A young Hatters side fought back from two down at half-time to draw 2-2 as pre-season got underway at Evo-Stik League Southern Premier neighbours Hitchin Town tonight, with Connor Tomlinson and Jack James netting the goals.
With three trialists and four professionals in the side – Frankie Musonda, Akin Famewo, Kavan Cotter and Arthur Read – the Town started brightly and one of the trialists forced a save from Hitchin keeper Michael Johnson in the third minute after being played in by Tomlinson.
Hitchin had the lead on 20 minutes, however, when Liam Brooks raced onto a fine ball through the middle of the Hatters’ defence and slotted coolly past the Town’s trialist goalkeeper.
The hosts doubled their advantage on 34 minutes with a fine strike from outside the box from Lucas Kirkpatrick found its way in off the inside of a post, but after the break it was a different story.
Tomlinson latched onto a fine through ball into the box from Michael Shamalo to fire past Canaries keeper Johnson and halve the deficit on the hour.
Then, with 73 minutes on the clock, substitute Callum Stead’s quick feet created space in the penalty area and James produced a neat finish past Johnson for the leveller.
The Town might have found a winner three minutes later when more good work on the left by Stead finished with an inviting cross stood up to the far post for fellow sub Scott Belgrove, but the striker’s volley was blocked by Johnson.
TOWN: Trialist (Parker 66), James, Musonda (Mead 56), Famewo (Jones 56), Panter (Byron 66), Cotter (Richardson 62), Trialist, Read (Belgrove 62), Trialist, Tomlinson (Neufville 62), Shamalo (Stead 62)