Clevedon Town 1 Hitchin Town 1
Clevedon welcomed Hitchin Town to the Hand Stadium and an entertaining game saw both sides share the points. Clevedon Town manager Phil Bater made one change to the side which convincingly beat Wimborne 4-0 in last weekend's FA Cup first qualifying round tie by bringing Mike Green back to the starting line-up.
A one sided first half saw the Seasiders dominate for long periods with the Canaries rarely leaving their own half as the home side put them under constant pressure. Clevedon could have taken the lead as early as the 3rd minute when Tyron Toppar’s shot was blocked only for Mike Green to shoot over, further attempts fell to Kris Leek and Mike Symons. On the half hour a desperate looking Hitchin defence managed to scramble away a Steve Cook shot. Clevedon continued to look sharper and more determined than their visitors, with both Leek and Toppar having shots saved by Hitchin custodian Ricky Perks.
The deadlock was finally broken 3 minutes before half-time, when a comfortable looking back pass was intercepted by Steve Cook the ball rebounded off and behind the keeper allowing Cook to run onto the ball and tap into an empty net to make it 1-0. There was still time for Scott Hendy to increase the advantage at the far post with a close range shot, however, Perks made a good save to keep the score at 1-0 as the whistle blew for half time.
It was Hitchin who looked the better side in the second half, as they matched Clevedon in midfield and their confidence grew as they continued to smother the Seasiders forward play. On the hour Hitchin had their first attempt on goal when skipper Ryan Frater saw his effort go narrowly wide. The turning point in the game came for Hitchin when manager Darren Salton introduced substitute Leon Simpson, the 6ft-10 inches striker quite literary added another dimension to the visitors play as he provided the touch for Tyron Sealey to equalise in the 75th minute. Phil Bater introduced recent Bath City loan signing Craig Davidge who impressed with a lightning run on the right wing and a flash across goal, however, Hitchin’s defence continued to frustrate Clevedon’s forward line.
Both goal scorers had opportunities to score in the last five minutes... Hitchin’s Tyron Sealey rounded Danny Greaves only to see his goal-bound shot cleared off the line by defender Scott Hendy, at the other end Steve Cook made a great run on the left wing beating two defenders, but as he lined up to score the winner his scuffed shot ballooned harmlessly over the bar. The final whistle blew with both sides sharing the points and both sets of fans contemplating what could have been!
Gallery
Team Sheet
| No: | Name: | Sub: | Goal: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Greaves | ||
| 2 | Brigham | ||
| 3 | Haines | ||
| 4 | Leek | ||
| 5 | Hendy | ||
| 6 | Scott (Capt) | ||
| 7 | Bassett | ||
| 8 | Green | ||
| 9 | Symons | ||
| 10 | Cook | 1 | |
| 11 | Toppar | ||
| 12 | Davidge | 11 | |
| 14 | Graffagnino | 4 | |
| 15 | O'Connor | ||
| 16 | Page | 9 | |
| 17 | Sylvester | ||
| Own Goal | - |
Match Details
| Date: | 22/09/07 |
|---|---|
| Competition: | British Gas Business Premier League |
| Opponents: | Hitchin Town |
| Venue: | The Hand Stadium Davis Lane Clevedon North Somerset BS21 6TG |
| Half Time: | 1 - 0 |
| Full Time: | 1 - 1 |
| Attendance: | 159 |
| Match Report: | Steve Webb |
| Photographs: | Tony Merrett |
| Notes: |
|
Downloads
| Appearances & Goal Scorers | Word Document |
|---|---|
| Team Sheet Matrix | Excel Document |