Hitchin Town lost 6-1 to Needham Market on a day to forget for the Canaries.

Read Pipeman's measured report from Top Field on Saturday.

A tight game was envisaged, with both clubs occupying relegations positions for both clubs it was need'em points with no hitch in getting them.

But, as it turned out the hosts succumbed to a Suffolk punch when what was needed was a Hitchin tonic. There was, at the end of the game a feeling of deja vu. We have tried hard to forget the disastrous 8-1 defeat at Bloomfields a couple of seasons ago and a 3-0 win in the FA Cup against them helped but a 6-1 hammering today will open many old wounds as well as inflicting fresh ones today.

Needham, like Stourbridge, had not won a game prior to their visit to Top Field, and like The Glassboys, the Marketmen showed little or no mercy. After eleven games Hitchin now prop up the table and scathing comments were unleashed, particularly after stoppage time in the first half, when for a fleeting moment the Canaries had seemed to get back into the game, before donning a kamikaze shirt.

Needham may be said to be draw specialists as their record showed six draws and three defeats. It was soon apparent that one point would not ba acceptable and within five minutes those in red and black had taken the lead with a handsome strike. Hitchin's Alex Brown had put in a free kick, wide on the left and this did not trouble Market keeper, Marcus Garnham, still displaying his well known embonpoint. There was an indicative surgeon the left from De La Paz. This was defended but a free kick for Market in the attacking half saw good work from Collard and Fowkes saw a goal of poetic quality scored by Byron Lawrence – a firm and unstoppable strike. We have seen some magnificent goals at Top field in recent games, but, unfortunately, scored by our opponents.

We had only played five minutes, and perhaps some thought it jolly sporting of us to give these chaps a good start before turning the screw. There was some immediate counter-play and the odd thing is that Hitchin had the lion's share of possession but lacked creativity, whereas the visitors trusted to the long ball, having learned to their cost the penalty of close play in recent games. This counter-play was defended in a kind of square jawed manner, and soon the visitors were exploiting spaces along the left flank. Ben Fowkes sent in a searching cross that was held by Horlock who instigated a quick counter along their left, but Needham cleared their lines well as they did for most of the match.

A long ball from Ciaren Jones to Luke Brown was intercepted and another one of these was cut out by Garnham. It is my sad duty to report that prior to Dan Webb's scrambled goal, the best chances for Hitchin were two sloppy back passes to Garnham who was relieved to prevent a possible own goal. Smith was cautioned, and a free-kick for Hitchin was entirely wasted. Jones, working with Luke Brown won a corner but this and others were ineffectual. Hitchin lacked momentum and with a precise pass needed, too often we saw the ball drift out of play. They were not free of defensive errors, either and one of these saw Fowkes maximise the error and get away a good but slightly inaccurate shot. Even so, there were indications in Hitchin's play that they could eradicate their errors and restore their confidence and play the way we know they can. We also know they can shoot themselves in the foot, which is what happened. Market had a reasonable (if you are an away fan, read definite), penalty appeal and whilst we were all saying 'phew' or something similar, Man of the match Callum Page received a through ball and the expected off-side flag was not raised, and Page made it chapter and verse with a second goal after thirty-three minutes.

I spoke to the linesman afterwards and he assures me that 'the head of your number three played him onside.' Fair enough. It seemed harsh, as Hitchin were beginning to sort themselves out, but frustration was perhaps shown when Marsh hit one from range that required Garnham to watch it as we all did , sail over the bar with unwanted enthusiasm. Needham, I was assured had raced to a two goal lead before and had been pegged back. At this stage I would have taken a draw as it did not look that Hitchin had three goals in them to win this.

They still plugged away, passing fairly well and going forward in an almost lackadaisical manner, and the consensus was among the disgruntled partisans in the stand, that if the team could claw one back before half-time it would not be so bad. But by the interval they seemed as if they wanted to lynch someone. We had three extra minutes and I jotted down 'half-time 0-2' and soon had to cross that out. A good deal was packed into that frenetic three minutes, where hope was installed only to be summarily ejected.

