Hitchin Town Football Club
Founded 1865, Reformed 1928
Berkhamsted Town 2 (3) Hitchin Town 2 (0)
Saturday, August 6 2005
With just over 20 minutes to go of this Herts Charity Cup tie, Hitchin were in command and seemingly on their way to a first cup win for 18 months.
But two soft goals and a ridiculously one-sided penalty shoot-out meant that the Canaries crashed out of the competiton to one of their bogey sides.
Manager Darren Salton will be distraught that his reshaped team let a two-goal lead slip, but at least he saw his new striker, Tommy Hayes, get off the mark.
Hitchin had already been let off twice before Hayes scored his first goal for the club.
Berkhamsted’s Andy Mullins and Pablo Ardiles had both struck the woodwork in the first half as Hitchin struggled to get to grips with their Southern League First Division hosts.
Hayes netted after 35 minutes, volleying home after an Aaran Cavill cross had only been partially cleared.
The goal seemed to give Hitchin an extra yard in the opening stages of the second half, and they should have run up a commanding scoreline. They did add another goal, however, in the 58th minute. Cavill was the scorer this time, volleying past Berkhamsted goalkeeper David Clark.
Glen Lamacraft, Josh Sozzo and Stuart Lochhead all tested the keeper as Hitchin started to dominate.
In the 67th minute, a tame free kick by Lee Grace found its way through the Hitchin wall and past Richard Wilmot to give the home side hope. Louis Lancaster also went close with another free kick.
With time running out, Darren Franklin, one of the smallest players on the pitch, headed Berkhamsted level, pushing the game into extra time.
Hitchin almost clinched victory in the 120th minute when Mark Ducket struck a post with a free kick, but the game was decided on penalties. Hitchin missed their first three, Berkhamsted didn’t, so the Canaries poor recent record in cup competition continues.
Hitchin: Wilmot, Lamacraft, Ducket, Baldry, Ayres (McCulloch 100), Cretton (Hoyte 76), Lochhead, Cavill, Sozzo, Hayes (Hassan 73), Pugh
