Cards
Histon 1 - 2 Swansea
By Robert Coe
Publication date: 30/01/2009
Plucky Histon's FA Cup journey came to an end on a wet, cold Tuesday night, with a 2-1 defeat to a sophisticated Swansea side superbly spearheaded by three stylish Spaniards assembled by their compatriot and manager Roberto Martinez.
After the claims and counterclaims surrounded the controversial postponement of the original it was good to get down to some football. However as the game kicked off the Stutes, playing their first game in a fortnight, were left chasing shadows as the classy Championship side took over proceedings. The Glass World Stadium was strangely subdued despite the enormity of the occasion with the prospect of a visit to holders Portsmouth on offer to the winners.
Danny Naisbitt was back in goal after overcoming an injury together with Mat Mitchel-King returning from suspension, whilst Marlon Patterson was handed his debut at left-back. Naisbitt was soon called into the action to save a free kick from ex-Barcelona man Andrea Orlandi. Fellow Spaniards Gorka Pintado and Guillem Bauza also went close whilst Antonio Murray was the only man threatening for the Stutes with a couple of attempts on target and one that went narrowly wide.
For a pitch beginning to cut up and resemble a cow field it was rather appropriate that a player nicknamed The Bull should open the scoring. However, the finish from Pintado, aka El Torro in Spanish, on 22 minutes was more than just agricultural with a terrific long-range drive that flew into the top corner.
The Stutes had a good chance to equalise moments later but Damian Reeves failed to keep his header down with an open goal at his mercy after a fierce shot by Josh Simpson was parried by Dorus De Vries in the Swansea goal. The Stutes were then punished for this miss when all three Spaniards combined with a clinical finish by Bauza that looked to end the game eight minutes before half time.
It's been said before but any team managed by the chalk and cheese characters of Steve Fallon and John Beck are never finished and after a double substitution for the ineffective Patterson and Reeves the tide began to turn as the Bridge Road faithful eventually found their voice.
With the withdrawal of the impressive Thomas Butler the Swans seemed to take their foot off the pedal. Matt Mitchel-King started to boss the midfield and another striker with a double-barreled surname almost found the net. Nathaniel Knight-Percival looked certain to score from close range but for heroics from De Vries, and before the Stutes fans had chance to re-take their seats play switched to the other end only for Naisbitt to haul down Nathan Dyer who was clean through on goal.
In an action packed few minutes the otherwise peerless Pintado hit the woodwork with the spot kick and the action returned up-field for Simpson to get the goal he deserved to set up a nervous final ten minutes for Martinez's men.
Alas the equaliser didn't come, as the Swans regrouped at the back to kill the game off, but the Stutes left the field with their heads held high after a Cup run had took some memorable scalps and made their mark on the footballing heart of the nation.
Histon's next home game is versus Weymouth on Saturday 7th February at 3pm
