Thirty eight days after it should have been played, the last remaining FA Carlsberg Trophy First Round tie resulted on paper at least with a comfortable 3-0 win for Blue Square Premier side Histon over Maidstone United - but the score line tells only half the story.

For to say it was flattering to the side from Cambridge would probably be one of the understatements of the season as until the 87th minute only Danny Wright's 39th minute penalty separated the two sides in a simmering if not spectacular Trophy tie.

Indeed had the Stones had a slice more luck when in the 84th minute both Danny Hockton and then substitute Gabriel Odunaike so very near took advantage of misjudgements by Histon keeper Danny Naisitt then the game would have been so different.

The Stones performance almost for the full 90 minutes showed just how committed the Stones are. They should have been in front on four minutes when Lynden Rowland had a shot charged down in the box, and although Histon huffed and puffed the only real threats on Jamie Turner's goal came from a couple of Lee Smith free kicks - the first of which was blocked eventually and the second saw Michael Frew fire high into the car park!

Then six minutes before half time the visitors snatched the lead when Jack Werndley broke into the Maidstone box only to be felled by Jay Saunders and Wright duly sent Turner the wrong way to put Histon in front. It was a goal that didn't go down too well on the Maidstone bench.

The second half began with Frew bringing out a fine full length save from Turner whilst the Stones attempted to get a foot hold! Wright was denied a second by a wonderful Turner save following a Frew run down the right - the tall striker sending a fierce header that the giant Stones stopped did brilliantly to turn aside.

Although they weren't really testing Naiditt in the Histon goal, the Stones were enjoying buckets load of possession whilst Histon's breaks were more direct making Turner the busier keeper. Smith drove the ball inches past the Maidstone right post before Tom Parkinson denied Wright with a brilliantly timed tackle!

Then came the Stones real chance on 84 minutes. Hockton raced clear on a through ball only to be denied (and injured by the keeper). The ball span away to the right wing where it was promptly delivered back into the box, where Naisitt missed his punch but put off Oduniake but as the ball dropped there was an almighty scramble and the Stones just couldn't force the ball over the line.

Then came the sucker punches. On 87 minutes Frews driven cross was turned in at the back post by substitute Andrew Tidswell before Tidswell turned provider in stoppage time, crossing for Smith to head past a really fed up looking Turner!

Maidstone United: -

Histon: Danny Wright (pen) 39, Andrew Tidswell 87, Lee Smith 90

Maidstone United: Jamie Turner, Nathan Paul, Jermaine Darlington (Gabriel Odunaike 72), Lynden Rowland, Tom Parkinson, Roland Edge, Dean Hernandez Bradshaw, Jay Saunders, James Pinnock, Danny Hockton, Nick Barnes. Subs not used: Ant Bodle, Keelan Mooney, Shannon O'Donovan, Richard Knell

Histon: Danny Naisitt, Adam Tann, Gareth Gwillem, Matthew Langston, Adam Bygrave, Michael Frew, Nathanial Knight Perceval, Lanre Oyebanjo, Danny Wright, Lee Smith, Jack Werndly. Subs not used: Joe Walsh, Daniel Sparkes

Coming Soon...

Man of the Match

Coming Soon...