Matty Allan strikes late to seal big win for Histon

Histon leapfrog Petersfield

Matty Allan grabbed a late winner to help lift Histon move off the bottom of the Evo-Stik League Southern, Division One Central with a 4-3 win at Petersfield Town.

It had taken Histon three-and-a-half hours to get to the Hampshire ground, but the late arrival did not put them off their stride.

They took the lead through Allan after four minutes following Kieran Barnes’ corner.

Petersfield had Nicholas Awford sent off for a foul on Allan, and then Histon doubled their lead in the 10th minute as James Carman converted Elkanah Sibanda’s ball across the box.

And it was 3-0 after 12 minutes as Sibanda rifled in a shot from 30 yards.

But things started to go wrong as Histon had keeper Niall Conroy sent off for a foul on the Petersfield striker after a race to the ball – a decision which manager Lance Key described as harsh because he felt there were two covering defenders.

Young defender Capel went in goal, but he could not stop the subsequent free kick.

“We put Dan McGinty in goal for the second half as Adam didn’t look comfortable,” said Key.

Petersfield reduced the arrears with 15 minutes remaining, and they equalised after 87.

But in the 88th minute, Allan jinked his way past defenders in the box to slip the ball into the net.

And the victory lifted Histon above Petersfield in the table.

“Matty Allan took a chance and had been a pest all night long – he was superb, on a horrible pitch,” said Key.

“It was an unbelievable win. Boy did we start well and if we can take that forward into the next couple of games that would be magnificent.

“When the keeper gets sent off it makes it difficult but overall the performance was excellent.”