James Bolter
It is some time since these two sides met, but on this occasion Hitchin took the honours, thanks to their superior forwards, whose performance in the scrums and lineout gained plenty of good possession , which might well have resulted in even more tries.
Barnet, often going backwards when scrummaging , still managed to secure most of the own ball, and their backs were given too much room to set up attacks. After a poor start they rallied to get to within 5 points of the visitors, but in the last 15 minutes of the game , they were outplayed as a tired defence let in 3 tries to give Hitchin an emphatic victory
Barnet kicked off playing up the slope, and were immediately threatening the line. Hitchin recovered and five minutes into the game were awarded a penalty in the Barnet 22, converted by Ben Wiggins. Back again in the 22, thanks to a run by Hitchin’s man of the match James Bolter, Wiggins slotted another penalty
Play continued from end to end, with the Barnet backs putting in some useful kicks into space to gain territory, but at the end of the first quarter Hitchin benefited from some loose play following a scrum 10m from the line, for Bolter to break through leaving Wiggins with yet another easy conversion, at 13 – 0
Barnet came back quickly to score in the right hand corner, and half time came with the visitors ahead by just the 8 points. Their forwards had won much of possession during the 40 minutes , and with a more cohesive back line might well have been further ahead.
The home side narrowed the gap soon after resumption of play, converting a penalty.
Hitchin replied as , back in the Barnet 22 ,the ball became available from a break from the base of the scrum , for prop Sean McGinnity to crash over for a converted try, for a 20 -8 lead
However, an error in handing as Hitchin sought to exit from their own 22 gifted Barnet a try , run in under the posts for 7 points
Hitchin restored the 12 point lead as Bolter claimed his second try, bursting through to score from short range, for Wiggins to add the extra points
Will Rooney came close to adding to the score as he chased a kick ahead up the slope, but Barnet managed to collect and clear their lines.
Ruiri Shanahan touched down for Hitchin after pressure from a maul near the line, before Barnet came straight back with an unconverted try
The visitors’ lead was extended, when after several scrums near the line the referee awarded Hitchin a penalty try
Finally, Hitchin’s veteran Adan Shaw, showed his pedigree with a dash for the line on the right wing to score, Ben Wiggins just failing to convert from near touch in a search for a 100 % kicking game
Team Sean McGinnity, Tom Tidey, James Akrill, Ryan Arbon, Thomas Spratt, Frederick Rooney, Ruiri Shanahan, James Bolter, Daniel Wiggins, Ben Wiggins, William Rooney, Carwyn Morgan, Jon Whitby, Chris Martin, Alistair Southward
Subs Stuart West, William Evans, Adam Shaw
Scores T: James Bolter (2), Ruiri Shanahan (1), Sean McGinnity (1), Adam Shaw (1)
C: Ben Wiggins (4)
P: Ben Wiggins (2)
Player(s) of Match 1. James Bolter
The league: London North West 3