Competition: Blue Square Premier
Weather at kick-off: sunny
Goals:
Histon: Langston 90'
United: Holroyd 81'

After a first half in which United barely threatened and were fortunate not to fall behind, they took the game by the scruff of the neck and finally made the pressure pay with Chris Holroyd's goal ten minutes from time, but Histon hit back and finally beat Danny Potter with a deflected last minute shot.

Martin Ling made one change to the side beaten at Grays on Tuesday, calling up striker Danny Crow in place of Lee Phillips, while Histon manager Steve Fallon also made one change to the side that beat Eastbourne, with defender Adam Bygrave replacing the suspended former U's man Adam Tann.

After an even start, Histon had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the sixth minute when Danny Wright was picked out in space near the penalty spot with Josh Simpson also close by, but as the striker shaped to shoot Anthony Tonkin made a great covering challenge to nick the ball off his toe.

The U's defence held an inquest about why Wright had been given so much time and space, and a minute later Courtney Pitt brought down former team-mate Simpson, who was playing in an advanced role just behind Wright, and Nathaniel Knight-Percival headed the free kick wide.

The teams traded fouls and free kicks in a high-tempo but scrappy opening, and a lot of passes went astray as neither side were able to gain the upper hand and get on the ball.

The frenetic pace was summed up with a chance at each end in the 16th minute when Histon keeper Naisbitt made a poor clearance and Paul Carden saw the opportunity but blazed the ball out for a throw-in from 35 yards, and at the other end Kennedy and Barker linked to feed Knight-Percival but Danny Potter made a great initial save and Brian Saah blocked the rebound.

Histon threatened again on 19 when Pope's cross was met by Erkan Okay but Potter saved the header, then on 23 the home side won another corner, which was headed wide by Craig Pope, and they went closer a minute later when Simpson's vicious shot across the area deflected off Gleeson for a corner met by Knight-Percival on the volley but he flashed the shot over the bar.

With United looking disorganised and vulnerable, Histon's best chance yet came on 27 when Carden uncharacteristically gifted the ball to Wright who charged through one-on-one against Potter, but with all the goal to aim at he put it wide of the post.

Referee Mr Malone was refereeing sensibly, preferring to speak to the players rather than produce cards, but after a number of earlier warnings Kennedy was booked for persistent infringement in the 29th minute for a foul on Wayne Hatswell.

The U's defender enjoyed United's best chance of the half on 37 when Carden was fouled and Jai Reason's free kick was crossed back in but Hatswell nodded over the bar, and the home side responded with a free kick by Gwillim to Okay, whose shot was blocked by Tonkin and ran through to Potter.

United finished with their best spell of the half as Robbie Willmott had a couple of free kicks headed away and Tonkin delivered a couple of crosses into the area, one of those dropping to Chris Holroyd on 43, but he got the ball caught in his feet and couldn't get the shot away before he was closed down.

Half-time summary by match commentator Mark Johnson:
"A half from which United will feel fortunate to escape without being behind. Rarely looking dangerous going forward, often looking in trouble at the back, much improvement is needed for the second half."

Second half:
The atmosphere had been lacking in the first half, but United's players were sent out onto the pitch early for the second half and started with pace and purpose as they attacked the end behind which the U's fans were gathered.

Early crosses from Holroyd, Willmott and Crow were cleared before Willmott drew a save from Naisbitt with a looping cross on 49, and two minutes later Knight-Percival caught Gleeson's forehead with an elbow and was rightly booked, although the U's defender followed him into the referee's book a minute later when he sought retribution with a similar foul on the Histon man.

Willmott tried again from a free kick on 54 when Holroyd was brought down by Okay, but his 35-yard drive was blocked by Kennedy , and four minutes later, with United looking far more animated and threatening, he fired wide from 20 yards out on the left.

Chances followed for both sides on the hour as Kennedy rolled an underpowered shot wide from outside the area, then Courtney Pitt's powerful shot from the edge of the area was blocked and spun behind for a corner, encouraging further volume from the U's fans behind the goal, but Holroyd's looping header was saved.

