AN AMAZING display of shot-stopping from Hitchin goalkeeper James Robinson put Maidenhead United on the wrong end of a highly inequitable 1-0 scoreline on Saturday.
In all honesty, the 23-year-old local lad did not look very comfortable between the sticks, but his lack of presence was made up for by an unnerving ability to get his body between ball and goal.
And the result was one of United's most frustrating defeats on record.
United had travelled to Hertfordshire with the clear intention of claiming all three points.
From the kick-off, they launched themselves into attack, Robinson denying Adrian Allen with a diving save in only the second minute.
On 12 minutes, Lee Channell pounced on a defensive blunder but saw his shot palmed past the far post.
And, three minutes later, Allen was put clean through by Rob Saunders, only to see Robinson block his shot out at the near post.
Allen went close again on 18 minutes, when his shot shaved the post, and Robinson was on hand once more to block out Jamie Jarvis' shot from the edge of the box just minutes later.
Hitchin were hanging on, more through luck than judgement, and only threated United's goal from set pieces.
Ian Scott hit the woodwork from a dubious free-kick on 17 minutes, and Chris Ferdinand almost scythed the ball into his own net from a Hitchin corner.
However, in open play, the big threesome of Jarvis, Tim Cook and Steve Croxford had everything under control, while keeper Richard Barnard was a mere spectator.
After the break, the first scoring chances fell to the hosts, with Carl Drew forcing the game's first save from Barnard.
But normal service was soon resumed, when Channell sprung the offside trap and forced Robinson to make another fine save on six minutes, before Saunders curled the resulting corner onto the bar.
Frustrated by his strikers' lack of success, Andy Rose then cut in from the wing to try his luck, only to see his initial shot blocked on the line by Scott Cretton and his follow-up ricochet off the upright for a goalkick.
It was becoming clear United were never going to score, no matter how well they played and, just to confirm this, Allen forced three more superb saves from the besieged Hitchin keeper while Ferdinand had his venomous shot snatched out of the air.
Buoyed by their unbelievable luck, Hitchin began sending their substitutes into the fray, in hope of nicking an unlikely winner.
Robbie Simpson certainly looked good value, but the turning point was the introduction of Matt Nolan on 68 minutes.
The youngster immediately began to create problems for the Magpies' defence and added some much needed bite to Hitchin's previously one-dimensional attack.
Then, on 76 minutes, came the killer blow, when Drew took advantage of a missed tackle to skip into the box and unleash a precision shot across the face of goal and in off the far post.
Magpies coach Alan Devonshire reacted by swopping Allen and Ferdinand for Ricky Ibe and Anthony Alleyne.
However, even with three strikers up front, United failed to blot Robinson's immaculate copy book and Hitchin clung on for their first Saturday home win of the season.

Teams
Hitchin Town: Robinson, Bone, Grime, Allpress, Cretton, Scott, Rydeheard, Bass, Marshall, Drew, Beevor. Subs: Nolan (for Marshall, 68), Sarll, Simpson (for Rydeheard, 60).
Maidenhead United: Barnard, Rose, Morley, Kelly, Jarvis, Croxford, Cook, Allen, Channell, Saunders, Ferdinand. Subs: Alleyne (for Allen, 78), Ibe (for Ferdinand, 78), Connor.