Hitchin quickly shook off a 78-7 hammering at the hands of Brunel University one week earlier to record a derby day win at Datchworth.

The 38-21 win in Counties One Herts Middlesex didn't start off in the best way though.

Playing up the hill in the first half, they found the Men in Green, playing under a new coaching regime, immediately applying pressure and scoring.

After a penalty was kicked into the corner and the line-out won, Alex Lloyd-Williams embarked on a mazy run, evading three tackles to touch down.

But Hitchin came back, the clever kicking of fly-half Adam Miles partly responsible.

And when he kicked into the corner for a five-metre line-out, centre Simon Taylor caught the opposition off guard and came back inside where footwork and momentum got him across.

A second try soon followed, Adam Baird getting onto a handling error by the home side and James Bolter picking up from a ruck and tumbling out of a tackle.

Another penalty put into the corner brought try number three, Baird coming on at it with unstoppable speed, and they were boosted further when Datchworth's Harry Elleston was sent to the sin-bin for 10 minutes.

Datchworth upped their resilience to get to half-time still 19-7 down but they conceded a fourth try on 50 minutes, Ryan Godfrey's lobbed kick through bouncing perfectly for Jack Maydom to stride in under the sticks.

Datchworth were never truly out of it though and Lloyd-Williams powered off the back of a 5m scrum to get his second try and it led to the hosts' best spell of the game.

But just as it appeared they would pull the gap back to a score, a penalty against them allowed Hitchin to first get out of their own 22, and then pass their way up the field where skipper Frazer McGown spotted a gap in the defence to score try number five.

The Hedgehogs got their sixth and final try after good work from Ewan Rawlings, Ciaran Sale getting it, but the final score belonged to the village side, a brilliant individual effort from Ollie Barnes with Murray Bond making it three from three with conversions.

The win puts Hitchin up to fifth with a game against Ruislip at home on Saturday.

Datchworth, who are 11th, go to Fullerians, the side directly above them in the standings.

Hitchin's second team fought valiantly with a numerical disadvantage before succumbing to a 34-19 defeat to Hertford.

Man of the match Ryan Arbon bagged two tries and Marcus Moore one, with two conversions from Pete Stanbury.

They make the short trip to Letchworth for a cup match next.

Letchworth's first team meanwhile made it three wins from three in Regional One South East, beating Bedford Athletic 48-21 at home.

The pack got the ball rolling with a line-out drive, Tim Hughes scoring and Josh Sharp converting, and returning winger Tatenda Gurure then got in on the act to make it 12-0.

Charlie Parkhouse was next over, finishing off after Rick Streets had intercepted, and Hughes brought up the bonus point from a line-out maul to make it 24-0.

Bedford got two converted tries in the final 10 minutes of the half but the line-out continued to be profitable for Letchworth, Hughes taking his own tally up to four as the home side moved 34-14 in front.

Athletic kept in touch with a third try of their own but Chris Gibbs, moved to scrum-half for the second half, darted over to end the resistance while Kyle Hughes wrapped it with an eighth try, Sharp converting both.

Stevenage Town meanwhile started their Counties Three Herts Middlesex season with a 27-17 loss at home to Finsbury Park.