Hitchin Town Football Club

Hitchin Town 5 Haverhill Rovers 0

Tuesday, October 2 2007

Hitchin recorded their highest FA Cup victory in 34 years when they killed off enthusiastic and industrious Haverhill with a second half goal deluge.

Not since 1973 have the Canaries scored five in a FA Cup match, and on the evidence of the first half, few could have expected such a feast of goals. What must have worried Hitchin officials was the paltry attendance, just 160 people turned up, less than the crowd at nearby Stotfold.

Hitchin got off to the best possible start, scoring after barely two minutes. Lance Gentle-king fired the ball goalwards and Tyron Sealey forced it over the line. Gentle-King has played a pivotal part in this tie, having scored at Haverhill in the first game.

After the early goal, Hitchin allowed Haverhill to enjoy the lion’s share of possession, but the Eastern Counties League side rarely threatened to convert pressure into goals.

One the hour, Hitchin added to their lead and effectively killed the tie. Sealey ran into the area, rolled the ball across the face of goal and Mark Ducket, who had been on the pitch two minutes, shot home.

Colin Vowden almost scored for Haverhill when he met a Marc Abbott cross with a glancing header, but his effort was off target. In the 70th minute, it was 3-0 as Carl Williams shot high into the net after being set up by Wayne Mills.

Five minutes later, Ducket scored his second goal, sending a long range curling left foot drive past Haverhill keeper Aaron Benstead.

Shane Hill should have added a fifth when he went on a long, loping run before shooting wide, but the midfielder got on the scoresheet in the 90th minute when he netted from the penalty spot – despite pleas from the crowd for Ducket to try and secure his hat-trick.

Hitchin: Perks, Deeney, Mountford, Frater, L.Gentle-King, James (N.Gentle-King 78), Sealey, Hill, Pringle (Ducket 58), Williams (Simpson 78), Mills

Haverhill: Benstead, Pilcher, Holder, Palazon, Vowden, Harvey (Salmons 64), Abbott, Hunt, Ben-Suad, Heller (Cowling 80), Goddard (Stokes 65)

Attendance: 160

Referee: M.Bingham

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