Andrew Bennett reports:
Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter. George Harrison might not have had the U's in mind when he wrote 'Here Comes The Sun,' but it would have been a perfect song (after 'Coconuts' of course) to play at the Abbey today after United had secured their third win in a row on the warmest day of the year, after a winter whose relentless and unstintingly dismal chilliness had been reflected in the fortunes of our beloved club in their plummet to the icy depths of the Conference strugglers' zone.
Spring is a time of change, of rebuilding and rebirth. It states in the Good Book (Ecclesiastes, 3:1-2, not 'Jordan - My Story') that
"There is an appointed time for everything.
And there is a time for every event under heaven -
A time to give birth, and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted."
Both of today's opposing clubs are in the midst of such throes at the moment, although Histon appear to have taken that last line rather too literally of late. They last met on 4th October, and only seven of the 22 players who started in that 1-1 draw at Bridge Road were in the opening XIs today: Brian Saah, Paul Carden and Danny Crow for the U's, Adam Bygrave, Gareth Gwillim, Erkan Okay and Nathaniel Knight-Percival for the visitors. Some of the missing players were injured, others have been loaned or transferred out, while some it seems were just sitting twiddling their thumbs at home.
Martin Ling understandably kept an unchanged side from that which won at Kettering on Tuesday, although Dan Gleeson returned from injury to replace Laurie Walker on the bench. And Danny Potter and Dave Partridge were welcome sights in the warm-up, indicating that they are on their way back to fitness.
Histon's side had an unfamiliar look to it, so many old favourites discarded in the last few months, but they were skippered by former U Adam Tann and their target man Charlie Sheringham must have taken older U's supporters' minds back to some of the Abbey's sons of famous fathers, like Danny Greaves and Danny Webb. And left-winger Daniel Sparkes was notable for his choice of boots, a truly deafening lilac-and-shocking-pink concoction which would surely have been deemed to too girly even for Lady GaGa, should she ever feel the need to wear football boots to accompany her latest preposterous sartorial creation.
The attendance of 4,417 was over 2,000 down on last season's figure for the clubs' Boxing Day meeting, which even factoring out the Christmas effect demonstrated the supporters' waning enthusiasm for this once-novel fixture which has been dogged with red cards and harsh words for the few years in which it has occurred in the modern era.
But the sun was out, the hat and gloves stayed in the jacket pockets, and there was a genuine sense of optimism amongst the amber faithful that a third consecutive victory was within their heroes' grasp. Histon had won their last game, at home to Tamworth on Tuesday in front of a worryingly low crowd of 350, but that had been only their second victory in ten matches, and they had failed to score in six of those. Their 300 odd travelling supporters were greeted by posters advertising Steve Fallon's forthcoming testimonial match at the Abbey, which must have cheered them up no end.
The atmosphere did not resemble the seething cauldron of yesteryear, but the match was keenly contested from the start, with Carden and Rory McAuley pressing fiercely in the middle, and first chance fell to the hosts on 3 when Simon Russell's free-kick found Kevin Roberts at the far post, but he could not direct his header goalward.
Histon responded with a free-kick of their own three minutes later when Saah was harshly adjudged to have fouled Sheringham. Dead ball specialist Gwillim's set piece was delivered perfectly into the corridor of uncertainty between back four and keeper, but when Knight-Percival knocked it in, he was instantly flagged offside to bring his celebrations to an abrupt end.
It was not the most flowing of spectacles, as one might expect, with much play bogged down in the middle third now the Stutes have abandoned Route One in favour of a conventional 4-4-2, and neither team could really get its passing game going. Carden was targeting visiting playmaker Glen Southam, affording him no time in which to play, but neither winger could find much space in which to operate, and neither keeper was troubled in the early stages.
Calum Willock was an effective target man, something United have been missing this season, and on 9 he hared down the left channel in pursuit of a Russell through ball, but his cross was disappointing with Danny Crow and Scott Neilson waiting in vain. He had more luck, however, in the next attack, and set up Neilson for a shot which was blocked by a sliding Tann.
