Canaries fly high in the wind as City flop again

Aside from a couple of spells in either half, this, surely, was as poor as things can get for the fast sinking Saints.

Hitchin, of the Southern League, may be a league below that of the Saints, but there can be no disputing that the Canaries, making light of blustery conditions that blew straight across the pitch, were worthy winners.

And it is not difficult to toast Hitchin’s side as it was achieved by a youthful group that has grown together over the past three years under Mark Burke’s astute leadership.

The building and continuity of Hitchin is something that is in stark contrast to the revolving door that is the City side this season.

Coming through that revolving door for the first time in this game were no less than four new faces.

City manager Harry Wheeler felt unable to state that any of that quartet had shown enough to suggest that they could aid City’s dire National League South cause.

Of the two debutants who started the match midfielder Shane Hill has previous experience of pulling on a City shirt having played in a pre-season match against Leyton Orient in July 2010.

Striker Jevani Brown, 21, lists Kettering Town, Barton Rovers, Arlesey Town and Wingate & Finchley amongst his former clubs.

Substitute Liam MacDevitt has previously been on the books of Yeovil Town and Gosport Borough, and joins the Saints after playing just one game for the Hampshire club.

Fellow substitute Nathan McGreevy was a member of the City Reserve side that was recently withdrawn from the Spartan South Midlands League and disbanded by the club in mid-season.

Hitchin, attacking the Bedford Road goal, made a promising start with Jonny McNamara sending Kane Smith down the right flank and from his fine cross Brett Donnelly just failed to apply the telling touch.

Canaries ‘keeper Charlie Horlock had precious few moments of serious concern but had to dive full stretch to his left to palm away a bouncing effort from Louie Theophanous.

Once again Theophanous, City’s leading scorer this season, was placed out on the left and, also once again, looked about as happy out there as a six-year-old facing a trip to the dentist.

The opening 25 minutes had been fairly even but it was the home side that bossed the play from then on until the interval.

Callum Donnelly, the Town captain and younger of the two brothers in the Hitchin team, went close with a shot from 20 yards that landed on the roof of the net after City had struggled to clear a Lucas Kirkpatrick corner.

Excellent work down the middle of the pitch by McNamara and Brett Donnelly ended with the latter passing to his brother whose angled drive was superbly pushed wide by the diving Joe Welch, although a goal-kick was awarded.

City were hanging on but there was more than an element of misfortune about the incident that began their downfall on 33 minutes.

McNamara, Callum and Smith opened City up once again down the Town right with the latter’s cross deflecting to McNamara whose shot was blocked, inadvertently, by Eddie Oshodi’s left arm as the City defender dived in to block the ball.

Referee Mark Mellor, who was barely 12 yards away, pointed to the spot and Lewis Rolfe sent Welch in the wrong direction to open the scoring.

As Hitchin continued to press forward Michael Thalassitis collected the first of three City bookings when bringing down Rolfe.

St Albans, with former joint-manager Graham Golds looking on, rested Oshodi for the second half and gave Ben Martin a 45 minute run out.

Horlock pulled off a tremendous tip-over from MacDevitt following a long throw by Lee Chappell just before the hour to see off a promising start to the half by St Albans.

The Canaries hit back with Fitzpatrick going close while City’s last real hope of staving off defeat faltered when MacDevitt, sent through the middle by Billy Gibson, made too a firm a contact when racing clear and allowed Horlock to rush out to smother the ball.

Hitchin’s second goal, on 71 minutes, was an excellent effort.

Racing back towards his own corner-flag, Rolfe did well to beat MacDevitt to the ball and exchange passes before lifting a long ball over the City defence.

Callum Donnelly seized possession and darted inside but over-hit his pass out to the right to McNamara.

The 21-year-old outfoxed Lee Chappell and after taking a return pass from 20-year-old Kirkpatrick rolled a delightful pass into the path of Burns, who calmly stroked his 15th goal of the season into the middle of the net.

Hitchin saw out the remaining time in some comfort to set up a final showdown with either Bishop’s Stortford or Boreham Wood.

The attitude of the two clubs regarding the game was poles apart.

Town manager Mark Burke placed a lot of emphasises on success in the county cup while Harry Wheeler, his opposite number at Clarence Park, was most dismissive of the competition in his post-match interview.

Wheeler placed more significance on City picking up three points next Saturday than reaching the final of the county cup, and while he has a point the manner of City’s defeat cannot be overlooked.

Even allowing for this City side containing two trialists from the start and introducing two more later on, it was a display that bordered on pathetic, especially given the lower standing and youthfulness of the opposition.

It is now up to the Saints to support the words of their manager and end an eight-match winless league run with the visit of Concord Rangers to Clarence Park on Saturday (13 February). Kick-off is at 3pm.

Hitchin Town: C.Horlock, K.Smith, B.Walster, A.Ann, D.Webb, L.Rolfe, J.McNamara, C.Donnelly (K.Barnes 90), B.Donnelly, R.Burns, L.Kirkpatrick, unused subs: S.Martin, D.Palmeiro, W.Wright, M.Johnson.

St Albans City: J.Welch, J.Kyriacou, T.Bender (L.MacDevitt 52), S.Hill (N.McGreevy 63), D.Locke, E.Oshodi (B.Martin 46), L.Chappell, B.Gibson, L.Theophanous, J.Brown, M.Thalassitis, unused subs: Sc.Thomas, S.Corcoran.

Booked: Thalassitis, Brown, Gibson.

Goals: 33 1-0 Rolfe (p), 71 2-0 Burns.

Referee: Mark Mellor (Hemel Hempstead).

Att: 136.