Histon 2 County 1 ; Conference North
Main Stand Glass World Stadium.
Familiar defensive frailties saw County slump to another
dismal defeat at the Glass World Stadium against Histon today.
Both sides had chances in an interesting first half,and when
Turner had to be replaced just before the break, we were not unduly alarmed ,
and this view seemed just about right when, 2 minutes into the second half,
Duxbury gave County the lead. County`s elation however, was short lived, as
within 5 minutes Histon had equalised when Peterborough loan man Shaquille
McDonald took advantage of none existent marking to head home the equaliser.
Add another defensive blunder, by Tunnicliffe,with 11 minutes left and that was
that.....County folded and the points were Histon`s!
Desperately disappointing stuff then but none of this was
clouding our vision circa 3 o`clock as the Flyer delivered us to within inches
of what turned out to be a really decent stadium, in good time to get a bacon
butty...some questionable minestrone soup ,and settle down.
County opened reasonably brightly with Verma on the end
of a decent move, but thwarted by a line of red/black shirts. Jacobs kept the
pressure on , and his link up with Turner promised much until Grant Roberts
intervened and lumped the ball clear.
The staple from the home side, at this early juncture,
looked to be the long ball out of deep defence, and just 4 minutes in McDonald
was dashing clear...a veritable blur of speed that made Turner look snail like
in comparison......it was a clear chance but only until Ormson rescued the
situation and charged to the edge of the box to snatch the ball from McDonald
and whack it clear.
A minute later and County had Histon on the rack as
Dennis sneaked clear down the left. Drifting inside, his shot looked worthy of
a goal, and keeper Calum Kitscha added to this impression by stopping it but
not holding onto it. It spun towards goal, but somehow stayed out leaving
County contemplating the consolation of a corner. This had danger written all
over it but Kitscha managed to get a hand to it and stop Tunnicliffe from
snatching an early goal.
Twice after this, Platt did well to block Histon as they
tried to break the seige that County were imposing, but when Histon reverted to
sending it long there was no one on hand as O`Malley darted into space behind
the County back line. It was a chance......or it would have been had the
intended pass been a touch more delicate, but it wasn`t and O`Malley could not
control it.....chance gone!
O`Malley turned provider next , picking Lewis Taafe out
with what looked a decent ball. Again this looked a tasty situation ,and County
were distinctly fortunate that Duxbury had the presence of mind to track back
and cut the forward off before he could
get a shot off. The corner was poor and consequently was cleared easily enough,
but already, despite looking reasonably comfy on the ball,it was clear that
County were vulnerable to the long ball and the pace of McDonald!
The tenth minute kind of had me forgeting this caveat, as
a neat combo involving Verma and Dennis discomforted Histon down the left
flank. It looked good when the ball reached Howard, but his shot drifted just
wide of the post much to Kitscha`s relief.
All this time the long balls kept pinging in from Histon
,and Ormson was doing the sweepers role convincingly well in response!
Gosset then did well to stop Nathan Hicks from reaching
Histon`s latest aerial tester....and then better as he carried the ball out of
defence to link up with Howard whose run and cross picked Dennis out nicely in
front of goal. In came the shot from the ex
Curzon Ashton striker only for the ball to come flying out again as Omar
Beckles wellied it clear off the line.
County seemed to have the whip hand now, an impression
firmed up when Verma forced a corner off David October, after good work by
Platt, but another goal line clearance saw the blues thwarted once
again....then Gosset saw a shot blocked to end a period of dominance from
County.
If Histon were having to defend with a touch of
desperation and an added dash of good fortune......what of County`s sense of
well being? Well............it was as stated previously.....a very tender bloom
indeed....one susceptable to the quick break or long ball, and soon enough
Taffe and October bullied their way past the indifferent County covering down
the left to force Ormson into action to deny them, and he did it again less
than a minute later when Taffe drilled a free kick down the County keeper`s
throat.
So.............to summarise.........both sides looked lively
up front and not that wonderously gifted at the back, so an entertaining game
looked in prospect, and things threatened to liven up even further , on 20
minutes, as Turner turned his man ( yes....he did..... no pun intended!) only
for the ball to brush the defenders hand. This went unpunished by the referee,
and insult was added to injury when Verma failed to put a reasonable chance
away from the resulting loose ball, and Howard`s follow up effort came back out
off a defender.
