Halesowen Town 0 Hitchin Town 0 - Match report

relegation trouble after player-manager duo Lee Hughes and Asa Charlton

found a hitch in their first game in charge.

Hitchin came closest to breaking the deadlock by twice striking the inside

of the woodwork.

The best first half chance for the Yeltz came after 14 minutes when Callum

Coyle controlled Samir Nabi's cross and fired a low shot just past the post.

Andre Wright set Jack Till free to earn an 18th minute corner, but from then

on it was the Canaries who dominated the first period.

Isaac Galliford's 23rd minute free-kick was hacked clear and a terrific 25

yard strike from Noah Chesmain rebounded down and out off the underside of

the crossbar a minute later. Home goalkeeper Dan Platt then palmed away

Scott Belgrove's 25th minute shot and parried away at his post in the 29th

minute after Galliford played a neat one-two in the home penalty area. In

continuing Hitchin pressure, Alfie Cue miscued a loose ball wide in the 32nd

minute and Jack Green curled over the bar.

There were few chances in a second half stalemate, played out for long

spells in midfield. A long 53rd minute shot from Wright was easily collected

by visiting goalkeeper Michael Johnson and Danny Bragoli fired a good chance

over the Hitchin bar a minute later. Yeltz goalkeeper Platt beat away Ezra

Forde's low shot in the 74th minute and then held onto a 30 yard shot from

Michael Cain in the 82nd minute.

Halesowen had another big let-off when Josh Bickerstaff's header struck the

inside of the post after Galliford delivered a dangerous 84th minute

free-kick from the edge of the penalty area.

The Yeltz briefly threatened in the final minutes when Kieran Morris headed

into Johnson's hands in the 89th minute and substitute player-manager Hughes

glanced a header into Johnson's grateful arms from Jack Kelly's cross three

minutes into stoppage time.

TEAMS

Halesowen Town: Dan Platt; Sam Griffiths, Jack Kelly, Ivor Lawton, Kieran

Morris, Callam Mendez-Jones, Danny Bragoli (c), Samir Nabi (Matt Curley 60),

Andre Wright, Callum Coyle (Joe Fitzpatrick 73). Jack Till (Lee Hughes 67).

Subs Not Used: Asa Charlton, Enock Ekongo.

Hitchin Town: Michael Johnson; Jack Green, Noah Chesmain, Jay Dowie, Dan

Webb (c), Josh Bickerstaff, Michael Cain, Scott Belgrove (Jay Bird 70), Ezra

Forde, Isaac Galliford, Alfie Cue (Morgan Penfold 63). Subs Not Used: Lukas

Didik, Ryan Max, Edwin Mensah.

Referee: Greg Rollason Attendance: 517