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The Hornets were denied a deserved point by a wonder goal from the visitors that settled a very close match at sunny Ickleford.
The Hornets dominated possession and territory in the first half but struggled to carve out any chances against a determined St Neots side. James and Jonathan once again combined well to restrict the visitors and gave debutant Ollie Whitehead a quiet first half in goal.
The game opened up after the break as both teams sought the breakthrough that could settle such a tight contest. It arrived in the shape of an astonishing goal from the visitors. A long ball from defence was chased down the right wing and there seemed no danger. But, pinned in on the touchline yards from the corner flag, the St Neots player tried a speculative volley and saw his high dipping shot drop just inside the far post.
Hitchin, to their credit, went in search of an equaliser and were handed a lifeline when a St Neots defender handballed in the area. Ryan stepped up to take the kick but his strong shot unfortunately cleared the crossbar. Still Hitchin would not lie down and further chances were created by Sam and Vinay. St Neots looked dangerous on the break and Ollie made some great saves to prevent them extending the lead.
It was another very competitive performance by the Hornets. Ollie had an excellent debut in goal, his handling was sound and he made a number of superb one-on-one saves in the closing minutes. James, Kai and Jonathan were composed and confident in defence while Vinay, Ryan, Alex and William combined well in midfield and attack.
Man of the match: After a season and a half between the sticks, Sam Hen returned to outfield action with a display bursting with energy and endeavour, supporting defence and attack in equal measure.
Team – Ollie W (GK), James, Jonathan, Sam Hen, Ryan, William A, Vinay, Alex (S) and Kai (S)
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