton made some radical changes to his line-up following the departure of Josh Sozzo and Rob Miller in midweek. Scott Orphanou started for the first time in a league game and recent acquisitions from Codicote, the Scanlon brothers, also featured.
The first half had few highlights, but in the 33rd minute, Orphanou went close to scoring when he volleyed just past the past following a long ball. Just before the interval, Rob Beckwith stopped Chris Tullin from scoring after a dangerous cross.
The tempo was raised in the second period, and Chris Dillon hit the side-netting with a header from a corner.
Rugby substitute David Kolodynski almost opened the scoring for Rugby when his tame shot was cleared off the line by Ryan Frater. But shortly afterwards, Dillon had the best chance of the game when he headed wide following a good cross by Paul Scanlon.
Daniel French then went on a run that ended with a shot that whistled past the post.
Although Hitchin had the upper hand in the closing stages, they had to rely on two fine saves from Beckwith, from Kolodynski and Aaron Stringfellow, to earn a point.
Rugby: Afandiyev, Harris, Tullin, Herbert, Gordon, Hall, Gearing, Francis, Taylor (Kolodynski h/t), Stone (Aladetoun 87), Sringfellow
Hitchin: Beckwith, Childs, A.Scanlon (Gentle-King 79), Cretton, Frater, Deeney, Williams, Jaggard, Dillon, Orphanou (P.Scanlon 61), French
Referee: M.Dexter
Attendance: 231