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The Hurricanes made it 6 wins in a row and 11 wins out of 13 this season as two moments of individual brilliance from Sam K saw them sneak past an impressive Stevenage team.
This was our first ever match against Storm and it was one of the toughest matches of the season so far. The visitors were well-organised, passed and defended well and denied Hitchin time and space. As a result, clear-cut chances were few and far between in the first half. Hitchin dominated possession and territory and rarely looked in trouble at the back but struggled to find the free-scoring form we’ve come to expect of them of late.
The second half followed a similar pattern – tight and competitive – and we looked to be heading towards the first stalemate of the season when Sam K picked the ball up just inside the Stevenage half, beat three defenders in a mazy run and, just when it looked like he’d taken the ball too wide, squeezed the ball past the keeper from a very tight angle. The game became more stretched at this point as Storm looked for an equaliser but Hitchin looked solid until, with two minutes to go, a speculative volley bounced off the uneven turf and leapt past keeper Sam Hen like a Shane Warne leg-break. With seconds remaining, Sam K, once again, conjured a goal out a thin air, another mazy run and finish completing a narrow win.
All in all, a good win – this is the sort of game we would have drawn or lost in the past but the ability to grind out results is becoming a happy habit. Sam Hen dealt well with some testing shots and the uneven, bobbly pitch and shouldn’t dwell on the goal – it can happen to the best of keepers! Patrick and Sam Hart were solid and disciplined at the back and Kane and Will were busy and competitive in midfield. Joel and Somerset worked tirelessly to unlock a formidable Storm defence.
Man of the match: - Sam K – a match-winning contribution
Team – Sam Hen, Patrick, Sam Hart, William, Kane, Joel, Sam K, Somerset
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