Boss thrilled as Leighton Town hit NINE goals in FA Cup tie against Baldock Town

Joint men-of-the-match Lewis Toomey (left) and Leon Lobjoit (right) are pictured with match sponsor Bob Blake. Photo: Leighton Town FC.

Bircham’s side ran riot against a side who ply their trade in the same division, with two hat-tricks, a new signing getting off the mark and home fans being left more than happy with what they’d seen.

And Bircham paid tribute to his players, adding the FA Cup is important to his season plans.

He said: “We all want to play in it and get as far as we can. We want to do well in cups – we want to get this club through a few rounds and get a few nice ties.

“Today it was really good. Not just the scoreline, it was the way we took two bloody noses in the first half, which will be good for us as a team.

"They didn’t panic, they stuck to the task. They knew what they had to do and stuck to the shape and got the rewards in the end.”

Baldock had started stronger and opened the scoring two minutes in through Lawrence Ajong but Matty Cooper soon levelled from Leon Lobjoit’s cross and then Lewis Toomey turned in Gary Connolly’s free-kick to make it 2-1.

Baldock answered through Ajong again on 32 but Toomey grabbed his second after running down the left and beating the keeper, then Joe Fitzgerald hammered home after Baldock failed to clear a corner right on half-time.

Nothing changed in the second half and 48 minutes saw another goal. Lobjoit was played through and executed an exquisite chip, the keeper caught in no man’s land.

Six minutes later, Toomey would cap a memorable outing with his hat-trick from the spot. Lobjoit got his second after being set up by Jack Harvey and then completed his own treble, also from the spot, after Fitzgerald was fouled.

On 82 minutes, Archie McClelland scored the ninth goal, latching on to a parry from the keeper and finding the right corner well.

Four days earlier, Leighton had gotten their league season off to a great start with a 3-0 win at home to Stotfold.

Goals came from Harvey, Lobjoit and Cooper against a side that finished the game with nine men.

Reds boss Lee Bircham said afterwards: “It was really good. We got a nice early goal at a good time. I can’t fault them but it’s only one game.”

Next up for Leighton is a trip to London Colney in the league on Saturday.