Histon went into the last game of the season knowing a win would cement their place in the end of season play offs, but visitors Maidenhead United wasn’t just going to turn up to make the numbers up, Histon manager Steve Fallon stuck to the side that beat Bishops Stortford in midweek, however, Maidenhead was forced to make changes as a car full of players failed to turn up in time due the M11 being closed.
The home side started brightly, within a minute midfielder Ada Cambridge tested Francisco Ramos in United’s goal, wining his side an early corner, and it was corners that opened up chances for the home side with defenders, Steve Jackman and Matt Mitchell-King gong close with headers, with 15 minutes on the clock the home side settled the nerves with the opening goal, Histon attacked down the side, which resulted in Erkan Okay putting the ball across the face of the goal, Ramos managed to get down and get a hand to the ball, but he only managed to palm the ball into the path of Neil Andrews who scored from close range.
On 19 minutes the home side had to reshuffle the defence as Roscoe Hipperson limped off, into the action came Drew Roberts, who has had limited chances in the first team since joining the club due to injury, captain Andrews could have had a first half hat trick, but either the ball went the wrong side of the woodwork, or the goal keeper somehow managed to get something on the ball to save.
A foul on Danny Bloomfield gave the home side another chance to extend the lead, but as the kick came back off the wall, Cambridge lifted the ball over the defence into the path of Roberts, who waited for the ball to came down for the volley, which with just the keeper to beat came crashing off the bar and down the on the wrong side of the goal line
From another home side corner Ramos saved his side again, not just from the head of Mitchell-King but also from a rasping shot that cannoned off the keepers body, and from the rebound the keeper finger tipped the ball over the bar, for yet another corner.
The home started the second half slowly, however United started brightly but the home keeper, Lance Key, had a easy afternoon as the forward line failed to test Key, on 65 minutes the home side doubled their lead, a free kick awarded after a foul on Neil Kennedy, Cambridge floated the ball in to the area for Kennedy to raise unmarked to head home, on 79 minutes the third goal came, and it came from the running from Okay, his dogged run saw the ball run to Bloomfield who hit a mis-cued shot found it’s way to the far post where Roberts put the ball back into the area for Cambridge to head in to send Histon it to the play off semi final.
On a rear attack as the game closed United's Mark Graham feed a ball between two defenders into the path of Neville Roach, but Key was out to narrow the angle and save for a corner.
Histon's Roberts had the perfect chance to add the fourth goal as he was upended in the area, there was little argument from United as the official blew his whistle and pointed to the spot, up stepped Roberts who kept the ball low, but Ramos once more saved his side with a save, but the afternoon ended before the final whistle for the shot stopper as he was forced off the pitch due to a head injury after he and Bloomfield slid in on a 50/50 ball.
Histon : Key, Jackman, Okay, Hipperson [Roberts], Mitchell-King, A Cambridge, Haniver, Andrews [Knight-Percival], Bloomfield, Kennedy [I Cambridge], Barker
Subs Not Used : Davies [GK], Coulson,
Maidenhead United : Ramos [Stevenson], White, Parsons, Bradshaw, Wild [Dell], Partridge, Graham, Romeo, Roach, Saeed-Osman, Bady [Kwakye]
Sub Not Used : Gore,
Referee : Mr P McCaul [Huntingtonshire]
Attendance : 893
Star Man : Okay [Histon]
Match Rating : 3/5