United make the short trip across the A14 this evening for their televised Blue Square Premier clash with Histon. Slowly becoming a traditional local derby, the game will have added spice due to us being rivals in a hotly-contested promotion race. The Stutes cemented second place with a 3-0 win at struggling Lewes on Saturday, and sit just two points ahead of Gary Brabin's third-placed U's.

Histon's well-documented and impressive rise through the non-league pyramid saw them take their place in the BSP last season. Their campaign began with a credible four wins and two draws from ten games, including eye-catching scalps at Ebbsfleet, Northwich and Grays. This in contrast to home form which saw them defeated by Aldershot, Farsley and Torquay. In fact, just four wins unfolded for the Glass World faithful prior to Christmas, but their away form was only bettered by the table-topping Shots and a resulting push for the play-offs ensued.

However, form stuttered after the U's had inflicted a 1-0 Boxing Day defeat at the Abbey and four losses in six games saw a drop to eleventh. Late February then saw successive away wins over Burton and Weymouth sandwiched by a home victory over York, which added impetus to their promotion challenge. Unfortunately, inconsistent results played a part, and although a ten-game unbeaten run-in meant they finished on a high in seventh place, hopes of a tilt at the play-offs were gone.

Nevertheless, Fallon's men shocked and out-boxed plenty of sides throughout the campaign, surprising the opposition with their undoubted team spirit and determination. As United fans know all too well, any team boasting John Beck amongst the coaching staff will be well drilled, fit and psychologically fine-tuned for every match, so it is easy to see why they started the current campaign in such formidable style.

Off the pitch, improvements have been made to the stadium, with spectator facilities enhanced and a new grandstand installed, bringing the Glass World up to Football League standards. Furthermore, since our last league visit a new seated area has been erected, part of which will be utilised by United fans tonight.

The Squad

In goal Danny Naisbitt has been a regular since his move from Cambridge City, whilst protecting him in the back-line are imposing centre-halves Patrick Ada, who has seen Football League service at Exeter, and Matt Langston, who bagged the FA Cup winner against Leeds last November but unfortunately celebrated by getting himself sent-off in FA Trophy match with United shortly after. Despite the recent arrival of Adam Bygrave from Weymouth, the partnership is proving tough to crack this season, as a healthy defensive record this season will testify.

The full-back positions are filled by left-sided Gareth Gwillim and Lanre Oyebanjo, whose dominance on the opposite flank was rewarded with the October BSP Player of the Month accolade. The wide men are ably supported by bench-warmer Craig Pope.

In central midfield, Fallon generally plumps for the talents of ex-Mildenhall man Matt Mitchell-King and former-U Josh Simpson. The former has laid down his central-defensive hat this season for a successful move into the holding role, and returned to the side at Lewes last Saturday following a back injury.

Simpson (above) has generously assisted the strikers with eight goals to date, whilst a replicated tally has come from the attack-minded Nathaniel Knight-Percival, who progressed through the Stutes' youth system. He prefers to operate on the left of midfield supplying ammunition for the front men, and will be aiming to better last season's personal goal count of twelve. However, the 21-year-old has been a regular in the physio's room of late, and if not available tonight will be replaced by the long-serving Jamie Barker, who is now in his tenth year with the Stutes.

The dangerous and free-scoring Antonio Murray, who can also be utilised as a striker, will patrol the right flank. The former Hibernian man has also grabbed four goals in the last four games. Competition across midfield is supplied by John Kennedy and Neil Andrews, both of whom have been with the club through their recent successes and have adapted superbly to Histon's elevation through the leagues.

Jack Midson and the highly-rated Danny Wright will attempt to puncture United's defence this evening. Midson, who played at Bishops Stortford with defender Gareth Gwillim, took time to adjust following the switch from Blue Square South football last January, but finished the campaign with five goals and has bagged an eye-catching seventeen this season. Wright meanwhile has proved a bargain buy since being spotted at Dereham Town in March 2007. The 24-year old bagged eighteen goals last year and, despite a spell out injured earlier this season, will be pleased with his twelve goals to date.

The striking ranks have been boosted by the capture of Lee Roache from Cambridge City, along with the former QPR front-man Richard Pacquette, who is on loan from Maidenhead United. Both players will probably make the subs bench tonight.

This Season

Fallon was determined to start the season well, but things did not go quite to plan as a 1-1 opening day draw at home to Torquay was followed by a 1-0 loss at Mansfield and a draw at York. Five wins and a draw from seven games raised a few eyebrows though. Danny Wright grabbed a hat-trick in the fine 4-3 home win over Burton, achieved after Nathaniel Knight-Percival's dismissal, whilst Northwich, Lewes and in-form Altrincham left the Glass World pointless.

On the road, their barnstorming 5-2 win at Weymouth acted as a statement to rivals, with the 2-1 victory at Rushden emphasising their strength against promotion favourites. The singular blip was a 1-0 reverse to Forest Green; their only home league defeat to date. Aside of this goalscoring was, again, not proving a problem as the Midson-Wright affiliation produced five apiece, but a defence conceding more home goals than anyone outside the drop zone last season continued to fray the nerves, thanks to a solitary clean sheet.

Woking broke momentum during late September with a 1-0 triumph in Surrey but this loss merely inspired the Stutes to eight straight league victories. Progress in the FA Cup Third Round extended the tally to eleven wins and three draws in sixteen games, while the defence kept eight clean sheets, six of those in the league.

At home, ex-U Josh Simpson bagged his first league goal in Histon colours as Salisbury were seen off 2-0, whilst the 5-2 thumping of Oxford saw them summit the non-league pyramid for the first time. Single-goal victories over Woking and promotion rivals Crawley and Kettering further cemented fortress Glass World, with the well-publicised FA Cup triumphs over Durham, Swindon and Leeds propelling them into the spotlight. Despite a Setanta Shield exit at Hinckley their travels proved fruitful, with Ebbsfleet, Altrincham and Stevenage all gunned down. However, the Stutes stuttered prior to Christmas, with a disappointing 1-1 home draw with York followed by a surprising 4-1 loss at Torquay, whilst United ended their FA Trophy hopes with a 3-2 victory at the rain-lashed Glass World.

However, since the 2-2 league draw with United on Boxing Day, Fallon's men have lost just one BSP match. Swansea did put paid to FA Cup hopes after a 2-1 reverse at the Glass World, but the Stutes have tightened their grip on second place and recent form at home has been highlighted by late goals, which have become a trademark at the Glass World. This underlines the undoubted strength and never-say-die attitude running through the squad, and Gary Brabin will have to ensure United are 100% focused on the job in hand tonight if they are to stay in the play-off race.

Matchday Connection

Steve Fallon arrived at the Abbey from Kettering in December 1974, made his full debut in a 2-0 Division Four win over Crewe the following April, and became a key component of United's rise to the Second Division. He stayed until August 1986 when a knee injury took its toll and, although working briefly in the U's Commercial Department, moved to Histon as Player-Coach after making a whopping 447 appearances in black & amber.

His last outing came in a 2-1 opening day win over Wolves at the Abbey at the start of the 1986/87 campaign. Strangely, John Beck made his debut for the U's just one week later after moving from Bournemouth. Centre-half Steve also scored an impressive 30 goals for United before decamping to Cambridge City. He then returned to Bridge Road, as it was then known, to kick-start the Stutes recent success.

Doug Shulman

The views expressed on this page are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cambridge United Football Club or the webmaster.

090302