It was Willock who had the best chance of the day so far on 13. Aiden Palmer lofted a free-kick into the box from deep out on the left, and it fell past the Histon heads straight to Willock, who controlled on his chest eight yards out, then with all the goal at his mercy, he unaccountably prodded a shot straight at keeper David Knight. It was a golden opportunity to open his account for United.
The teams continued to butt antlers to no great effect, the subdued ambience not helping to make proceedings any more exciting, both sides cancelling the other out to a great extent. The U's enjoyed the better of it territorially, but their back four were playing a riskily high line and occasionally Sheringham or strike partner Andy Pugh came close to breaking through down the middle without actually doing so.
On 25 a long Carden free-kick was headed wide by Roberts, but a minute later the contest finally got the controversial incident which it needed. Pugh fell easily under Saah's attentions a few yards outside the box, Gwillim fired the free-kick into the wall, and to everyone's astonishment ref Madley (appropriate name) pointed to the spot. It seems he had judged Crow to have handled a ball which had just been hammered at him at umpteen miles an hour, despite the complete lack of any protestations from Histon, and Crow was even booked for his troubles. No-one could remember any penalty being given in such circumstances before.
Sheringham stepped up and hit it low to Simon Brown's left…but the big keeper got down quickly and scooped the ball superbly over the bar. Great save. Justice! It was the first penalty of six conceded by United this season not to be converted.
At last we had an incident to ignite both teams and supporters, for a few minutes at least. The ref seemed to change sides and awarded United a few rather soft free-kicks, bless his cotton posing pouch, and the hosts tried to bounce back after that wake-up call. Neilson set up Russell for an underhit shot to Knight on 32, Josh Coulson nodded a Russell corner wide when he might have done better, and they created another very good chance on 37.
Neilson was its creator, looking up from deep out on the right and seeing Crow in a big gap between Histon's centre-backs, and he arrowed a superb through ball down the middle for the U's striker to run on to; he was away and clear for a few seconds, but had been caught by the time he reached the box and under pressure, ballooned his shot disappointingly wide. He should have made more of that.
The visitors responded five minutes later when Pugh battled his way down into the area down the left channel then set up Sheringham for a shot, but he miscued hopelessly high and wide. Not very good.
United's last shot of the half went to the industrious Neilson, but a deflection slowed it down to stop it troubling Knight, and after an injury scare involving Coulson, the interval arrived with the atmosphere once again strangely subdued. There had no doubting the effort put in, but real quality had been distinctly thin on the ground.
The half-time break was enlivened by the introduction to the crowd of Mr Fallon, first and always an Abbey legend as well as the greatest manager in Histon's history, and he was accompanied by another popular ex-U in the effervescent Graham Eales.
The game needed an injection of adrenalin from somewhere. The visitors forced the first corner of the second half within a minute of the restart, which Brown dealt with in his usual decisive fashion, and on 49 Neilson found Willock who set up Crow for a shot over. If this trio can develop an understanding over the next few weeks, United will be safe well before the end of the season.
Saah was penalised by the unimpressive ref for a foul on Sheringham on 52, presenting a free-kick opportunity to Southam not far outside the box, but his shot was lashed hopelessly into Row Z of a South Stand occupied by Junior U's in the absence of any significant number of away fans.
Neilson used his considerable pace to break away on 54, but Crow could not control his pass. Two minutes later Histon made their first change, swapping right-backs by withdrawing Okay in favour of the pony-tailed Lanre Oyebanjo.
Just before the hour United created an excellent chance, Neilson latching onto a Crow knock-down, beating his man with a little shimmy to leave the goal at his mercy twelve yards out, but his shot was underhit and Knight was able to dive and palm it away. Once again, a great opportunity for the U's to take the lead had been spurned.
And they regretted in on 63. With two United subs about to enter the fray, Histon gained a throw-in opposite the penalty area on the left, and it was back to old-school Stutes as Gwillim's long throw was flicked on at the near post for Pugh to sneak in and sidefoot home from close range for a soft opener. 1-0.
