So then, a distraction before the first leg of Boston's play-off semi-final, something to keep my mind off it for a little while at least. Hitchin Town vs Daventry Town in the Zamaretto Division One: Central play-off final looked likely to do the job. Hitchin finished as the highest team in the division not to have points deducted so may have reason to feel aggrieved that they lost out on automatic promotion to local rivals Arlesey Town by a point. The path towards the ground passed via a couple of decent pubs, Molly Malones and The Victoria, both worthy of a visit should you ever end up in Hitchin.
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| Kick off at Top Field. |
Hitchin's ground is fairly tidy, although I'm not sure how much bouncing the stand made of wooden planks behind one goal could take. I'm sure that programmes are usually readily available but the fact that the club were frantically printing more inserts to go into their programme from the week before seems pretty tinpot. Not as tinpot as running out of programmes entirely, but still pretty tinpot. The crowd was a bumper one, boosted by Arsenal fans and a good contingent from Daventry. There were also a high proportion of attractive young ladies there, if this is what it's like in the southern league then I hope we get transferred south; if we don't go up that is!
Despite the hyperbole on the official report, there were no queues down the road as far as I could see. There is a point here, I have only experienced it with Arsenal fans and usually from middle-class suburban, white lads who wish they were anything but middle class, suburban or white; they are terrible! They come to lower league grounds and joke about "that one time they were at Highbury", they complain about the ground and the fans being quiet. Yes, Arsenal fans complaining about a quiet crowd! They sit there and compare the players to international players and then complain that the standard isn't the same. I know it's nice they show an interest and more importantly bring in money but they should be banned from non-league. BANNED!
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| Hitchin pressure Daventry from a free-kick. |
Hitchin had the better of Daventry for large portions of the game and looked the better team by some stretch. There were complaints from the Hitchin fans about Daventry cheating, being overly-physical and diving about. From a neutral point of view these claims were largely unfounded. There were scant chances created with both defences standing strong until the 39th minute. Following a good cross the ball was neatly controlled by Frendo who swivelled on the spot to spank the ball into the net.
Daventry tried to get back into the game after the break but the chances just weren't falling for them and when they did they couldn't take advantage. Dav. Town were punished for not taking their chances when the Canaries deservedly went 2-0 up, a swinging free-kick flicked in off the head of Dean Gilbert with an hour gone. Daventry were unlucky not to pull one back as they hit the woodwork twice and forced a fantastic save from Hitchin's Jimmy Carr look-a-like 'keeper in the space of a minute or so. At this point some of the Daventry fans decided that the game was effectively over and that it'd be better to go and taunt the surprisingly quiet Hitchin/Arsenal fans with what were allegedly EDL chants. Idiots.
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| Hitchin celebrate their first goal. |
Hitchin defended stoutly and could have caught Daventry on the break a few times. The Canaries couldn't find the killer third but in the end it wasn't required as the final whistle blew. There was a mini pitch invasion from the Hitchin fans but it was all pretty reserved really; a very strange atmosphere. The Daventry fans staged their own eye-watering pitch invasion, a man in a purple morph suit was joined by a man wearing a tiny orange mankini in showing one of the Dav. Town players their appreciation with a hug. Poor man. The subdued atmosphere was not quite as inspiring as the thought of the pub and so the journey home began.
Next up: PLAY-OFFS! Boston United are hosted by Guiseley in the BSB North play-off semi-final, first leg. Coverage on United Live and BBC Radio Lincolnshire.
