The Bucks were pegged back three times at Hitchin, as a 3-3 draw at Top Field saw Wilkin’s men miss an opportunity to close on the leaders.

The Bucks made a slow start to the game but opened the scoring against the run of play in the 21st minute thanks to Ricardo Dinanga. Matty Stenson threaded a ball through the Hitchin defence, and Dinanga tucked the ball past Seb Stacey in the Hitchin goal.

The hosts found an equaliser just eight minutes later though, when Harry Titchmarsh was left unmarked to head home from close range. But the Bucks went into the break 2-1 up thanks to Remi Walker’s 40th minute strike. Dinanga played a ball in from the left, and Walker switched the ball onto his right and fired it low past Stacey to his right from 10 yards.

In the second half, both sides had good chances to add to the scoring. The Canaries skidded a couple of shots narrowly wide of the Bucks’ goal, before Stacey makes a terrific block with his legs to somehow keep out Orrin Pendley’s thumping downward header. Moments later, Dinanga had an effort pushed away by the Hitchin keeper, with Jordan Cranston subsequently flashing the ball across the box, but no-one was on hand to turn it home.

There was then a flurry of three goals in five minutes, as the game reached a thrilling climax. First, Luke Stokoe hit a brilliant strike from 25 yards to beat Brandon Hall and draw the hosts level in the 78th minute. The Bucks were back in front a couple of minutes later when Reece Styche turned in Cranston’s cross. But the hosts drew level for a third time in the 83rd minute, when Henry Snee fired home a penalty after Pendley was adjusted to have handled when sliding to win the ball in the box.

The 3-3 draw keeps the Bucks in 3rd, five points behind leaders Kettering.