No video this week as nobody turned the camera on, but here is an eye witness report from the game.
Matt and Mark’s Histon side took all three points from a windswept Riverside Ground to further boost our play-off hopes and leave GNG Oadby Town in deep relegation trouble. In a game severely affected by a gale blowing down the length of the pitch the first half was goalless, but with the wind at their backs in the second period, the Stutes made their superiority count, hitting five unanswered goals.
Oadby started the game with the wind behind them and looking like they had a point to prove after their three-goal defeat at Daventry Town in midweek. With an eight point deficit to make up on third from bottom Sileby Rangers, their urgent need to kick-start their revival was apparent as they tried to make the most of a game which was at times chaotic and in parts almost farcical due to the blustery wind.
It was not a day for flowing, attractive football. As much as the Stutes tried to play their normal game, the wind blew every forward pass off course. Crosses into dangerous areas simply hung in the air, begging to be headed clear by a grateful Oadby defender. Only once did a pass beyond the Oadby back line find its way to Connor Barnes with space to run into, but the Histon marksman was foiled by the home keeper. Similarly, Oadby’s best and perhaps only chance of the first half came to nothing when their striker mis-controlled the ball on the bumpy surface.
Based on the first 45 minutes, it looked likely this could develop into a game when the conditions would win the day. Even the ever-reliable Connor Barnes couldn’t break the deadlock from the penalty spot after Theo Goddard had been wiped out as he burst into the penalty area; Barnes’ attempt coming back off the bar.
But after the break, and with the wind at their backs, M&M’s game plan came to fruition. It is no exaggeration to say that Oadby didn’t get out of their own half for the next 20 minutes. Oadby goal kicks held up in the wind and failed to reach the half way line, giving the Histon back line the freedom to push forward and squeeze the hosts into their own third of the pitch. It was a position from which they were unable to escape.
Ten minutes of persistent pressure on the home goal concluded with Jordan Foster nipping between a gaggle of defenders to clip the ball over the advancing goalkeeper and into the vacant net. But that was just the start. The onslaught was relentless and was intensified with the introduction of Deacon Pattison from the bench.
With 60 minutes on the clock, Theo Goddard sent over a corner from the right with pinpoint precision that Max York nodded in despite the attempts of a defender on the line. Two minutes later, the same routine produced the same result, this time a bullet header from the skipper.
With the hosts now looking like a broken side, yet another set piece caused mayhem in the box and Connor Barnes poked home to make it 0-4. And with the game going into added time, Goddard curled in yet another wind-assisted corner kick that the keeper could only push into the net at his near post.
It was a comprehensive win for the Stutes, but only after weathering the storm for the first 45 minutes and using the conditions to their advantage in the second half. The fifth win in six games keeps Histon well in the mix for the end of season showdown, but there is plenty of work yet to be done, starting with the visit of Newport Pagnell Town to Bridge Road next weekend.
