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Stourbridge v Hitchin Town - Match Preview

Stourbridge v Hitchin Town - Match Preview

Nigel Gregg15 Nov 2018 - 19:50
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The Glassboys could top the league table on Saturday evening if they can overcome Hitchin Town at the War Memorial Ground (kick-off 3 pm).

SATURDAY, 17TH NOVEMBER 2018 - 3 pm
Stourbridge v Hitchin Town
Evo-stik League South Premier Division Central

Stourbridge welcome Hitchin Town to the War Memorial Athletic Ground this Saturday.

Admission prices are -
Adults.........................................................£10
Senior Citizens (65 and over)...................£7
13-18 year olds..........................................£5
Under 13s...................................................FREE
(when accompanied by a paying adult or senior citizen)

FULL SEASON TICKET VOUCHER - no. 8

The match programme will be on sale from the Club Shop or the Programme Hut located adjacent to the Church End (Bottom driveway) turnstiles.

More matchday information, which may be of particular help to visiting supporters and/or first-time visitors on Saturday can be viewed at the following link -

http://www.stourbridgefc.com/a/matchday-information-for-spectators-44662.html

MATCH PREVIEW

Gary Hackett's men will bid for a sixth successive win in the league when they host struggling Hitchin Town at Amblecote on Saturday afternoon.

The Glassboys could leapfrog long-time leaders Kettering Town if they can better the result that the Poppies manage on Saturday with the Northamptonshire outfit facing a tricky away outing at fellow highfliers Royston Town.

Stourbridge can call upon Niall Maher once again after the keeper served a 1 - match ban at Redditch on Tuesday night following his sending off against Cinderford.

Hitchin will arrive at Stourbridge desperately looking to improve their current league position. The Hertfordshire side sit 21st in the Premier Division Central with 7 points from 11 league games so far (1 win, 4 draws and 6 losses). Their only league victory came at home to Redditch on August 25th.

The Canaries do have two or three games in hand on several of the teams around them as a result of their memorable FA Cup run. In rather stark contrast to their fortunes in the league, Mark Burkes's side battled their way through to the 1st Round Proper of the Emirates FA Cup before being defeated 2 - 0 at home by Solihull Moors last Sunday in-front of a wonderful crowd of over 3,000 at Top Field.

In May 2017 Hitchin were moments away from winning promotion from the Southern League Premier Division to step 2 of the non-league pyramid. They progressed through to the play-off final where they headed to Leamington.

The Canaries led for 78 minutes following an 11th minute goal from Matt Lench before disaster struck in the last minute of normal time when they conceded a penalty and had Lewis Rolfe sent off for a second yellow, with our own Robert Thompson-Brown putting away the spot kick to draw Leamington level and force extra-time.

With six minutes to go in the added 30 the home side fired home the winner when Courney Baker-Richardson (now with Swansea City) curled a shot into the net to break Hitchin’s hearts.

The side began to break up after that and Hitchin finished last season in 11th, but they did lift the Southern League Cup with victory over Didcot Town in the Final.

Hitchin last visited the War Memorial Athletic Ground in 2013/14. Both league encounters that season ended in 1 - 1 draws.

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