CANARIES CAN’T FIND BRAKE IN STALEMATE
FROME TOWN got back to winning ways as they completed the double over fourth-placed Slough thanks to a first club goal from Ryan Bath on the stroke of half-time.
Rebels midfielder James Dobson missed a penalty during a second half where the home defence put in a sterling display.
The match started evenly with both teams getting to grips with the stiff wind, Slough probably having the better of the first half with Simon Dunn forcing a good save out of Robins keeper Kyle Phillips and Warren Harris shooting wide.
But Frome took the lead on the verge of the interval as a throw-in on the right saw Ollie Knight produce a moment of trickery to slip the ball to Bath and the centre forward, signed recently from Mangotsfield United, took one touch and produced a reverse shot that rolled unerringly into the far corner.
The second half could have gone either way, though Slough probably had the better of possession and territory and were given a penalty on 67 minutes.
But Dobson sent the spot kick against the base of the post and as the ball rebounded into the six-yard box, Dunn’s follow-up header was weak and straight into the arms of Phillips.
BOTH managers seemed reluctantly pleased with the outcome of this edgy promotion battle played on a difficult, bumpy Top Field pitch with some seasonal spring wind hampering controlled football.
But the sizeable 824 crowd, expecting a top-ofthe-table clash between teams in second and third place, went home less than satisfied after Hitchin and Leamington struggled to conjure up much in the way of entertainment.
Brakes boss Paul Holleran told The NLP: “There was a distinct lack of quality and neither side coped especially well with the conditions.
“It was a case of two wellmatched sides playing for their play-off places. We shouldn’t be too surprised that it was a little tense at times, but it’s another clean sheet for us and it takes us that little bit closer.”
The first half was dismal, a catalogue of misplaced passes and niggly challenges. Neither side created anything worthwhile, although visiting forward Jack Edwards used his aerial power to cause some problems.
Leamington’s efficient defence got the better of Hitchin, who struggled to create any openings.
The Canaries’ took off striker Brett Donnelly and brought on Mason Spence in the second half, but still they failed to get round the Brakes’ backline.
At the other end, Edwards went close with a flying header from a Rob Thompson-Brown corner and then had a volley that flew past the Hitchin goal.
The game opened up a little in the latter stages and Jonny McNamara should really have done better when a long ball landed invitingly in front of him as he closed in on goal.
He just failed to connect, but with four minutes remaining his volley tested Brakes keeper Tony Breeden only for his effort to be pushed behind for a corner.
The visitors had their best chance of the game when sub Richard Gregory headed wide from close range with only goalkeeper Michael Johnson to beat.
Hitchin manager Mark Burke admitted: “We failed to play for the entire 90 minutes. It was not very pretty. I felt sorry for the spectators, I really did. There was a lot of endeavour, but not much end product.
“We came up against a very strong defence – as their record shows – and we are still in the mix and going for that play-off place. I’m not disappointed with the draw.”