Tuesday 15 February 2005 - Twerton Park - kick off 7.45pm Southern League Premier Division

City’s starting line-up showed two changes from the side that lost 3-0 to King’s Lynn with Paul replacing Luke Corbett and Coupe, back from suspension, in for injured captain Bobby Ford. This second change meant Jim Rollo taking over the armband and pushing into midfield, with Steve Jones moving to right-back. Having been on the end of a 5-1 hammering against Histon back in October, City knew exactly what to expect from their direct opponents but in contrast to that game dealt comfortably with their basic approach from the start. With just two minutes on the clock Paul’s clever dummy gave Jimmy Benefield a clear sight of goal. He delayed his shot, allowing a defender to block the effort and the rebound was blasted high over the bar by Alex Sykes. Paul’s intelligent running up front was giving City a whole new element to their game and he went close on several occasions before, with 25 minutes gone, City gifted Histon the lead. A long ball forward by Haniver looked to be comfortably Evans’. With both attackers and defenders turning away he could have easily caught the ball but inexplicably choose to punch and only succeeded in slicing it over his head into the net. The Stutes players looked too embarrassed to celebrate and it took several seconds for their handful of supporters to even realise the ball had gone into the net and celebrate themselves. City did not let this setback affect them and continued to take the game to Histon. John Williams forced a smart stop out of Key with a firm header and Benefield should have done better than screw a shot wide after Williams’ knock down picked him out. Just when it looked as if City would go into the break a goal behind they deservedly levelled. Sykes’ corner found its way to the back post where Paul volleyed it into the roof of the net to mark his return to City in the perfect way.

The second half began with him nearly repeating the trick after increasingly shaky keeper Key had spilled a Williams cross under pressure from Sykes. This time he could only lift a shot over the bar from a narrow angle. Benefield then once again wasted an opening after another great dummy by Paul sent him racing toward goal. With options to either side he choose to shoot and tamely hit the ball straight at Key. The game then settled into a quiet period with only a series of bizarre refereeing decisions by Ms Wendy Toms to keep the attention of the 440 crowd. However, with the arrival of Scott Partridge for Benefield 21 minutes from time the match came to life again. Before he had even touched the ball Kennedy should have put Histon ahead only to shoot wide was faced with just Evans to beat. On 75 minutes the game looked to turning toward the visitors when a City player received a red card for the first time this season. Coupe had been booked for dissent in the first half when he tugged back on Andrews’ shirt having given the ball away. The challenge was a nothing incident, particularly as it was midway in the Histon half, but Andrews reacted in a disgraceful manner, waving his hand in a booking gesture that is one of the saddest sights in the game and, thankfully, normally confined to the overseas ‘stars’ of the Premiership. However, Ms Toms fell for this sickening sight and Coupe was off. Having spent the first 75 minutes slowing the game down at every opportunity Histon now stepped up their game in search of a winner and Kennedy should have given them the lead volleying over from just six yards out. Bravely City did not try to hang on for the point, leaving Partridge and Paul up front, and this positive approach paid dividends eight minutes from time. Partridge got free down the right and his low cross was blasted into his own net by Hipperson. With Jones and Bailey outstanding at the back it seemed like City would hold onto this advantage until Nightingale found space in the area. Power looked to have timed his challenge perfectly, cleaning winning the ball, but the Histon player threw himself to the ground and, once again, Miss Toms was fooled and pointed straight to the spot. Cambridge confidently chipped the penalty home to give his side a point that they never deserved, based on performance, tactics and behaviour.