Dan Gleeson and ex-Histon man Antonio Murray replaced Roberts and Russell, the latter having had his least memorable game in the black'n'amber since he arrived from York. Sparkes shot wide for the visitors, then Saah decided to take the game by the scruff of the neck and strode out for the first of several buccaneering runs forward, ending in a free-kick when he was felled by Tann despite his lay-off having found Murray in space just outside the box. The ref seemed to have missed the page in the rule book relating to the advantage rule.
Crow has knocked in the odd useful free-kick in his time, but this time Carden took responsibility, and soon wished he hadn't as he ploughed it lamely into the wall.
On 67, however, the amber army's anxiety was alleviated. Murray gained possession wide on the left, he cut inside onto his right foot and arrowed a high, curling cross right into the danger zone; Knight flapped under pressure from Willock, and it dropped perfectly for Neilson, who controlled coolly before rifling home past a defender on the line from ten yards. 1-1.
There is already talk of extending the impressive Neilson's loan from Bradford City, and that looks like a must; his pace, skill and goalscoring ability brings to mind another loanee winger from the early Nineties, Neil Heaney.
Tails up, United took the game to their opponents, McAuley heading Neilson's cross over a minute later, and on 71 Willock was withdrawn after another splendid demonstration of the target man's art, in favour of Lee Phillips. And the bustling Cornishman responded with one of his best displays in a United shirt.
On 75 Palmer darted forward on the overlap and crossed for Murray to fire over from the edge of the area, and two minutes later Phillips broke down the left channel but just overhit his cross to Crow when a more accurate ball would have set him up with a tap-in.
Neilson fired wide on 79, Murray fired into Knight's gloves two minutes later, and Southam was replaced by Andrew Tidswell, trundling off the pitch as slowly as he possibly could, a bit like Kingsley Mbome at top speed. Still United pressed, Murray's low cross-shot hacked away for a corner on 83, and their pressure finally told two minutes later.
Neilson's corner was met on the full by Saah near the penalty spot, only for his header to crash against the post. The ball was cleared as far as Carden, almost thirty yards out, and instead of lofting it back into the box, he went for goal. It wasn't a supersonic screamer like his previous two goals for the U's, but it was accurate, flying through a crowded area and scudding into the bottom left corner past a bemused Knight. 2-1!
It was no more than United had deserved. And with the Abbey finally buzzing, it could have been three-one a couple of minutes later when Carden's long free-kick dropped for an unmarked Saah at the far post, but he got his header all wrong and it flew wide.
Histon tried to respond with a couple of free-kicks, and Neilson picked up a booking for bringing Gwillim down, but the U's saw out the four added minutes in impressively controlled style for the victory they had merited.
It had been a relatively uneventful South Cambs derby, but had still had its moments, and a third consecutive victory for United (and six unbeaten) is an immensely heartening response to the crisis brought on by a long winless run and exacerbated by the loss of the Chester points. The wins haven't been classics, and neither really have the performances, but points are what it is all about for now. And the recent additions to the squad show that Martin Ling has a good eye for a player, which will stand the club in good stead when the close season comes around.
For now, we can enjoy the relief of our emergence from that hellish winter and the arrival of spring, both in terms of the seasons and of the blossoming of a new, winning United team. As that great poet Yoko Ono said:
"Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance."
Persevere, ye faithful, and you will ultimately be rewarded…
Statto Corner
United have now won three matches in a row. They last accomplished such a feat last October/November when they sandwiched a win at Kidderminster between two FA Cup victories over Lincoln United and Ilkeston. They last achieved three consecutive wins in the league last April with 2-1 wins over Eastbourne at home and Kettering and Salisbury away.
The U's last won a match from a goal down in the aforementioned Cup win at Lincoln, recovering from Jamie Forrester's shock early goal to run out 3-1 victors. In the league they came back from 2-0 behind to win 4-2 at Chester in August, but now that result has been expunged, their last league win from one down came in the above game against Eastbourne, Lee Phillips and a Chris Holroyd penalty securing the three points.
Today's attendance of 4,417 was the third largest at the Abbey this season, behind the 4,870 which saw the 4-3 defeat by Luton in September and the 4,439 for Stevenage's visit on Boxing Day. The only away crowd larger than that this term was the 7,458 at the 2-2 draw with Luton in November, although Oxford might have something to say about that next month.
