Histon FC 3 - 0 Crawley Town

Tuesday 8th April 2008 - Histon FC 3 - 0 Crawley Town - BSP

Histon recorded their biggest home league win of the season although for the first 40 minutes it didn't look like either side had the energy to muster a shot on target. Many in the crowd could have been forgiven if they were wishing they'd stayed at home or in the bar to watch another match or that they could have been listening to Dave Remnant and Neil Andrews on Radio Cambridgeshire doing their best to liven up the the game for the listener. As it was most of the first half consisted of a lot of animation from Crawley's boss, Steve Evans, and an orchestrated charade between Crawley's keeper, Ashley Bayes, and defender, Bradley Thomas, whenever a goal kick or free kick near the visitors penalty area was to be taken. The choreography was something like this; the defence push up the field in anticipation of a long goal kick or free kick, Bayes would set the the ball down and as he was doing so the defender realising he was supposed to take the kick ambled back to do his kicking duty. Despite slowing the game down in this way Crawley did have a few attacking opportunities in the first half, forcing eight corners which they were never in a hurry to take and having a shot in the tenth minute hit the post which Stutes keeper, Danny Naisbitt, might have got a finger tip to, but apart from that strike they did little to threaten the Histon goal. The attacking action was pretty non-existent at the Crawley end until in the 41st minute Nat Knight-Percival headed the ball to Danny Wright who controlled it and passed onto Antonio Murray who turned and hit a first time shot to register Histon's first shot on target. A couple of Histon corners then came in quick succession and it was as if the home side had woken up. A minute before half time Gareth Gwillim surprised the Crawley defence by throwing the ball short to Murray who then had the space to move towards the edge of the penalty area and hit a delightful right foot shot from 25 yards past Bayes into the top corner of the goal.

Half time 1 - 0.

Histon started the second half as they had finished the first and within five minutes had extended their lead. Naisbitt kicked the ball forward and it went through to Jack Midson on the right of the Crawley box, he controlled it well and hit it over his head across goal where it was met by Murray who scored his second of the game and 16th of the season. Five minutes later Crawley had a free kick 25 yards out in a central position, Thomas Pinault was booked for taking the kick before the ref was ready, his shot having hit the referee. The resulting free kick was blasted over the bar. Five minutes later the referee was surrounded by several Crawley players demanding that Wright be booked for a challenge on the goal line. No one could have disagreed with the award of a Crawley free kick but the booking was questionable and Wright needed to be careful not to react after that to the constant manhandling of himself by the Crawley defenders. A Gwillim corner from the left fell nicely for Matt Langston and he duly shot the ball in the net to score his fourth goal of the season. With a quarter of an hour to go a Robbie Nightingale corner was in the back of the net, but he referee indicated pushing and gave the defenders a free kick. Adrian Cambridge came on for Nightingale. Crawley managed a shot from outside the area which Naisbitt saved. With five minutes to go Murray passed to Wright who advanced on the Crawley goal from the left and his strong shot was tipped over the bar by Bayes. Jamie Barker cam on to replace Wright and Neil Kennedy replaced John Kennedy. A fourth goal was not forthcoming and some good defensive play ensured that the visitors didn't manage to trouble Naisbitt again despite having some pressure in the final few minutes.

Histon kept their first clean sheet for 11 games, which delighted manager Steve Fallon, and first clean sheet at home since beating Cambridge United in January - the win lifts the Stutes above Forest Green Rovers to 7th in the table.