Histon threatened immediately afterwards as Josh Simpson raced onto the long ball, touching it beyond Tonkin and drawing a superb full-length save from Potter, who made another great save from the resulting corner when he tipped Pope's header over the bar, but the action was even and breathless in this half and Gleeson led a charge down the right and crossed to where Danny Crow was haring through the middle to meet it with a diving header, but Naisbitt made a great save and the offside flag would have ruled it out anyway.

With no chance to draw breath, Wright nodded a 65th minute clearance on to release Simpson one-on-one with Potter but he hit a hesitant shot at the U's keeper, and as play swung again to the other end Pitt's 25 yards shot was well parried by Naisbitt, and although it ran to Crow, Gwillim blocked the follow-up.

Fallon made a double change on 68 to send on Neil Andrews and Peterborough loanee Billy Crook in place of Kennedy and Barker, just before Hatswell's 35-yard free kick was blocked by Pope, and a minute later Naisbitt made another good save to push Pitt's 20-yard drive behind.

With United in the driving seat and both sets of fans in full voice, Willmott's corner was headed away and Crow nodded the follow-up wide, Pitt forced Naisbitt to tip his shot behind and a Hatswell cross was tipped over by the busy Histon keeper.

Feelings were running high and Okay was booked for throwing the ball away 74, then Tonkin, who was regularly causing problems with his overlapping runs down the left, cut in and drilled a shot over the bar. United rained crosses into the area from all over the pitch but Histon's defence somehow managed to stand firm until the 80th minute when Tonkin's cross flicked off Gwillim for a corner.

Jai Reason touched the ball to Pitt in a well-worked short corner routine, the winger whipped the ball in and Chris Holroyd got the final touch with his left foot to put United ahead, sending the United fans into raptures.

Fallon made his final change immediately, sending on debutant Sam Long for Okay, and after Willmott had mis-hit a shot wide from 18 yards Martin Ling made his first and only change to send on Lee Phillips for Crow with three minutes remaining.

United looked set for a welcome return to winning ways after their second half turnaround but with a minute remaining Hatswell brought down Wright just outside the area and was perhaps unfortunate to be booked too, in view of some of the unpunished challenges earlier in the game.

Billy Crook took the free kick and Potter made a brilliant save to deny him a debut goal as he curled the free kick round the wall, but from the resulting corner Hatswell cleared the ball behind, but at the next flag kick Langston's downward header bobbled in the goalmouth and seemed to take a ricochet on its way into the net.

United had a chance almost from the restart as Carden lashed just wide, but the added four minutes passed very quickly and the match ended with honours even, leaving both teams feeling they might have won the game.

Histon:
Danny Naisbitt, Craig Pope, Matt Langston (c), Adam Bygrave, Gareth Gwillim; John Kennedy (Neil Andrews 68'), Jamie Barker (Billy Crook 68'), Erkan Okay (Sam Long 82'), Nathaniel Knight-Percival; Josh Simpson; Danny Wright.
Subs not used: Michael Frew, Joe Welch.

Booked: Kennedy 29' foul, Knight-Percival 51' foul, Okay 74' dissent

Cambridge United:
Danny Potter, Dan Gleeson, Brian Saah, Wayne Hatswell, Anthony Tonkin; Robbie Willmott, Paul Carden (c), Jai Reason, Courtney Pitt; Chris Holroyd, Danny Crow (Lee Phillips 87').
Subs not used: Mark Beesley, Josh Coulson, Andy Parkinson, Sam Ives.

Booked: Gleeson 52' foul, Hatswell 90' foul

Referee: Mr B. Malone

Attendance: 2,371 (away 1,168)

Post-match summary by commentator Mark Johnson:
"An improved second half from United saw them take a point from the local derby. Histon dominated the first hour of the match but United took over thereafter but the key was that U's scored when they were on top, and Histon didn't. The home side could and should have been two up by the break and United almost made them pay for their profligacy when Chris Holroyd scored, but as ever there was a sting in the tail and an equaliser in stoppage time cost United the three points."

Mark's Man of the Match:
"Danny Potter - made a number of very good saves. Honourable mentions for Wayne Hatswell, who was immense against Danny Wright, and Danny Crow who worked his socks off again."

Ref: Mr Malone - excellent; he let the game flow, he talked to the players when he needed to and booked them when he had to. 8/10."

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