A hat-trick from local boy Kian Harness fired Royston Town to a come from behind victory in the derby clash at home to Hitchin Town.

Diogo Freitas Gouveia had put the Canaries in front in the Southern League Premier Division Central match at Garden Walk, but by the time he added his and his team's second with two minutes to go, the treble from Harness and another one for Matt Bateman had given the Crows a 4-2 success.

Home boss Steve Castle was thrilled with his young forward's impact.

He said: "It’s amazing what a goal does to a person's confidence.

"I’m really pleased for Kian, not only is he local but he is a fantastic lad to boot. 

"He’s had to be patient and he’s come in to a position that is a little bit foreign to him, a little bit wider, and he didn’t start the greatest but after the goal, he just grew in confidence. 

"It was a fantastic hat-trick, he was on fire."

Ever the perfectionist, Castle was tempted to pull his team up on one or two minor points after the final whistle but opted to let the squad bask in the glow of a job well done.

The manager said: "Hitchin are a very good team and looked free of nerves whereas we just looked anxious in certain phases. 

"But that second half is arguably the best football we have played, in patches. 

"I’ve just said in the dressing room, there’s a big part of me wants to be nit-picking and a bit negative but they deserved the victory. 

"There were good pockets of play from all the lads going forward. 

"At certain times there were wrong choices in midfield but that got better. 

"We weren’t out of the game in the first half but Hitchin deserved their lead. 

"To go in at 1-1, gave us the platform to push on." 

There was the sight of another youngster, Matty Crowther, getting his Crows debut as well in the second half.

That was another positive for the boss.

He said: "It’s no secret we have a fair share of injuries and suspensions. 

"I’m sure Hitchin had a few out too but we’ve had Matty on the bench a few times and you have to be careful you don’t kill the lad with your confidence. 

"But he came out and looked quite assured, I’ve known him since he was nine and it was nice. 

"Technically we have a good footballer that we can start bedding in alongside other seasoned players."

One person leaving Garden Walk though is Dan Newton who the club say "has decided to leave for personal reasons and feels that joining a step four c lub will require less commitment on his time".