Chesham United 2-0 Hitchin Town

[Simon N]

Chesham:

1. Richard Hayward (sent off 70 mins)
2. John Kyriacou
3. Sam Ledger
4. Nick Leach
5. Danny Talbot
6. Mark Lambert
7. Dave Fotheringham
8. Steve Wales
9. John Frendo (goal 36 mins; booked 74 mins)
10. Chris Bangura (goal 18 mins)
11. Steve Obeng

Subs:
12. Kevin Cotton
14. Danny Gudgeon (for Frendo 88 mins)
15. Dom Marsala
16. Lewis Laws (for Wales 77 mins)
17. Liam Farrell


Chesham showed they can be a match for any team in the division with this win. Hitchin came into this game having won their last seven games and were unbeaten in 12, but Chesham looked the more dangerous from the start, and the team were even able to overcome the loss of keeper Richard Hayward 20 minutes from time to keep a clean sheet. This was only Hitchin’s third league defeat of the season and Chesham have inflicted two of them.

Chesham’s starting line-up and bench were unchanged from Tuesday’s win over Slough. Chesham had the first chance in the fifth minute when John Frendo found Steve Wales in space but Hitchin keeper Martin Bennett spread himself to save. Both teams were passing the ball well but the visitors were unable to pose any threat to the Chesham defence. In the eighteenth minute Steve Wales burst through the middle and his pass found Chris Bangura who shot low past Bennett to give Chesham the lead. Just after the half-hour mark Sam Ledger got his head to Danny Talbot’s corner but the ball hit John Frendo and went behind, then in the next minute Hitchin had their best chance of the half. John Kyriacou and Nick Leach got in each other’s way and let in Jamie Arlick but Richard Hayward saved at Arlick’s feet, and the ball eventually came to Carl Williams on the right whose cross was headed over by Harry Hunt. However in the next minute Chesham again stretched the Hitchin defence, Mark Smith attempted to head back to Bennett but John Frendo intercepted and lobbed over the keeper and into the net despite a desperate effort by Tom Pepper to keep the ball out.

Hitchin made a double substitution at half-time and had more of the ball in the second half, but still failed to stretch the Chesham defence. However twenty minutes from time Chesham’s defence was caught out by a swift break and sub Jeff Hammond broke clear only for Richard Hayward to bring him down 30 yards from goal. Hayward was shown a red card but Richard Howell’s free kick was comfortably saved by stand-in keeper Sam Ledger. Hammond was just off target with an attempted chip and Carl Williams wasted a good chance with a weak shot from the edge of the area. As Hitchin pushed forward Chesham occasionally looked dangerous on the break, and Chris Bangura intercepted a back-pass and fed Dave Fotheringham whose shot was blocked by Mark Smith. Seven minutes from time Howell’s shot from the edge of the area clipped the top of the bar, then in the last minute of normal time a low cross from the right by Jamie Arlick came to Zak Burke who side-footed wastefully wide at the far post.