histvsitt151103

Sittingbourne approached this game with some trepidation following the 3-1 home defeat just 2 weeks ago but in the end they were defeated more by a harsh first half booking for Danny Lye and then an 89^th minute yellow card for the same player, leading to a red card, when only the un sighted referee thought he had felled wily old fox Colin Vowden who crumpled to the ground as though he had been pole axed. 

Histon had by far the more attacks…but football is also about defence and Sittingbourne’s defence was outstanding until Lye’s dismissal and then the disrupted team  conceded two goals in the 90^th and 92^nd minute  to save Histon's blushes and just maintain their unbeaten league record.

Histon started the better of the two sides and on 6 minutes Kevin Fewell tipped a free kick over the bar.

Histon’s new signing from Rothwell, Ozzie Mintus, crashed a shot against the Brickies bar and the rebound was fired back and hit a post. Histon continued to enjoy the majority of the play and Fewell pulled off a marvellous save on 18 minutes. A minute later Danny Lye fouled  a Histon player and referee Mr Parker harshly judged that the challenge warranted a yellow card.

Sittingbourne had been relying mainly on defence but on 28 minutes Bradley Spice produced another of his mazy runs and lobbed the ball over the keeper straight to Jon Neal who fired home.

Histon were rocked by this goal but apart from a long range shot by Adrian Cambridge over the Brickies bar Sittingbourne’s defence were repelling all that Histon could throw at them.

On 35 minutes Spice just failed to get in a shot after a good pass from Kieran Marsh, then Smissen had a first time shot but it was easily gathered by Histon keeper Paul Barber.

Sittingbourne substituted the injured Joe Dowley for Tom Berry at half time but still the defence continued to perform heroics.

On 68 minutes Roscoe Hipperson  headed wide and on 56 minutes Mintus fired into the side netting. Three minutes later Fewell made a brilliant save from Ian Cambridge.

The game was now a tense affair as Histon were starting to get desperate. Sittingbourne were fighting for every ball, Darren Smith and James Campbell were the pick of a splendid defence and  Histon were now being restricted to mainly long range shots.

The clock was ticking down and on 81 minutes Andrews breeched the Brickies defence but he crashed his shot against the bar.

With just two minutes of the match remaining Danny Lye went to tackle ex Dover player Colin Vowden  who promptly went  down as though pole axed. The majority opinion in the ground was that Lye didn’t touch Vowden but unfortunately the referee reacted to the Histon shouts and showed Lye a second yellow followed by a red.

Histon took full advantage of this set back  and a far post cross eluded the Brickies and to add insult to injury Vowden was on hand to head the ball firmly past Fewell for the equaliser.

Before Sittingbourne could get over the shock of the equaliser a Histon breakaway ended with the ball bouncing off a post straight to Andrews who fired home.

The Histon crowd erupted as though they had won the FA Cup whilst the Brickies were left to mull over what might have been. What is certain is that the Brickies team to a man gave their all and Histon will not have many harder games than this during the season.

Sittingbourne: Fewell, Ainsworth, Dowley (Berry 46 mins), D Smith, Campbell, Taylor, Spice (Yorath 88 mins), Marsh, Neal, Smissen (L Smith 82 mins), Lye, Subs not used: Beeney