OFF THE MARK: Duane Darby wins his first game in charge.
Hitchin 0
Rovers 1
A SCROOGE, a gift and a shining star or two were all on show as Rovers picked up some much-needed momentum to take into the hectic Christmas period.
And in new caretaker boss Duane Darby, Greens fans will be praying that they have finally found their saviour. Stability is at the top of the club's Christmas list, and Darby is the third man to take the managerial duties this season.
To his credit, Rovers looked extremely well organised and accomplished for a side that had been remoulded in little over a week.
They persisted with a cool, calm approach with measured build-up play which was easy on the eye, and for this reason they never looked in danger of leaving Hertfordshire without at least a share of the points.
Although, this wasn't without some scrooge-like defending from the home side which made the majority of Rovers' attacking spells add up to little more than a huff and puff. When Kevin Banner's ferocious 20-yard volley crashed off the bar five minutes before half-time - the closest either side had come to breaking the deadlock - Greens fans feared another hard-luck story.
For all their dominance, the visitors had struggled in their search for a killer ball to unravel a Hitchin defence who were content to sit deep in an attempt to smother their opponents.
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But Rovers' attacking endeavour finally paid off on 43 minutes when an early Christmas present fell to livewire debutant Jozsef Jakab.
The Hungarian-born striker found himself in the right place at the right time to tuck away his first goal for the club, in a game in which he and fellow new-boy Leigh Downing gave glowing accounts of themselves.
An early feature of this reshaped Rovers side was their impressive wide play and ability to switch the ball between flanks with great affect and it was this that lead to Jakab's strike.
Downing, in his right-sided berth, collected a pinpoint pass from Banner.
The former Solihull Moors man slipped a through ball between two defenders for Richard Ball, who's shot cannoned off the post, and the alert Jakab was first on the scene to convert the simplest of tap-ins.
From that point Rovers were content to play on the counter attack, and Sam Alsop almost caught Hitchin unaware, forcing Ricky Perks to brilliantly tip over the bar after his team-mates were hit on the break early in the second half.
Impressive wing duo Banner and Downing combined for Rovers' next best opportunity, with Dean Gilbert scrambling back to clear Banner's effort off the line after he met a back-post cross from Downing.
Despite having the better chances it wasn't all plain-sailing. Having failed to kill their opponents off, there were a few nervy moments for the Greens.
There were a couple of testing crosses from Hitchin winger James Edgerley, but his side's weakness in attack was demonstrated when his probing deliveries evaded everyone.
Brett Donnelly finally met one in the 75th minute but watched his header sail over. However, the late scare did little to take the shine off an encouraging display for Rovers.
They seem to have emerged from a turbulent few weeks playing football that is more than adequate for survival at this level. Now comes the big test - how will they cope under the pressure of a busy festive period that could make or break their season?
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