After today, Simon Brown is the only United goalkeeper to have a 100% success record in saving penalties, with one out of one. Naturally, the more spot-kicks a keeper faces, the more likely it is that his average will go down; Danny Potter has faced five this season without success and has in total saved three and conceded fifteen in his Abbey career.
Next best record is the 50% of Scott Howie (two saved, two conceded) and Shane Herbert (one each), the 43% of Seventies custodian Graham Smith (three saved out of seven) and the 33% of John Ruddy, Dean Greygoose and Arjan van Heusden. The last season in which no United keeper stopped a penalty was 2004-05.
Veteran midfielder Glen Southam was facing the U's for the sixth time today. He first turned up in a midseason friendly at Bishop's Stortford in 2002, then turned out four times for Dagenham & Redbridge in 2005-06 and 2006-07, finishing on the winning side three times for the Daggers but tasting defeat in his last visit to the Abbey on 9th April 2007, the Conference champions elect shocked 4-2 with goals from Mark Peters, Robbie Simpson, Courtney Pitt and Rob Wolleaston.
Adam Tann played against United for only the second time today since he left the Abbey in 2005, the previous occasion being the Cambs Professional Cup final last August. While in the black'n'amber he played in a total of 137 games, plus ten as sub, scoring eight goals from either right-back or centre-back with the occasional cameo role in midfield.
The England Under-18 international made his U's debut on 11th January 2000 in an Auto Windscreens Shield tie with Barnet, accompanied in the back four by Ben Chenery, Marc Joseph and Clive Wilson in a 2-1 extra-time golden-goal defeat at the Abbey. His last game in United colours was a 1-0 win at Rushden, the club's last win in the Football League (until they return, of course) on the penultimate weekend of the 2004-05 season. Since then he has turned out for Gravesend & Northfleet, Notts County, Leyton Orient and Notts County again before joining Histon this season.
Player Ratings
Brown 8. Safe-as-houses display capped by a superb penalty save.
Roberts 7. Kept it simple and sensible.
Palmer 7. Beginning to rediscover his form and offered decent support going forward.
Coulson 8. Colossal again and should be one of the first names on the team sheet at the moment.
Saah 7. Not at his best at the start, but blossomed as the game went on and produced some terrific buccaneering forward runs in the second half.
Neilson 8. Pacy, hard-working and knows where the goal is.
Carden 8. One of his best recent games and looked really up for it from the beginning. And got one of his 'specials' too.
McAuley 7. Now settling into his midfield role and will undoubtedly continue to improve.
Russell 6. A rare off-day for the York loanee, but he is entitled to one after his tremendous recent form.
Crow 7. A bundle of energy as usual, albeit he fluffed his best chance.
Willock 7. Looks a natural target man and won just about everything aimed at him. Now just needs to work on his finishing.
Murray 7. Good solid contribution including a magnificent cross to create the equaliser.
Phillips 7. Excellent twenty minutes, far better than any match he has started in this season.
Match Summary
Contests with Histon are never pretty, but United continued their encouraging recent run with a doughty performance and after missing several good chances, finally secured a thoroughly deserved victory after giving their village rivals a goal (and a penalty) start. It's all beginning to come together at last.
Man of the Match
Scott Neilson. Energetic, exciting effort in which he did not stick entirely to the right wing but gave Histon most problems with his explosive pace. And he is the best type of winger: a goalscoring one, notching a cool equaliser for his second goal in three games and missing another very good opportunity. Enjoy him while you can.
Ref Watch
Madley 4. Eccentric performance from the aptly-named man in black, awarding Histon the most ridiculous penalty in living memory at the Abbey and showing a complete ignorance of the advantage rule. Not much cop.
Out of the Mouths of Babes
"If the season was starting now, Cambridge United would win promotion." (Tommy Reid)
Soundtrack of the Day
The Chrysanthemums "The Little Dinosaurs, They Sit In Trees Like Funny Owls"
Andrew's previous match reports
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