Match Report
Herts Senior Cup quarter-final
St Albans City
Zane Banton 16, 64
🟢 Zane Banton
🟢 George Morrell
🟢 Huw Dawson
🔴 Joy Mukena (missed)
Hitchin Town
Jake Hutchinson 51, 56
🟢 Callum Stead
🟢 Matt Moloney
🟢 Josh Coldicott-Stevens
🟢 Steve Gleeson
🟢 Jake Hutchinson
Hitchin Town win 5-3 on penalties
Hitchin Town reach Herts Senior Cup semi-final with shoot-out victory over St Albans City
Jake Hutchinson scores for Hitchin Town against St Albans City. - Credit: PETER ELSE
Hitchin Town showed nerves of steel to advance to the semi-finals of the Herts Senior Cup with a penalty shoot-out success over St Albans City.
Jake Hutchinson and Zane Banton traded braces as the 90 minutes finished 2-2 but the Canaries scored all five of their attempts from 12 yards, with Joy Mukena's miss sending them through to a meeting with either Hemel Hempstead Town or Cheshunt.
Jake Hutchinson and Charlie Horlock celebrate Hitchin Town's penalty shoot-out win over St Albans City. - Credit: PETER ELSE
The Canaries had under-performed in the first 45 minutes but were better after the break against a City side who started with a mix of first-teamers and academy players.
The home side got their noses in front on 16 minutes following a corner, Charlie Horlock having pushed out an initial effort only as far as Banton who knocked it home.
The rest of the half saw only half chances at best from both sides.
Hitchin Town celebrate scoring against St Albans City. - Credit: PETER ELSE
Hutchinson blazed one effort across the face of goal and wide and Callum Stead and Rio Dasilva had others that failed to truly test Liam Gauthier in the home goal.
For Saints Banton struck an effort along the ground that was easily gathered by Horlock while another attempt from the forward failed to trouble the keeper.
Jake Hutchinson scores for Hitchin Town against St Albans City. - Credit: PETER ELSE
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After a lacklustre period of football, the Canaries started the second half better and were level in six minutes.
A defensive error allowed Stead to have a shot and although substitute keeper Alex Tokarczyk made the save, Hutchinson followed up to net the rebound.
Parity then became a Hitchin advantage as Hutchinson headed in from close range and they continued to look lively until Banton restored the status quo on 64 minutes with a smart finish from a cross from the right.
Hitchin Town beat St Albans City in the Herts Senior Cup on penalties at Clarence Park. - Credit: PETER ELSE
The remainder of the game was evenly contested, Huw Dawson having the best opportunity for Saints while Hitchin had a strike from Hutchinson ruled out for offside.
But nothing could stop the shoot-out and the ultimate victory for the Southern League side.
St Albans City: L.Gauthier (Tokarczyk), K.Gauthier, Lankshear, Austin, Mukena, Leslie, Sole (Morrell), Dawson, Meakes, Weiss, Banton.
Subs (not used): Johnson, Cousins, Di Trolio.
Goals: Banton 16, 64
Hitchin Town: Horlock, Ackom (Tearle), Black, Coldicott-Stevens, Moloney, Jones, Stead, Georgiou, Hutchinson, Dasilva, Gleeson.
Subs (not used): Kinoshi, Green, Brown, Cawley.
Goals: Hutchinson 51, 56
Booked: Stead
HT: St Albans City 1 Hitchin Town 0
Referee: Lee Grimesy, (Stevenage)
Attendance: 251
