Stevenage M4s faced an early pushback in Hitchin for a hard-fought derby match against local rivals MBDA.

With Mike Hamid starting in goal, M4s set up with a strong back line featuring Graham Spicer, Pete Hindle, Ian Noble, and Dylan Harrison.

The team looked composed from the outset, settling quickly into a smooth passing rhythm.

In central midfield, Matt Oliver and Mehron Kirk linked up brilliantly, spraying quality passes out wide to Jacob Oliver on the right wing and Enzo Kirk on the left.

Up front, the strike partnership of Jon Parker and Simon Russell kept constant pressure on the MBDA defense.

First Half Dominance
M4s’ early dominance paid off in the 19th minute. Following a sustained period of crisp team passing, Matt Oliver found the back of the net to give M4s a deserved 1–0 lead, which they comfortably held heading into halftime.

Second Half Resilience

The second half began with a frantic spell from the hosts, and M4s unfortunately conceded two quickfire goals in the 38th and 43rd minutes.

Despite the sudden setback, Stevenage heads never dropped. Fresh legs off the bench brought renewed energy, with Kal Singh and Martyn Binge putting in strong defensive displays to steady the ship, while Tony Farnan drove the team forward from central midfield.

M4s threw everything at MBDA in search of a late equalizer. The best chance of the half fell late on when Enzo Kirk found himself in a brilliant position at the far post inside the D, only to be denied by a fantastic save from the MBDA goalkeeper.

Despite the late onslaught, M4s were unable to find the equalizer and ultimately came away with a narrow 2–1 defeat.

Key Takeaways

Overall Performance: An excellent effort across the pitch by everyone involved. M4s matched their best away result against MBDA set back in February 2024.

Man of the Match: Enzo Kirk — for a tireless and impactful performance on the wing.

Up Next

M4s now have a well-earned rest weekend before returning to action at Nobel on Halloween, where they take on Rickmansworth 3's