Hitchin Town Football Club

Hitchin Town 4 Rothwell Town 0

Wednesday, February 10 2010

Another four goals on the goal difference and a five point lead over second place - this was another good night for the Canaries as they comfortable shrugged aside the Rothwell Town.

The game kicked off an hour late, and the inactivity seemed to affect the players and the crowd at a strangely subdued Top Field, but once Hitchin got into gear – it took 45 minutes – there was no turning back. All four goals came in the second half, and Rothwell, one-time league leaders this season, had no answer.

Hitchin played some good football at times in the first half, but the end product wasn’t quite there. Jamie Arlick glanced a header wide in the early exchanges and then Hitchin’s leading scorer was denied by a goal-line clearance. A high header from Richard Howell landed on the crossbar and a Tom Pepper long range effort whistled past the post. At the other end, Martin Bennet’s feet came to the rescue twice, preventing Shaun Goodall and Jason Turner from scoring.

Howell almost broke the deadlock right after the restart, but after beating two men, his shot was cleared from danger. It was Howell that created the opening goal on 54 minutes, sending a free kick goalwards that was flicked home by Arlick.

Hitchin’s 20 year-old centre forward can’t stop scoring this season and in the 72nd minute, he killed off Rothwell with a close range effort that took three attempts before it found the net after some good work by Harry Hunt.
Hunt, whose workrate does him great credit, was unlucky not to score on a number of occasions, notably when he rounded goalkeeper Lee Crocket but saw his shot cleared off the line.

Hitchin added some more gloss to the scoreline in the 84th minute, Ieuan Lewis squeezing the ball into the net from six yards. And in added time, Louis Lee turned in the area, made some space and sent a well placed shot past Crockett.
Perhaps 4-0 was a little harsh on Rothwell, but Hitchin’s second half performance demonstrated why they have been front-runners all season.

Hitchin Town (0)4 Rothwell Town (0)0

1-0 Arlick 54 mins; 2-0 Arlick 72 mins; 3-0 Lewis 84 mins; 4-0 Lee 90 mins

Hitchin:  Bennett, Pepper, Fontenelle, Williams, Smith, Gilbert, Lewis, Lee, Arlick, Hunt, Howell
Rothwell: Crockett, Underwood, Bowles, Flannigan, Sturgess, White (Wright 69), Darby, Maddox, Turner (Retif 69), Locklin, Goodall

Attendance: 191

Referee: K.Kirkbride

Photo Gallery courtesy of Geoff Chapman - click link to view