Competition: Blue Square Premier
Weather at kick-off: overcast
Goals:
Histon: Mitchell-King 53'

The toothless U's had enough chances to win at Histon but were foiled by poor finishing and goalkeeper Danny Naisbitt.

Jimmy Quinn made one change to the side that beat Histon on Boxing Day and drew against Burton on Saturday, calling up Leo Fortune-West to the attack in place of Lee Boylan.

Steve Fallon also made one change to the side that lost 2-1 at Exeter on Saturday, with striker Antonio Murray returning from suspension in place of Jamie Barker to form the same team that started at the Abbey six days ago.

The opening minutes were edgy and cautious but Stephen Reed had an early shot charged down and United won the first corner after four minutes when Leo Fortune-West was closed down in the area and the ball was cleared to Dan Gleeson on the right. His looping cross was tipped onto the roof of the net by Danny Naisbitt's fingertips and the corner cleared.

The play continued in a disjointed fashion punctuated by free kicks and throw-ins, although Rob Wolleaston saw his 20-yard drive blocked and when Scott Rendell was brought down by Langston on 15 Reed's free kick from 30 yards was cleared.

United's offside trap frustrated Murray and Wright on occasions but Histon earned their first corner on 21 when Wright got behind the U's defence and his cross was hacked behind by Mark Albrighton, Scott Rendell heading Gwillim's flagkick away.

Potter was called upon for the first time halfway through the first half when he smothered Antonio Murray's shot low down, and two minutes later he produced a superb save when Okay's good cross was met with a downward header by Danny Wright, turning it round the post low down with one hand.

The U's keeper punched away the resulting corner, and three minutes later Langston cleared a Reed flagkick. On 35 a good move through midfield saw Pitt's ball feed Fortune-West in the area, and although he was muscled off the ball Rob Wolleaston controlled the loose ball, turned and drove a fantastic shot from 25 yards that Naisbitt turned round the post at full-stretch.

United were denied a free kick on the edge of the area when Rendell won a header and brought the ball down as Langston tried to take the shirt off his back, but the U's went close to scoring on 41 when Pitt's low cross to the edge of the area was touched by Rendell to Wolleaston whose powerful shot deflected just wide off Adrian Cambridge.

Reed's resulting corner dropped to Albrighton but the Boxing Day scorer sliced a volley wide, and although United had been camped in Histon's half for the last ten minutes the first half ended all square.

Half-time summary from match commentator Mark Johnson:
"A half that started and ended with United on top, but saw Danny Potter again making a vital save. It's on a knife edge."

Second half:
United again started brightly and Wolleaston had a cross blocked by Gwillim, while the same player put a Reed cross behind for a corner that Mark Peters headed over the bar.

But Histon took the lead on 53 when Cambridge's free kick over the top was nodded on by Langston, and Matt Mitchell-King nipped by Fortune-West as the ball bounced on the edge of the box to poke it past the sprawling Potter from close-range.

Wolleaston saw a 25-yard effort caught by Naisbitt and then there were chances at both ends on 58 when Wolleaston's ball into the area was met by Rendell with an overhead kick but Naisbitt reacted smartly to push it away, and as Histon counterattacked Murray advanced to the edge of the area but trundled the ball wide of the far post.

United carved out another good chance on 62 when Fortune-West cleared a Histon corner and United raced away, Reed delivering a first time cross into the area but Scott Rendell volleying over from seven yards.

Histon wasted their own golden opportunity five minutes later when referee Graham Wright waved play on and Okay released Wright to cut into the area, but he fired a shot well over the bar from eight yards, and Mark Albrighton was then booked for foul earlier in the move.

Morrison was unfortunate to follow him into the book on 72 when he challenged Murray for a ball and the Histon striker ran into him and went down easily on the edge of the 'D'. The resulting free kick went through the legs of the players in the wall, drawing a good stop from Potter, but the whistle had already blown and Kennedy was booked for pushing in the wall.

Jimmy Quinn withdrew Rendell on 75 to send on the fresh legs of Lee Boylan, and two minutes later sent on teenager Robbie Willmott for Wolleaston, who seemed pick up an apparent ankle injury in the opening minutes of the half.

Dan Gleeson picked out a good cross in the 79th minute for Fortune-West but the big striker's downward header bounced wide, and a minute later Josh Coulson replaced Mark Peters who had taken a knock a few minutes earlier.

Histon's Jamie Barker replaced Wright on 81, and soon afterwards Stephen Reed's shot from the left was blocked by Mitchell-King and fell for Albrighton whose neat cross from the edge of the box was cleared behind but the corner was headed away.

With the pace dropping in an increasingly scrappy game, and United looking short of imagination and ideas, Pitt launched a ball into space from deep that ran all the way through for Naisbitt. But on 89 Boylan raced into space on the right and his volley was turned wide by Naisbitt, Reed's corner was cleared to Danny Brown and the captain's ambitious effort from 30 yards rose over the bar.

Two minutes into stoppage time Boylan raced onto a hopeful ball from the U's defence as it bounced into the Histon area but his low volley from a tight angle was smothered by Naisbitt, and moments later the final whistle signalled celebrations from the home contingent in the largest ever crowd at the Glass World Stadium.

Histon:
Danny Naisbitt, Craig Pope, Matthew Mitchell-King, Matthew Langston, Gareth Gwillim; Erkan Okay, John Kennedy, Adrian Cambridge (c), Nathaniel Knight-Percival; Antonio Murray, Danny Wright (Jamie Barker 81').
Subs not used: Lance Key, Neil Kennedy, Robbie Nightingale, Patrick Ada.

Booked: Kennedy foul 74'

Cambridge United:
Danny Potter, Michael Morrison, Mark Albrighton, Mark Peters (Josh Coulson 80'); Dan Gleeson, Rob Wolleaston (Robbie Willmott 77'), Danny Brown (c), Stephen Reed, Courtney Pitt; Leo Fortune-West, Scott Rendell (Lee Boylan 75').
Subs not used: Mark Convery, Gavin Hoyte.

Booked: Albrighton foul 67', Morrison foul 72'

Referee: Mr Graham Scott

Att: 3,721 (away 1,630)

Mark Johnson's Match Summary:
"A defeat as disappointing as the performance and poor defending to boot - not a good day at the office as United began the year with a defeat. United started and ended the first half well, but the rest wasn't good as Histon gained revenge for their Boxing Day loss. Worryingly, although United were by and large more solid in defence, you never got the feeling they'd find the net and they have now scored just once in their last four Blue Square Premier games. Not the ideal start to 2008 - Happy New Year."

Mark's Man of the Match:
"Danny Brown - put his foot in in the middle of the park and tried to drive United forward on an otherwise disappointing day. Honourable mention for Danny Potter for another virtuoso save."

Ref: Mr Scott - didn't seem to make any howlers and was slightly better than a poor match. 6 /10."

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