Size Matters

Hitchin Town 0-2 Dagenham & Redbridge (Friendly)

I enjoyed my first visit to Top Field so much last summer, I’m back again tonight, as I head down the M1 to watch Southern League Hitchin face National League South Dagenham & Redbridge in a friendly.

On Saturday, the Canaries played out a testimonial for Mr Town himself, Mark Burke, who not only played and managed the club, is now their secretary. He’s been involved for over 40 years in one way or another, having made over 700 appearances during a 20-year playing career for Hitchin. Visitors at the weekend were Luton Town who Mark also played for (and supports), the Hatters Manager Jack Wilshere (who grew up in the town) even dusting off his boots during a veterans game after a 5-0 win.

Dagenham & Redbridge are celebrity status these days, the new Hashtag or Wrexham perhaps? YouTube millionaire and Saturday night TV star KSI has a minority stake in the club, Andy Carroll heads their attack (he also holds a minority stake), Lee Allinson their new Manager, made a name for himself at nearby Hemel Hempstead, perhaps less showbiz?

The Daggers will be looking to get out of a tough division this season coming, they beat Newmarket 4-1 at the weekend after opening up their summer search for sharpness with a scoreless draw in Hornchurch. Hitchin will be back playing in the Southern League Premier Central Division after promotion from Division One, beating Biggleswade in the Playoff final after a second-place seasonal finish, they return to their regular stable step 3 of the non-league ladder after just a year at step 4.

The Venue

The drive in from the M1 J12 on a bright sunny evening turns spectacular when you get through the idyllic village of Harlington and pass the Sharpenhoe Clappers with stunning views of scorched greenery as far as the eyes can see. It's rural and peaceful as you get to the quintessential Royal Oak pub in Barton-le-Clay with its St George's flags outside before heading once again through the fields of Hexton down winding roads, ahead of reaching Hitchin. A much busier town, as traffic slows me down through the crawling centre.

The ground itself is right in the heart, opposite Butts Close park and the local lido, I park my car around the corner on Lancaster Avenue and walk the remaining 500 yards to the turnstile.

Once in, I’m greeted by a fifty/fifty seller who I sadly decline and walk through the back end behind the goal, the breeze block walls of one stand painted yellow and green. It’s a lovely home of football, big wide and spread pitch in spanking condition with plenty of grass around the perimeter, tree lined there’s two small stands either side, a terraced area opposite (the Lancaster Road End) and behind the near goal I’m at, a curved roofed terrace that already has the odd person sitting or stood.

It’s a really lovely ground, so many quirks, a small club shop in a shipping container offers team sheets at 20p and as I walk around to the press block, there’s red seats fixed on to wooden benches painted in green, behind me on the wall is a chalk board which tells you the winning numbers of the fifty/fifty ticket.

The Game

The star attraction is no doubt ex-England international Andy Carroll who indeed leads the line for Dagenham & Redbridge tonight. He’s looking buff and bronzed with a beard, I’m told after injury last year, he’s in really good shape, but he’s sometimes made harder for me to recognise as Daggers manager Lee Allinson also has a similar looking man bun.

The National South team are the ones knocking it around on the front foot early doors, they win a corner and knowing the threat of ‘AC’ a Hitchin defender gets up with the big man and pokes him in the eye, Carroll is down on the canvas as play continues.

Bruised but not beaten, a second corner is won and on eight minutes, Carroll rises highest to head home, bread and butter for a footballer who was once known as one of the best in the air in the global game, “he gets bad press” says one of the Daggers media team “but he’s one of the nicest men in football” he says.

It’s not just Carroll who impresses during the first half where the away side are much the better team, Kane Crichlow is a threat in the number ten role, George Marsh is controlling midfield, getting forward well are full backs Liam Vincent and Josh Addae, who in particular has a huge throw. McGregor in the Hitchin goal making at least three desperate saves when Daggers players look destined to score.

Despite the pressure, Hitchin are very game, they look lots smaller than their National League South opponents and in Callum Nicolson they probably have the smallest player on the pitch, but he’s a tidy footballer who’s hard to pin down, “he’s probably our most technical player” says the clubs PA announcer, “he joined from Real Bedford after starting his career in Luton Town’s academy” I’m told.

