Hitchin Town Football Club

Hitchin Town 2 Luton Town 4

Friday, July 15 2011

Despite taking a two goal lead in the first half, Hitchin lost their second pre-season game by 2-4 to Blue Square Premier favourites Luton Town in front of 835 people.

Highlights

8 -  Payne hits post and Frendo scores from the rebound 1-0
21 - Burke turns and shoots home 2-0

27 - Luton’s Amari Morgan-Smith scores from the penalty spot 2-1

70 - Broughton shoots home from just inside the area from Lacey’s cross 2-2
77 - Broughton half-volleys into the top corner of the net 2-3
89 - Barnes-Homer races through to score 2-4

Weather: Dry
Pitch: Firm


Attendance: 835



Two games into the their pre-season programme, Hitchin are shaping up nicely. For 45 minutes, Hitchin more than matched a Luton side that is a pale shadow of past Hatters’ teams.

Perhaps Luton are getting too used to being a non-league club, for on the evidence of this performance, there is precious little between a Hitchin side that has good positive momentum and Luton’s latest band of hopefuls. Greater fitness and the significant presence of Hitchin-born Drewe Broughton made all the difference for Luton in the latter stages of the game.

Following the impressive performance against Stevenage, the Canaries started well, scoring twice in the first 21 minutes. After eight minutes, John Frendo  netted after Danny Payne had struck the woodwork.

Hitchin exended their lead on 21 minutes when Zak Burke turned and shot home from close range.  Six minutes later, Luton pulled a goal back from the penalty spot, Amari Morgan-Smith scoring from the penalty spot after Josh Bickerstaff brought down Danny Crow in the area.

Multiple changes followed at half-time and Luton clearly had greater energy in the second period. With 20 minutes remaining, Broughton equalized for Luton, sliding the ball home  from good work by Alex Lacey.

Seven minutes later, Broughton scored an outstanding goal, shooting high into the net with a half-volley.

Luton’s scoring was completed in the 89th minute when a through ball found Matthew Barnes-Homer and he ran on and finished with composure.

The teams

Hitchin Town: Bennett (Pedryck h/t), Pepper (Fontenelle h/t), Bickerstaff, Stewart, Leach (Cook 83), Lee, E'Beyer (Holland h/t), Donnelly (Osbourne 65), Burke (Adam h/t), Frendo (Arlick h/t)
Luton Town: Tyler (Pilkington h/t), Asafu-Adjaye (Poku  h/t), Howells (O’Donnell h/t), Keane (Barnes-Homer), Beckwith (Lacey h/t), Antwi, O'Connor (Willmott h/t), Watkins (Lawless h/t, Barrett (Da Silva 65), Crow (Broughton h/t), Morgan-Smith (Taverner h/t)


Referee: R.Smith

Assistants: C.Scott and A.Waters

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