HISTON 2 DAVENTRY TOWN 4
Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands Division
Tuesday 17th August 2021
The Stutes fell to a second successive NPL Midland Division defeat on Tuesday night going down 2-4 to a powerful-looking Daventry Town outfit. Two well-taken goals from Josh Dawkin and Evan Key proved to be the highlight of the night for the home fans but defensive frailties proved to be the home sides downfall.
A healthy crowd of 215 returned to Bridge Road to see their side’s first competitive home match for nine months and to witness the club’s first ever Northern Premier League home fixture in our 117-year history. Lance kept faith with the same starting eleven that had shown plenty of promise at Belper Town the previous weekend, which meant home debuts for five of the starting line-up and a very youthful bench for the Manager to call upon.
It was clear that the Daventry Town forwards would present an aerial threat to the home defence and that proved to be the case within three minutes of the start when Sam Roach had to be at his best to divert a headed effort onto the post. The long throw-in deployed by Daventry’s Bleu McNeil was causing problems for the Histon rearguard, the irony of which was not lost on the home fans who had seen their side benefit from such tactics over the past few years.
The succession of crosses into the Histon box finally paid dividends for the visitors in the 21st minute when Taylor Orosz headed in the opening goal. Two further goals followed shortly afterwards but Josh Dawkin reduced the deficit with the last kick of the first period, sweeping in a loose ball in the Daventry goalmouth. The only previous effort on target from the Stutes had been a free kick from the edge of the Daventry penalty box after Tobi Lawal had been bundled over as he was about to pull the trigger. The home ‘keeper had to react swiftly to keep out Josh Dawkin’s curling effort.
Any hope that the late first half goal would spark a turnaround in the pattern of the game were short lived. Daventry added a fourth goal in the 58th minute from a corner kick but Histon’s refusal to lie down was rewarded with an 87th minute goal from centre-back Ewan Key from a Dawkin cross. A tense finish to the game would have ensued had Alex Stevens-Lee’s shot from distance in added time found the net rather than the crossbar, but the result leaves the Stutes still looking for their first League point of the season.
Histon: Sam Roach, Josh Francis (Bernat Burguera 46), Sam Collison, Bubba Camara, Evan Key, Victor Garcia, Ed Rolph, Tobi Lawal (Marcus Cole 76), Bahador Chizari (Alex Stevens-Lee 46), Josh Dawkin, Andy Ballester.
Histon subs not used: Ediz Greengrass, Luke Lindsay.
Histon yellow cards: None.
Histon goal scorers: Josh Dawkin 45, Evan Key 87.
Attendance: 215.
