Local League: Hitchin A 11 – 4 Milton Keynes (played in MK)

Game switched to MK as the grass pitches available to Hitchin were unplayable due to the wet weather.

Hitchin’s players with recent Premier Division experience proved the difference in the 2nd half as MK legs and minds started to tire. It was all looking so good, up after the 1st quarter and all tied at 3-3 at the half. Gooch scored the opening goal after only a few minutes thanks to great work from Jamieson sucking in two defenders then finding an open Gooch on the right post who quick-sticked the ball into the goal. Jamieson scored himself from distance, assisted by Clayson. Davis latched onto a loose ball in the Hitchin half and darted to goal to bag MK’s 3rd goal of the 1st half.

The second half was a different story and while MK continued to put in a massive effort, Hitchin punished any lapses of concentration around the goal. Most of their goals were from close range. MK goalie Eliot Pugh was unbeatable today from distance so Hitchin had to find alternative ways to goal. His shot/save ratio was probably the best all season and he was a close runner for MK’s man-of-the-match. However today’s award went to defender Jonny Prince who was everywhere, disrupting play, winning ground ball battles and making forays up-field to get the attack back on the ball.

Other notable shouts go Gooch and Long. Rob Gooch with the opening goal but mostly for playing 3/4 of the game in midfield and out-running some of his teammates who are more than half his age (but we’ll forget his rubbish attempt at a face-off). Also Matty Long, on the up-side, scoring our only goal in the 2nd half with an individual effort running past defenders and finding the bottom corner of the goal, but also on the down-side having periods of the game where he forgot how to catch and throw, earning him our D-of-the-day award. Matty has now has scored 3 goals in 4 games which is a good return for a novice player in his first season.

Game Stats
11-4 (0-1, 3-3, 6-3, 11-4)

MK Scorers:
#9 Rob Gooch
#69 Corey Jamieson
#24 Alex Davies
#2 Matty Long

Man-of-the-Match: Jonny Prince
D-of-the-Day: Matty Long