Thursday 5 November 2015

THE CANARIES BEAT THE MAGPIES IN THE HERTS SENIOR CUP

SOME LOYAL HITCHIN FANS MADE THE JOURNEY DOWN THE A1(M) ON TUESDAY EVENING
 Colney Heath, who have been struggling towards the bottom of the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division this season, welcomed Evo Stik Southern League Premier Division Hitchin Town on Tuesday evening for a Hertfordshire Senior Cup First Round tie.

The visitors played a very strong side in this game with five players remaining in the starting XI from their FA Trophy victory over Burgess Hill Town on Saturday alongside club captain Alasan Ann who returned to the side (playing in a midfield position) and had impressed in central defence in the two FA Cup games versus Enfield Town earlier in the season. There were also some family connections between both teams with Heath manager Steve Rolfe being the Uncle of Hitchin player Lewis Rolfe who started on the bench. Jay Rolfe, in the starting XI for the home side, is Lewis's cousin. 

Hitchin had the majority of possession during the first half with Colney struggling to keep hold of the ball but they more than made up for this in their work-rate and commitment off the ball and strong desire to put in a good performance. It the home side who had the best chance of the half when Steve Burford's excellent shot was brilliantly saved by Michael Johnson in the Hitchin goal - his hand deflected the ball onto the post - Burford was very unlucky not to score!

Less than a minute later The Canaries took the lead when Dan Webb got his foot to the ball after the home side failed to clear the ball following a corner and made it 0-1. Just after half time the pacey and athletic Colney forward Tobi Omotosho ran onto a through ball rounded the keeper and passed the ball calmly into the net to make it 1-1. The second half was much like the first period with Hitchin having lots of possession but never really creating many chances with the home side putting in some hard graft to defend and get men behind the ball. With the game looking like going to extra time it was Robbie Burns who made it 1-2 with a finish from close range after the home keeper had saved from a shot from the edge of the box.

So in the end in this Hertfordshire 'Battle of the Birds' in was The Canaries who came out on top but The Magpies can take lots of positives from the game and definitely showed they have a good team spirit going which manager Steve Rolfe will hope they can take into their forthcoming league games and start to put some more points on the board. This weekend they Sun Sports at home who are currently in twelfth position in the league.

Could this be Hitchin's year in the Hertfordshire Senior Cup which they last won in 1996/97 when they defeated Boreham Wood 4-1? They travel to the winners of the Hertford Town v Sun Sports round one game which was called off due to fog on Tuesday - Sun Sports were 3-1 up at the time.

Hitchin Town are back in Evo-Stik Southern League Premier Division action on Saturday with a local derby at home to Biggleswade Town at Top Field.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS


HERTFORDSHIRE FA SENIOR CHALLENGE CUP 2015/16
ROUND ONE
Berkhamsted 4-1 Kings Langley
Potters Bar Town 4-3 F.C. Broxbourne Borough AET (FT 3-3)
Tring Athletic 1-3 Ware
St Margaretsbury 1-4 Oxhey Jets
Colney Heath 1-2 Hitchin Town
Cheshunt 3-1 Royston TowN
London Colney 0-1 Sawbridgeworth Town
Hoddesdon Town 1-0 Eton Manor
Leverstock Green 0-4 Bishop's Stortford
Welwyn Garden City 0-3 Stevenage
Sun Sports v Hertford Town - to be played

ROUND TWO
to be played on the week begining Monday 30th November 
Oxhey Jets v St Albans City
Sawbridgeworth Town v Boreham Wood
Sun Sports or Hertford Town v Hitchin Town
Potters Bar Town v Hadley
Berkhamsted v Watford
Hemel Hempstead Town v Bishop's Stortford
Cheshunt v Stevenage
Hoddesdon Town v Ware

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