Needham Market 8 Hitchin Town 1

Needham Market thrashed Hitchin Town 8-1 in the Eko-Stik Southern League Central Premier at Bloomfields tonight, with both Luke Ingram and Joe Marsden notching hat-tricks.

It was a sensational night for the Marketmen, who broke the deadlock after just seven minutes through Ingram, before the same player doubled the lead on 14 minutes.

Hitchin pulled a goal back through Josh Bickerstaff, but Needham restored their two-goal lead through Jamie Griffiths in the 28th minute.

Six minutes later Marsden bagged his first, to put Richard Wilkins’ men 4-1 up.

There was more woe for the visitors when Bickerstaff conceded a penalty and was red-carded on 39 minutes, so enabling Marsden to convert the spot kick, and summer signing Marsden dispatched another penalty on the stroke of half-time for the sixth goal to complete his hat-trick.

Ingram headed home his third on 75 minutes before Adam Mills added a late eighth to complete the rout.