Hitchin Town 4-0 St Ives

With a rampant second-half display, Hitchin secured their best home win of the season and gained revenge for the earlier, narrow defeat at Westwood Road in a game many considered they should not have lost.

The Saints, who for a time were in a relegation place, found some form and have climbed the table following some good results. They remain the only team to have inflicted a defeat on runaway league leaders Banbury United.

The hosts were without Stephen Gleeson, who completed his suspension, and were also missing Lewis Barker and Dan Webb owing to injury.

Saturday's victory means the Canaries have gone four games without defeat, winning three and have kept a clean sheet in three as well.

In those four games they have scored eleven goals and conceded two.

So, it can be argued that this revival continues apace.

This is all good news but it must be mentioned that owing to other results today the club still remain in the bottom three and although we know there is much work to be done it continued today with a thoroughly satisfying and convincing performance.

Uncharacteristically, Hitchin started at full pelt with an immediate chance, with Steve Cawley's deft flick being just too strong for a very willing Callum Stead.

Cawley's next bit of subtlety was to provide a chance for Jacob Hutchinson whose shot was easily saved by James Goff.

The Saints fashioned a shot from Tyrone Baker that was not a serious threat. Malaki Black's fanciful lob took a deflection for a corner that was defended, along with the next. Alex Brown shaped for a shot from distance and it cleared the crossbar by some distance as well. Stead's next chance was easy for Goff.

To be honest it was not riveting stuff at this stage. It was tight but lacking any real drama. Hitchin were marginally stronger and had shown the better creativity and were notably anxious to challenge each ball as if life depended on it.

It was a little like the first half at Royston, except St Ives were more fastidious about preparatory play. As at Royston we knew a goal would enliven the proceedings and it did, and, curiously the goal came at about the same time.

We never tire of telling one another just before half-time that now would be a good time to score and so we did, with a fine individual effort from Callum

Stead whose low shot evaded Goff and Hitchin were in the lead, which they seemed set to take to the interval.

The goal was timed at forty-three minutes. They very nearly did not go in a goal up and really, it was a bit of a let off.

Hitchin Town vs St Ives second half

From the restart the ball went into the hitchin half and a mistimed defensive header provided an opportunity for Michael Richens who is probably still wondering how he did not score.

He rounded Horlock and had merely to roll the ball into the net, but he chose to give it some welly and sent it wide. He had missed an open goal and I was not the only one to say that had he equalised we might well have seen a very different game in the second half.

A glance at the current league table showed that although eleventh, our visitors have actually conceded more goals than any other club in the division, which surprised me.

They were certainly looking for a goal at the start of the second period, playing some intricate stuff and enjoying more possession.

It was inconceivable that Hitchin would simply try and defend their lead, and after sustaining and surviving some early pressure, they exposed the Saints somewhat involuntary high line.

Cawley, who seems to improve at every outing had an inventive attempt on goal with a cunning hooked ball that goff had to stretch to tip it over the cross bar.

Then Ciaren Jones, who had been effective in defence had a headed effort saved. It was a mistimed tackle on Jones that caused a minor scuffle that soon dissipated. Hitchin began to look more threatening in a legitimate sense and the second goal came after sixty-six minutes.

There was a neat interchange of passes between Stead and Hutchinson that were largely unchallenged and it was Hutchinson who scored both neatly and emphatically.

This goal enabled Hitchin to enter the comfort zone and this was further east abolished some three minutes later when a smart pass from man of the match Josh Coldicott-Stevens was grist to the mill for Hutchinson who made it 3-0.

Hitchin continued to exploit space and an apparent shortage of Saints defenders.

The Huntingdonshire team did provide some chances for their strikers but it was clearly not their day. Substitute Dwumfuo seemed to have a good chance but his effort was blocked as was one from Richens.

The fourth and final goal had a slightly bizarre touch to it. St Ives were awarded a free-kick in their own half, out of which they made a bit of a pig's ear, and Stead the opportunist intervened and scored his second of the game on seventy-eight minutes.

A glorious afternoon

For home supporters this was glorious stuff and not since the defeats of Leiston had they seen their team so dominant at Top Field, and as such it was a fine advert for the best home attendance so far.

Both Stead and Hutchinson had a hat-trick in mind and both came quite close and we were ready to forgive their inaccuracies in finishing – but what is important is that the team was playing as if the win was not secure.

So, four goals, three invaluable points on the rocky road to survival.

I am sure Mark Burke will keep it all in perspective.

The next fixture is an away game at Needham Market and a look at Fishponder's statistics page on the website will reveal an underwhelming record against the Suffolk side.

After the game Lewis Barker told me 'We owe then one', and he is right, but the Marketmen covered themselves in glory today with an away win at Yeovil Town in the FA Trophy.

It will be a hard game, of course, and before then there is a domestic cup tie in the Hertfordshire Senior Cup away at St Albans on Tuesday evening – the last cup competition involving Hitchin Town.

To go four games without defeat is laudable but there will be no resting on laurels and the rejuvenated Hitchin team will want to secure more points both home and away – and if they play like they did today this will happen.

A word on referee Emily Heaslip

To close I wish to oblige three supporters who asked me after the game to mention the excellent refereeing of Ms Emily Heaslip, who was diminutive in size but big on authority.

I quote from one supporter who said she had an impeccable game and, at the risk of causing consternation I agreed that it was a pleasant change to have a female official in charge.

Referees always have the last word in a game and I further agree with Ms Heaslip who told me that after Richens unaccountable miss for the equaliser that it did not seem that it would be St Ives' day.

HITCHIN TOWN

Charlie Horlock, captain, Jack Green, (Delsin Akom), Alex Brown, (Kye Tearle), Josh Coldicott-Stevens, man of the match, Matthew Moloney, Ciaren Jones, Callum Stead, TWO GOALS, 43 and 78 minutes, Stanley Georgiou, Jacob Hutchinson, TWO GOALS,66 and 69 minutes. Stephen Cawley, (Rio Dasilva), Malaki Black. Unused substitute– Jordan Kinoshi.

ST IVES TOWN

James Goff, Callum Westwood, Joshua Flanagan, Michael Richens, cautioned, Kyle Davison-Gordon, (Jason Dwumfuo), Ben Toseland, Tyrone Baker, Edmund Hottor, cautioned, (Nathan Hicks), Nabil Shariff, (Victor Alyelabola), Ethan Johnston, Dylan Williams. Unused substitutes- Faris Rhaman, Christopher Managua.

Referee – Ms Emily Heaslip, assisted by Mr Samuel Laidler and Mr Philip Evans.

ATTENDENCE: 546

REPORT BY PIPEMAN