Hitchin Town Football Club

Beaconsfield SYCOB 5 Hitchin Town 3

Saturday, September 18 2004

The 50 or so Hitchin fans that witnessed this debacle were left angry and disappointed by one of the Canaries' worst-ever FA Cup displays.

Hitchin were not just beaten by Beaconsfield, they were torn apart by a team from a lower division and dumped unceremoniously out of the competition at the first hurdle for the third consecutive season.

And to make matters worse, the man who netted a hat-trick for Beaconsfield was Alan Arthur, who once played for Canaries boss Kerry Dixon at Letchworth.

Hitchin gave Beaconsfield a two-goal start, thanks to a penalty duly converted by Sam Stanley and Arthur's first effort, a stroll-through the Hitchin defence and a simple finish past Richard Wilmot.

Hitchin hit back with a 19th minute own goal from Liam Patrick after Josh Sozzo had got the faintest touch on a Stuart Maynard cross.

But a disastrous two-goal salvo at the start of the second half proved to be Hitchin's undoing. In the 53rd minute, Arthur volleyed home after a low ball had eluded the Hitchin defence and three minutes later, Stanley hit his second after Kevin Cotton had struck the crossbar.

The Canaries have themselves hope with a 66th minute goal from Bilal Hassan, and shortly afterwards, Maynard hit the woodwork as desperation set in.

Beaconsfield added another in the 77th minute, though, when Arthur scored from six yards. There was still time for another Hitchin goal, however, an Ian Scott low drive in the fourth minute of added time.

Hitchin: Wilmot, Barr, Kidd, Burke (Hassan), McCulloch, Scott, Sozzo, Maynard, Bridge(Galvin), McMenamin (Baldry), Old

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