Final score: Histon 2-0 United 
Competition: FA Trophy 2nd Round
Weather at kick-off: clear
Goals:
Histon: Knight-Percival 45', Wright 51'

Histon:
Danny Naisbitt, Craig Pope, Patrick Ada, Matthew Langston, Gareth Gwillim; Erkan Okay (Matthew Haniver 90'), John Kennedy (Robbie Nightingale 85'), Adrian Cambridge (c), Nathaniel Knight-Percival (Jamie Barker 48'); Antonio Murray, Danny Wright.
Subs not used: Lance Key, Roscoe Hipperson.

Booked: Pope foul 29'; Okay foul 40', Wright not retreating 45', Cambridge foul 57', Nightingale foul 86'

Cambridge United:
Danny Potter, Josh Coulson, Mark Albrighton (c), Michael Morrison; Dan Gleeson, Paul Carden, Rob Wolleaston, Mark Convery, Courtney Pitt (Stephen Reed 71'); Lee Boylan (Leo Fortune-West 60'), Scott Rendell.
Subs not used: Gavin Hoyte, Danny Brown, Robbie Willmott.

Booked: Fortune-West foul 62', Gleeson foul 81'
Sent off: Carden violent conduct 86', Fortune-West violent conduct 90'

Unfortunate to be trailing by a late goal at half-time, United were deflated by Histon's second goal soon after the break and lost their way and their heads to finish with nine men.

Jimmy Quinn made two changes to the side that lost at Wolves, calling up Lee Boylan and Courtney Pitt in place of Danny Brown and Stephen Reed and reverting to a 3-5-2 line-up.

Steve Fallon made one change to the side that won 3-1 at Farsley Celtic, with defender Patrick Ada replacing the injured Mat Mitchell-King.

On a sandy pitch showing signs of the recent heavy rainfall, the match got off to a lively start and Histon survived an early scare when goalkeeper Danny Naisbitt came for a ball right on the edge of his area and referee Langford adjudged that he had not actually handled outside the area.

The home side enjoyed the early territorial advantage and won the first corner after just three minutes when Matt Langston found space in the area for a looping header that Danny Potter tipped over the bar. Four minutes later Pope's ball over the top picked out Wright, and he worked the ball to Murray for a left-footed strike that was pushed away by Potter and cleared by the defence.

United's first chance arrived when Paul Carden cleverly switched play to Courtney Pitt on the left and he cut inside but drove a low shot wide, and as United enjoyed a better spell they also won a 14th minute corner, which was disappointingly cut out by the Histon defence.

Wolleaston was driving things forward from the centre of the United midfield and Carden had a tame shot pushed away on 20, but Histon forced a full-length headed clearance from Morrison moments later when Gwillim overlapped down the left and lifted a dangerous cross into the area.

Four minutes later Pitt made a headed clearance at the far post when Murray lifted a cross towards Okay, releasing Wolleaston to drive forward again, but unfortunately he capped his strong run with a wayward shot out of the ground.

The best move of the game so far came on 28 when Mark Convery and Lee Boylan linked well to carve through the middle before Convery chipped the ball over a defender's head to Rendell in the area, but he was denied by Langston's perfectly-timed recovery tackle.

Moments later Craig Pope received the first booking for a foul on Pitt, after receiving a number of previous warnings for similar challenges, while U's captain Mark Albrighton and Antonio Murray exchanged words after a bad-tempered tangle and Albrighton was lectured at length by Mr Langford.

On 35 United had another good chance when Wolleaston picked out Rendell, who turned and lifted a left-footed shot over the bar from 12 yards.

With the soggy pitch cutting up and some meaty tackles flying in, it was no surprise that another caution followed on 39 when Okay was booked for a two-handed push into Rendell's back. The free kick was awarded on the corner of the penalty area and Wolleaston touched the ball sideways for Convery, but his powerful drive nestled in the sidenetting.

United were on top at this stage and there was a mix-up in the Histon defence on 41 between Naisbitt and Ada, forcing Gwillim to hack the ball away. Convery picked up possession and crossed into the area, where Naisbitt and Rendell clashed as they challenged for the ball, but Histon were awarded the free kick although it was Rendell who stayed down for brief attention from physio Greg Reid.