Hitchin did claw one back , in a slightly fortuitous manner, when, following a corner, our long serving skipper got the header in to make it 2-1. It was a little scrappy but we took it and our hopes burgeoned. Take that, you cads. They did but then had the temerity to add a third, ripping up our script. The villain of the piece from a Hitchin point of view was Byron Lawrence, who , as it turned out, was not finished with his scoring antics.

So, the interval and a most unsatisfactory state of affairs for Hitchin, who had maintained good possession, played reasonably well but faced an enormous deficit. Visiting officials were notable in their diplomacy, as they were in that 8-1. I had already received some caustic advice from home supporters who were suggesting certain words to be included in my report, which might have some truth within, but are not to be reproduced for the sake of decency. Anyway, we still had a half to go and to paraphrase Thunderbirds, anything can happen in the next half hour, or in our case forty-seven and a half minutes.

That anything was not meant to mean the conceding of goals that were marked by simplicity and ease, and without reply on our part. I had altered my view from a game we must win to a game we must not lose, and thought it harsh of the home fan who said we had more clowns on show than the tented circus that has set up next door. Bitter criticism is unproductive but I would agree that a recognised striker is a top priority, which, on a limited budget is easier said than done. I did wonder where the Dunkirk spirit of the great performance at Hednesford had gone, as it was not evident in the lamentable second half where had the score gone beyond six, we could have little complaint.

One good thing was that Rio Dasilva did get into the game and showed some spirit, even of his efforts were snubbed out with routine defending. Tearle was trying, Coldicott-Stevens was eager, Marsh was volatile, Luke Brown was hopeful. Dan Akubuine had come back from injury to replace Ryan Smith and there was some suggestion of probing play that might bring a goal chance. But what we had were hopeful crosses headed away almost exuberantly for a swift bit of counter-play. Page was tormenting the defence and to add to this he scored the next goal with embarrassing ease, unchallenged and imperious in the finish.

We had played sixty-five minutes and it was obvious now that there was no way back and the term damage limitation came to the forefront. Dasilva had a token shot that was so wide, Garnham did not bother to react. Could things get worse, of course they could, and the toast fell butter side down after seventy-two minutes, when following a sloppy back pass, Hitchin conceded a penalty which enabled Byron Lawrence to complete his hat-trick. Given the cost of match balls, he was not offered one as a trophy or souvenir, and I do not think he is worried in the slightest.

Five goals conceded at home is not a statistic to bandy about but we went one worse than that, almost sooner than we expected as the Marketmen hit the post on another effort. New signing, loanee, Matthew Moloney came on and had , shall we say a quiet debut. Needham substitute, Hans Mpongo deserves a hundred lines for his unaccountable miss that would have made it six for the Suffolk side. He dragged it wide when he should have scored. Snee had come on and his effort was embarrassingly wide, exemplifying how much in disarray Hitchin were, and salt was rubbed into the deep wounds when Fowkes, who had deserved a goal received his just rewards when he completed the scoring with four painful minutes to go. The rout was concluded and it was far from pleasant to hear the comments of departing home supporters. To lose is one thing but to be thrashed at home is quite another and this, without doubt has been the darkest day of the season.

There is a proverb that says dry bread at home is better than roast meat abroad, and I sincerely hope that this is not the case as Hitchin face St Ives away on Tuesday. I commiserated with a group of our players after the game and Lewis Barker said to me that the team would get the three points. I do hope so, since being the basement club is decidedly uncomfortable, and Needham Market leapfrog us and look ahead with confidence. They had come to Top Field and had done a job; and how. It is one thong to lose, but do we have do do it with such careless extravagance? We cannot fall any lower for the moment and the onus is on us to play our way to respectability and survival in this division. We all have a part to play in this. Long way to go and all that, but there is a new urgency and keeping the faith is vital.

HITCHIN TOWN

Unused substitutes – Malaki Black and Stan Georgiou.

NEEDHAM MARKET

Substitutes not used – Emmanuel Machaya and Taylor Clark.

REFEREE: Mr A Cresswell, assisted by Mr D Jones and Mr S Parbery.

ATTENDANCE: 374

REPORT BY PIPEMAN