That was hugely disappointing, but there was no time to
mope , as Histon were in our faces in the shape of McDonald who cut through the
blue cover like the Optimiser Pro Virus would the average un protected PC.......he
was clear , but the ball ran on to Hicks who scuffed his shot well wide of
goal- another chance had gone!
McDonald definately looked a potent threat, and when
Platt lost the ball not long after , another visit to Calamity City was upon us
when Taffe took it away from him. Spotting McDonald in space, Taffe threaded a
decent ball through, but it was a tad too strong and Histon were undone once
again.
Back came County through Howard whose gritty run ended
with a corner. It was a decent one too, and Tunnicliffe met it nicely ,but was
disappointed to see his glancing header drift out beyond the far post!
That was encouraging, and more followed as brilliant work
by Turner had Histon on the rack.- the ball flying fluently from Turner to
Jacobs ......to Howard and on to Dennis who was clear. A shot came quickly from
the Stockport number 10, but somehow Kitscha managed to beat it out bravely.
County kept pressing, but were somewhat unkindly treated
when a foul on Turner was ignored by the referee , allowing the ball to break
to the dangerous McDonald . The forward did well to get a cross off, but it
by-passed Hicks running on instead to Taafe who promptly lifted a gloriously
poor shot way over the bar. Way over or not......County surely must tighten up
!
The blues continued to look passably good going forward
though and Platt linked up well with Dennis to set an interesting move in
motion ,that looked even more of interest when it reached Turner and he pinged
one into the box. It had Dennis written all over it until Dowie took a hand and ushered it clear in the nick
of time!
It went on with County pressing as a Duxbury cross was
headed clear..............a Platt shot charged down......a Dennis effort
blocked – all good stuff but deperately disappointing as well.
The latest period
of County hegemany duly ended when Jacobs leant a touch too much beef to his
intended pass to Dennis, allowing Histon to run the ball up field, and Duxbury
to get himself booked for a poor tackle on Roberts.The free kick discomforted
County and Ormson did well to finish with the ball in his hands, albeit at the
second attempt, after the blues back line had laboured over getting a decisive
clearance in.
This infuriating mix of attacking energy and defensive
lethargy continued to bemuse me as a lazy wave of the leg from Jacobs signalled
to Hicks that he was away and clear with all to play for. Cutting inside he
looked on to score ,but Charnock rallied and a good last ditcher from him was
enough to see off the threat.
Have I said I was bemused? Well......I was ,and my
bemusement continued apace when Roberts lashed a long ball into Taafe`s path
just outside the box. The centre of County`s defence was nowhere....out to
lunch....and a goal was on, until Ormson swept the pill off the forward`s
feet to great acclaim.
This signalled a response from County and Dennis went
close with an effort and another was hacked off the line by someone in
red/black, but this only brought on panic stations for the blues as from
O`Malley`s clearance, McDonald was again darting clear with intent.It might
have been..... perhaps should have been 1-0 to Histon, but it wasn`t, and this
was entirely down to Ormson`s response as he advanced to deny the nippy loan
man ,before despatching the ball somewhere in the direction of
Northamptonshire.
Hicks then undermined County`s confidence with a run that
saw him ignore the attentions of 3 County men ,and get a cross over. Ormson
dealt with it well, but should he have had to?
County were then reduced to 10 as a tackle on Turner saw
him treated prior to exiting the action for the afternoon, being replaced by
Adriano Moke.
The half ended with Histon on the offensive and Ormson in
action yet again diving to push a shot by McDonald around the post, as his defensive colleagues strived apparently
to perfect their traffic cone impressions!
A push by Dowie was spotted by the referee, ending
County`s discomforture, the half time whistle followed soon after and a fairly
competitive first half had run its course.
It was depressing for me to admit that I had Ormson as my
M.O.M at this stage, but perhaps County would rally and despatch my growing
cynisism to the four winds!