The Score

At half time it’s just the one goal separating the teams as Dagenham change all but one of their players, Josh Addae the only surviving member of the first 45 minutes.

Hitchin used just one sub in the first half after an injury to their forward Kye Tearle, Temi Akinbusoye is their ‘unnamed’ trialist but everyone seems to know who he is, “our biggest kept secret” I hear, he’s done well since coming on and offers some pace and power in the final third, but he’s well marshalled as he’s flattened by the Daggers own trialist centre half inside the box, Referee waving play on.

At the other end there’s a shot which flicks the bar, from outside the box as Kayden Harrack lets fly, the visitors boss the second half, as they did the first, but with new personnel, this time its largely through Tim Dieng and Archie Tamplin, whilst a couple of trialists impress. In all they win fifteen corners, so it’s little surprise late on, when size matters again, this time a delivery is whipped in for Jet Dyer to head home, perhaps an Achilles heel for Hitchin this year, will be their size in defending set plays?

The Stars

Like last year verses Barnet, the home side had plenty of promise on the pitch and although notably physically weaker, they had as much technical talent as their opponents. Impressing most was Callum Nicolson in midfield but the similar statured Luke Stokoe out right had moments, Archie Briars coming on in midfield during the second half was also neat, nimble and energetic in his play.

For Dagenham they have a team who will look to be at the forefront of the promotion race this coming season, Andy Carroll is a real leader, but doesn’t have legs like he used to, then, he never did, he will start as a number nine, before moving deeper due to his concern in being able to occupy the centre halves for a full ninety minutes. I quite like this move, as it allows Kane Crichlow or Harry Beautyman to move into that space, both creative in and around the penalty area.

Whilst both Josh Addae and Liam Vincent got forward from right and left back respectively, they were held together defensively by Sam Graham and Henry Hawkins, in midfield I’m told Archie Tamplin is probably the best of the lot, he looked tanned and oiled, straight out of Love Island villa, he’s certainly been away somewhere exotic this summer and isn’t one for factor 30, like my wife he's out with the Germans getting the sunbeds, he plays on the front foot, happy to battle, but with quality on the ball, he maybe key and cog to how the Daggers perform this season.

The Verdict

Hitchin are in the Southern League Premier Central Division and that means they’ll be heading more North, than not, which is a slight issue with player pull when playing at the level following promotion from a predominantly southern division. I think, personally, they’ll be ok, but might fall short against the best teams in the division like Kettering, Real Bedford, Worcester City, Peterborough Sports and Halesowen Town, but then a year of consolidation is not to be frowned upon, following the brilliant season they have just had.

As for Dagenham, I think they are all in with ambition on one prize, promotion is key, nothing else will do, and I certainly think they have the players, and a Manager who knows the level, to be able to do it.

Hitchin is a great club, Top Field is a venue I would highly recommend, just a small number in attendance tonight due to a World Cup semi-final between France and Spain being more glamorous to watch no doubt, but if you like your football real, authentic, quintessentially 'southern' English with a bit of a nod to the past, then you must visit this place, a gorgeous old football home.

The Teams

Hitchin Town: Tyler McGregor, Cole Butler (Rio Deall 58), Elliott Phillips, Blue Joy (George Morrall 63), Trialist, Ciaran Jones, Dan Stokoe, Trialist (Trialist 63), Kye Tearle (Trialist 36), Luke Stokoe (Archie Briars 63), Callum Nicolson.

Dagenham & Redbridge: Nathan Ashmore (Trialist 46), Josh Addae (Stan Leach 68), Sam Graham (Trialist 46), Henry Hawkins (Jet Dyer 46), Liam Vincent (Trialist 46), George Marsh (Tim Dieng 46), Trialist (Archie Tamplin 46), Noah Coppin (Kayden Harrick 46), Harry Beautyman (Kymani Thomas 46), Kane Crichlow (Trialist 46), Andy Carroll (Davide Rodari 46).

7:45pm Kick Off. Tuesday 14th July 2026, Top Field, Hitchin (att 215).