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Uninspiring Weymouth undone by Canaries
A QUICKFIRE double around the hour mark from title-chasing Hitchin Town meant the Terras were left to contemplate another loss at the Bob Lucas Stadium.
In a game that was relatively uninspiring throughout, two goals in three minutes from the Canaries extended their sublime run of victories, and left Jason Matthews’ side pondering back-to-back league defeats.
The Terras made two changes from the side that were well beaten at Slough Town in midweek.
Into the starting XI came Billy Lowes for the suspended Dean Evans and Aaron Rodriguez replaced Chris Allen.
With Stewart Yetton sent out on loan to Truro, back came Ben Thomson to the bench, there was also a spot for the returning Mark Cooper with Calvin Brooks dropping out.
The hosts faced a Canaries’ side in blistering form and challenging for the league title.
Hitchin went into the contest on a sublime run, having won nine of their last 10 games.
And it was the Canaries that started on the front foot. Weymouth gave the ball away cheaply in their own box, which allowed Robbie Burns to nip in and force a corner. From which, Brett Donnelly headed straight at home keeper Tom McHale.
Weymouth player-coach Mark Molesley found himself in the thick of it.
After being on the end of a hefty challenge from Hitchin’s Callum Donnelly, Molesley was then booked minutes later for a foul of his own.
The former Cherries’ midfielder then worked Canaries’ keeper Michael Johnson with a left-foot stinger from the edge of the box and, after creating half a yard of space soon after, he struck another effort just wide of the post.
As the game developed, Hitchin then came extremely close to breaking the deadlock.
Keeper McHale was crowded out at a corner and failed to gather at his near post – Lowes was left to clear off the line.
Rodriguez then flashed the ball across goal at the other end which deflected wide, as the sides went in goalless at the interval.
After a quiet start to the second period, the game eventually sprung into life. However it was not in the way the Terras would have wanted.
On 58 minutes, a ball fizzed into the box was glanced into the bottom corner of the net by striker Brett Donnelly to make it 1-0.
The frontman then played a part in his side’s second as his drilled effort fell to Burns, who tapped home to double the advantage for the Canaries.
After getting themselves in a feisty scenario which saw Jordan Copp and Stuart Fleetwood booked, the Terras failed to find a spark in the contest as the game reached its last 16 minutes.
Thomson was then introduced in place of Molesley in a bid to make something happen and there was also a return from injury for Cooper with seven minutes left, but in all honesty, the game seemed as good as over at that point.
A couple more strong challenges went in as the clash petered out. The Terras were left to contemplate another poor result to go with their season of underachievement.
Hitchin, on the other hand, were jubilant on the pitch after the final whistle.
