Evo-Stick Southern 1 Central
Saturday 4th March 2017
Lance Key will be pleased with a second successive clean sheet at home but a fourth goalless game in five will be cause for concern with just eight games left now to get out of the relegation zone.
Key welcomed Lee Smith and Evan Key (pictured) into his starting XI after both completed their moves from Biggleswade Town and King’s Lynn Town respectively, but was without the suspended duo of Simon Unwin and Ben Yeomans.
The visitors were first to threaten and went close five minutes in when Callum Wright rattled Ayden Duffy’s crossbar with a lovely free kick from 30 yards out. It wasn’t until 20 minutes in that Histon started to offer a threat of their own. Elkanah Sibanda fired a dangerous ball across the area but it eluded everyone and was eventually cleared. Soon after and Matty Allan turned his marker cleverly on the edge of the area before sending a right footed shot goalwards that was well saved low to his left by Melvin Minter in the Town goal.
Five minutes later and Histon fashioned the best chance of the half. Tommy Wright with a deft touch sent Allan away just inside Hanwell’s half. With plenty still to do Allan held off the defenders and made space for himself but his curling left footed shot was inches wide of the far post with Minter well beaten.
0-0 at the break and the game was evenly balanced with little between the teams.
Jake Chambers-Shaw almost broke the deadlock early in the second half when his sot through a crowded penalty area nearly found its way home before Minter palmed it away but with 55 minutes gone the game’s flashpoint came out of nowhere. A Hanwell freekick to the back post was met by Evan Key but what appeared to be a clash of heads erupted with Histon players incensed. The mandatory handbags came out before the Referee dismissed Town’s Tom Duffy and, after consultation with his Assistant, Histon’s Dan Gleeson was also shown the red card.
10 against 10 then for the last half an hour and it was anyone’s game. Key brought on James Carman and Ross Munro to replace the impressive Lee Smith and Matty Allan, who had been the subject of some tough treatment all day and whose game was finally ended by a clash of heads.
Carman looked lively but it was the visitors who so nearly opened the scoring with 10 minutes left on the clock. With Duffy beaten Max York, who had been excellent all afternoon threw himself at a goalbound effort to clear the danger with a spectacular diving header.
The Referee soon indicated at least 6 added minutes would be played and during those tense final moments Histon nearly secured a vital three points. First, York got on the end of Chambers-Shaw’s corner only for his effort to be cleared off the line and with only seconds remaining the ball came to Chambers-Shaw on the edge of the area but his rising shot flew agonisingly just over the bar.
A hard-earned point then that could well prove invaluable come the end of the season, and another clean sheet. The team is certainly looking more solid but the lack of goals will be cause for concern for Key who is still actively pursuing a number of new signings ahead of the registration deadline on 23rd March.
Next Saturday sees promotion hopefuls Barton Rovers visit The Glassworld Stadium in another big game for Histon.
Our thanks to Pascuzzi Brothers & Sons Flat Roofing Specialists for their support.
Histon: Ayden Duffy, Danny Gould, Evan Key, Pat Bexfield, Max York, Dan Gleeson, Matty Allan (James Carman 72), Lee Smith (Ross Munro 72), Tommy Wright, Jake Chambers-Shaw, Elkanah Sibanda.
Histon subs not used: Marcus Hall, Shan Jenkins, Cameron Watson.
Histon Yellow Cards: Max York, Evan Key, James Carman.
Histon Red Card: Dan Gleeson.
Hanwell Town: Melvin Minter, Mark Goodman, Callum Wright, Tom Duffy, Calum Duffy, Joe Chandiram, Zak Joseph, Karim Assaoui, Bill Healey (Jesse Kewley-Graham 46), Kyle Watson, Lamar Simpson (Alex Atkinson 46).
Hanwell Town subs not used: Ricky Pither, Dean Allen, Georges Ehui.
Hanwell Town Yellow Cards: Karim Assaoui, Calum Duffy, Kyle Watson, Mark Goodman.
Hanwell Town Red Card: Tom Duffy.
Attendance: 153.
