MATCH REPORT MONDAY 20 JULY 2026
LETCHWORTH GC EAGLES 1 HITCHIN TOWN 6
Not surprisingly Hitchen, who play at 3 levels above the Eagles, dominated for most of the game, but Eagles held their own in the first half until conceding a flurry of late goals as defenders tired.
Hitchin made the perfect start after 13 minutes when a long ball down the centre reached a Hitchin forward who forced a save by Eagles keeper at his near post. The resulting corner was headed into the net at the far post.
Eagles had to rely on quick counter attacks out of defence and one promising move ended with a shot from just outside the Hitchin penalty area going high and wide. At the other end Hitchin had a good chance to score after 24 minutes when a shot from inside the penalty area clipped the foot of a defender and was gathered by the keeper. A few minutes later a Hitchin forward ran clear of defenders, but the Eagles keeper managed to save his low shot from the edge of the goal area at his near post. He was in action again 5 minutes later when a Hitchin forward danced past static defenders and forced the keeper to make another save low at his near post.
Minutes before half time a Hitchin forward raced down the left touchline and delivered a low cross into the Eagles penalty area, which was deflected by a covering defender, but only to another Hitchin forward who forced a good save with his legs by the Eagles keeper.
Soon after half time Hitchin were back on the attack. They gained possession with a challenge near the Eagles penalty area, and a cross found a Hitchin forward, but his low shot was pulled wide of goal. A couple of minutes later Hitchin chased a long ball downfield towards Eagles penalty area. The keeper rushed out of his area to reach the ball but failed to collect and a shot lobbed towards an empty goal looked certain the reach the net before it was steered clear by a covering defender.
Eagles’ relief was short-lived because a couple of minutes later they conceded a second goal after a cross into the goal area was headed into the net at the far post by an unchallenged forward. Worse was to follow when a Hitchin winger wriggled through a defenders tackle at the goal line and was then brought down by a sliding challenge. The resulting penalty was hammered into the roof of Eagles net.
Goals were coming quickly and 3 minutes later Eagles got a goal back when a cross from the left touchline was headed into the Hitchin net at the far post by Jake Ellis-Holmes. Eagles then floated a free kick into the Hitchin penalty area, but the keeper saved the header standing on his goal line.
Within a couple of minutes play had switched back to the other end and it was 4-1 to Hitchin after a poor defensive error. The keeper passed a goal kick to an Eagles defender standing near the edge of the penalty area. His return ball to the keeper fell short and was intercepted by a waiting Hitch forward, who scored with a low shot into the corner of an empty net.
Eales tried to respond but tired legs meant more defensive mistakes and Hitchin goals in the final stages of the game. A long throw into Eagles penalty area resulted in a poor first touch by an Eagles defender and the ball ran loose to a Hitchin forward to score with a low shot into the corner of the net after unsuccessful challenges by the keeper and a defender.
Hitchin continued to attack Eagles goal as the home side struggled to keep possession and get out of their own half, and a few minutes before full time they scored a sixth goal when a cross into the penalty area was headed goalwards by a Hitchin forward. The ball struck a defender and was deflected into goal. Hitchin almost got another goal in the final minute of the game when a long Crossfield pass deep into the Eagles half was crossed into the penalty area. The ball was totally miskicked by a defender, and it fell to a Hitchin forward, whose low shot towards the corner of the goal was saved by the Eagles keeper. The resulting corner was sent wide of goal.