I was distracted
during the break, by an appeal for ` a qualified official`. Apparently a
linesman had become incapacitated and couldn`t continue. I pondered offering my
assistance, but concluded that perhaps 3 O levels and 2 years as a hockey
umpire in the Stockport Womens League were not what was required. A long delay
ensued and when the game eventually resumed I was alarmed to see that the
referee had shrunk by about 2 feet! It was one of those days- I told myself!
All this was but a mere baguatel, within 2 minutes of the
re-start as County surged into the lead.
It started with a Howard run down the left and a corner
when October intervened. The kick went to the near post where Dennis headed it
on to Duxbury who forced it home from close in!
That was just what was needed......in fact more of the
same was needed but despite another neat move involving Howard and Moke ,
Gosset `s shot narrowly missed out!
Howard then went close – the keeper saving his header
from Tunnicliffe`s free kick, but it all went decidely pear shaped and just 5
minutes after County had taken the lead!
Shephard began it by tricking his way past Howard. He
then picked Dowie out with his cross , but he fluffed the chance, and the
follow up by Taafe carried the bar.
Danger gone then!..............except it wasn`t because,
when a cross came over from the left...County stood and watched to a man as Mc
Donald headed home in splendid isolation in the box!
That was simply abysmal.............and the cosh
continued to descend on the blues who were looking less and less like winners
as the game progressed.
County tried to respond, but always the approach play was
undermined by dismal finishing as Howard...Verma....Howard again lifted lack
lustre efforts over the top.
Moke.....for a moment looked to have done better ,getting
to the by-line, but when he crashed to the ground under pressure from O`Malley,
I was slightly surprised to see the referee signal a corner rather than a
penalty!
When Histon regained some composure and took the game to
County again it took some resilience from the blues to resist as Taafe and
October harassed the life out of us. A head of steam was building now for our
hosts and County were relieved to see a volley from Hicks deflected for a
corner. Shots rained in ........from Hicks ( blocked) and O`Malley who lifted his shot over the bar.
At the height of all this attacking, I was amazed to see
McDonald taken off.......substituted....I could not believe my eyes ,but
nevertheless couldn`t resist getting to
my feet to applaud.
There was no immediate cessation in attacking from
Histon, as Hicks and Taafe brought the best out of Duxbury, but County did have
a go at getting back into the driving seat only for Kitscha to deny Verma with
a good save, and Tunnicliffe to surprise us with an energetic run up field that
saw him into the box. He then went to ground midst a mix of flailing limbs and
appealing glances, but the referee was not impressed and County got nothing
from it.
Gosset then completed his stint in County colours,
leaving the scene to a decent reception, as County struggled to contain Histon
as a welter of free kicks were conceded in difficult positions- one such
skidding off Platts head for a corner which saw County`s number 7 in action
again clearing Hicks shot off the line!
There was time for a decent County move to be wasted ,and
a shot from Dennis to drift just wide , before County took the suicide route
once again via Tunnicliffe , who is proving a master in this regard. The move
started with Hicks, but seemed to have been sorted when his cross headed for
Ormson, but for some reason Tunnicliffe,
faced with a ring of red/black shirts some yards away, elected to make it his,
compounding the felony by then passing the ball to the opposition rather than
wellying it into the middle distance.In a flash Taafe had it and it another it
was 2-1 to Histon as he had lashed it home. Simply too gruesome a happening for
me to comment on any further!
Tunnicliffe did try to make ammends following a break from deep by Platt but haste got the
better of precision and his shot left the ground with some to spare.
County did much of the attacking in the last 7 or 8
minutes that remained ,but it mattered not.....the damage was done, and try as
they might they were not going to get that equaliser,and the game ended disappointingly with the blues pointless.
The Flyer made excellent time on the way back which was
good but hardly adequate compensation for what had gone before.
Will I be back for more though.......yes of course and, I
guess so will you!
County line up:
Ormson, Jacobs, Tunnicliffe, Charnock, Duxbury, Platt, Gosset
(O Halloran 72), Verma( Windsor 82), Howard, Dennis, Turner ( Moke 43).
Subs not used ;
Jones, Fagbola.
Histon line up:
Kitscha, O`Malley, October, Roberts, Beckles,Grant,
Dowie,Taafe, Shephard, Hicks, McDonald.
Attendance : 508 (
255)
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