Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Gloucester City 2 Hitchin Town 0
Saturday, February 2 2008
Such was the lack of excitement at the New Lawn, rented home of Gloucester City, that even the sheep munching away on Cotswold grass turned their back on the game.
It wasn't a happy afternoon for Hitchin either, who looked like lost sheep in the green and pleasant land that is the west country. Gloucester City were no big bad wolves, either, or should we say tigers. But they did enough to beat the Canaries with a degree of comfort.
It took just three minutes for Gloucester to open the scoring. Tom Webb played Jack Pitcher in and he had the simple task of stroking the ball into the net.
The `home` side had ample chances to build up a healthy lead, Will Morford being denied by Ricky Perks, Pitcher headed past the post and then the same player went close when he turned and shot wide.
It didn’t get any better for Hitchin, and in the 47th minute, Jamie Turley, recently acquired from Wycombe, cleared off the line with virtually his first kick after coming on as a half-time substitute.
In the 57th minute, Perks brought down Morford and a penalty was awarded. The kick was initially taken by Rob Mustoe, but Perks blocked his effort. The referee demanded the kick was retaken and this time, Lee Smith scored.
The veteran Adie Harris missed a golden chance to extend Gloucester's lead and generally, the ball was mostly in the Hitchin half.
Late on, a Dean Gilbert header went close to reducing the arrears, but it was another afternoon when Hitchin's lack of firepower was a major contribution to their downfall.
Gloucester: Sawyer, Reid (Harris 67), Allard, Mustoe, Thomas, Richards, Rose, Webb, Pitcher, Morford (Bevan 75), Smith(Taylor 85)
Hitchin: Perks, Pepper (Turley h/t), Ducket, Williams, Gilbert, Stevenson, Beale, Deeney, Donnelly (Mountford h/t), Lewis, Mills (Miller 67)
Attendance: 301
Referee: J.Law