But just as it looked as though the first half would end with United on top, Histon snatched a stoppage time lead. Gwillim's clearance down the line went for a throw-in that was claimed by both sides, but it was awarded to Histon and Adie Cambridge's trademark long throw fell to Knight-Percival, who flicked a looping back header over Potter and into the far corner of the net.

There was barely time for play to resume and Wright to be booked for preventing Convery from taking a quick United free kick, before the half ended.

Half-time summary from match commentator Mark Johnson:
"In a tight game on a difficult pitch, United have had the better chances but have fallen behind to a soft goal from a long throw on the stroke of half-time. They have it all to do after the break."

Second half:
The second half started at a frenetic pace and Okay made a strong run for Histon, but Coulson ended the move and came away with the ball, while Pitt threatened with a run and cross at the other end.

Histon made an early change on 48 when goalscorer Knight-Percival limped off to be replaced by Jamie Barker and an open, end-to-end spell followed as both sides attacked and counterattacked at pace.

But the game slid further away from United when Histon piled on the pressure with a second goal on 51 following a good move down their left. Antonio Murray held off Michael Morrison and fed the ball to Danny Wright, who wrong-footed Potter with a low drive inside the near post.

The fourth Histon booking came on 57 when Adie Cambridge was booked for bringing down Dan Gleeson on a surface that was beginning to resemble a ploughed field, and Jimmy Quinn changed things three minutes later when Lee Boylan made way for Leo Fortune-West.

The big striker's first action was to clatter into Craig Pope, with whom he had a memorable clash in the Boxing Day fixture, and unsurprisingly he collected United's booking for the foul.

With United now forced to push on looking for goals, Histon were able to threaten on the counterattack and when Wright whipped the ball across the face of goal Josh Coulson stooped to make a good headed clearance.

The second goal seemed to have knocked the stuffing out of the United side and they posed a disappointingly rare threat on 68 when Gleeson delivered a good cross but Wolleaston's header was too close to Naisbitt. Courtney Pitt made way for Stephen Reed on 71 and soon afterwards Fortune-West forced Langston into conceding a corner but another disappointing delivery was easily cleared.

Lacking cohesion and ideas, United's next chance came from a Histon mistake when Ada gave the ball away and Convery lifted the ball towards Fortune-West but the move was ended by the offside flag. Then on 75 Murray's left foot shot was saved by Potter low down to his right, and Cambridge's corner was headed wide by the unchallenged Langston.

With ten minutes remaining and tempers fraying, Paul Carden was warned after his foul on Okay and Dan Gleeson collected United's second booking for impeding Barker as he threatened to break away.

Steve Fallon sent on Robbie Nightingale for John Kennedy in the 84th minute, and he made an almost immediate impression with a late and high challenge on Carden, who reacted with a clip to the back of Nightingale's head. The Histon man escaped with a yellow card but Carden received a straight red for violent conduct to add to a miserable evening for Cambridge United.

It got even worse four minutes later when Fortune-West made a late challenge on Okay. Like Carden he was shown a straight red card and like Carden he will now miss the next three games. In the four minutes of added time Histon's Matthew Haniver replaced Okay, and the final whistle was greeted with disappointed boos by the United fans as their side slid to a third straight defeat.

Referee: Mr Oliver Langford

Att: 1,928 (away 1,136)

Mark Johnson's Match Summary:
"Another FA Trophy disaster for the U's at Histon as United sunk without trace in the Glass World mud. Chaotic scenes at the end saw Paul Carden and Leo Fortune-West sent off in four mad minutes, but the game was long gone before then. Knight-Percival put the home side ahead with a soft goal on the stroke of half-time and after being the better side before the goal, the U's were distinctly second best after it. Danny Wright made it 2-0 five minutes after the restart but United's suffering was not complete until that ignominious finale."

Mark's Man of the Match:
"Mark Albrighton - captained a sinking ship until the end and was one of the few to come out with any credit."

Ref: Mr Langford - started well but let the game get away from him as it went on, with his rather laissez faire attitude. 6/10."

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