Hitchin Town Football Club

Corby Town 2 Hitchin Town 3

Thursday, November 16 2006

A goal in added time by teenage prodigy Scott Orphanou gave Hitchin their third successive win and lifted the Canaries to fourth in the BGB Premier Division.

Hitchin fans are starting to believe that this could be their year. Darren Salton’s men have lost just twice in 18 league and cup games and the manager’s ambition of getting into the play-offs this season is starting to look realistic.

The Canaries came from behind twice against Corby, demonstrating their growing confidence and character.

They fell behind after 17 minutes, Rob Maddox bundling the ball home after Liam Fold’s mis-kick got caught in the swirling wind. In a first half lacking in excitement, Hitchin looked subdued and out of sorts.

The second half team talk by Salton seemed to inspire his charges. In the opening seconds, Daniel French sent over a cross that just eluded the Hitchin attack and Gavin Jaggard shot wide.

In the 56th minute, however, Hitchin equalised through fit-again striker Chris Dillon. Chris Pendleton played the ball through to the striker and he beat a defender and shot home from an acute angle.

French struck a post as Hitchin stepped up a gear but 15 minutes from the end, the home side – against the run of play – went ahead with another untidy goal. A lobbed shot by Kevin Byrne hit the post and rebounded onto Rob Beckwith and rolled into the net.

In the 86th minute, though, the Canaries equalised again with a superb goal. Substitute Scott Orphanou was fouled some 35 yards out and Mark Ducket’s free kick arrowed into the top corner of the Corby goal.

The drama was not over as in the 91st minute, Orphanou intercepted a bad back pass and showed great composure as he scored the winner.

Corby: Watts, Guiney, Hallows (Clarke 72), Towers (Darby 72), Burrows, White, Turner, Goodman, Byrne, Jephcott (Goodman 83), Maddox

Hitchin: Beckwith, Pugh, Pendleton (Ducket 62), Frater, Folds, Deeney, Williams, Miller (Orphanou 78), Dillon, Jaggard, French

Referee: C.Banks

Attendance: 141

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