Stafford Rangers 1 Histon 1
Blue Square Premier
At Marston Road
Kick-off: 7-45 pm
Attendance: 705
Weather: showers
Stafford Rangers fought back to earn a point against ten-man Histon who has Roscoe Hipperson sent off (65). The visitors took an early lead though John Kennedy (3) and Stafford turned pressure into Neil Grayson's (75) equaliser.
Phil Robinson named an unchanged starting line-up to face Histon on their first visit to Marston Road. There was one change amongst the substitutes with Chris Flynn replacing Seb Arnolin.
Histon took the lead with a spectacular strike in the 3rd minute. John Kennedy sent an unstoppable volley into the top left corner from the edge of the area giving Scott Loach no chance. He got on the end of the clearance following a long throw into the area.
The visitors did most of the early attacking. A clearance by Loach was charged down by Cliff Akurang and almost rebounded into the net.
On the quarter hour Antonio Murray sent a snap shot across the face of the Boro goal and wide of the far right post.
Stafford got forward and Ross Draper couldn't quite get on the end of a low cross from Marco Adaggio across the face of goal.
Patrick Ada was booked in the 22nd minute for a heavy challenge on Cedric Avinel on the egde of the Stafford area.
There was further danger for Rangers on the half hour. From Adrian Cambridge's corner, Akurang saw a volley at the far post blocked by Kevin Street at the expense of another corner
Fred Murray had Stafford's first serious attempt on goal, firing over from just outside the Histon area.
Rangers posed more of an attacking threat as the interval approached. Avinel played a perfectly weighted ball through to Adaggio who got in a shot on target despite the close marking of Ada.
A good move almost led to an equaliser in the 53rd minute. Ross Draper found Fred Murray on the left who in turn found McNiven. The striker, who netted two goals against Weymouth on Saturday, shot towards the far right post where Adaggio ran in and almost applied the finishing touch.
Histon immediately got forward and Kennedy fired a low drove wide from inside the 'D'.
Stafford made a first change in the 56th minute when Flynn replaced David Oldfield.
Just after the hour mark, Akurang got in the end of a left-wing cross and sent a header straight at Loach.
Histon were reduced to ten men in the 65th minute. Roscoe Hipperson saw 'red' for a professional foul on Adaggio who bundled over just outside the visitors area latching on to a long clearance by Loach.
Before play resumed, Grayson replaced Draper and Histon sacrificed Antonio Murray in favour of an extra defender, Matthew Langston.
McNiven eventually hit the resulting free-kick against the wall and Street sent the rebound wide of the right-hand post.
Stafford got back on level terms in the 75th minute. Fred Murray's cross made its way to the far right post where Grayson fired home for his first goal of the season.
Histon made a second change with Danny Wright replacing Akurang and also had Erkan Okay booked for timewasting.
Stafford laid seige to the Histon goal as the well-organised visitors kept plenty of bodies behind the ball.
Fred Murray pulled the ball back for Adaggio to fire a left-footer straight at Danny Naisbitt. Then Grayson's shot from outside the area was blocked by Ada at the expense of a corner.
Histon brought on Jamie Barker in place of Okay at the start of injury time and Rangers kept up the pressure.
Avolin, Djoumin Sangare and Fred Murray all had shots blcoked by defenders inside the area while Flynn drove wide from some 30 yards out.
Stafford tried as hard as they could to find a winner, without joy, but the point builds on the win at Weymouth.
Stafford Rangers (black and white stripes with white sleeves / black / black): 12. Scott Loach; 5. Wayne Daniel (capt), 26. Cedric Avinel, 6. Djoumin Sangare; 2. Richard Sutton, 28. David Oldfield, 17. Ross Draper, 8. Kevin Street, 25. Fred Murray; 10. David McNiven, 20. Marco Adaggio. Subs: 7. Chris Flynn (for Oldfield, 56), 9. Neil Grayson (for Draper, 66), 16. Tom Ingram, 24. Steve Hopkinson, 1. Danny Alcock
Histon (sky blue/navy blue/sky blue): 21. Danny Naisbitt; 24. Craig Pope, 15. Roscoe Hipperson, 30. Patrick Adayc, 25. Gareth Gwillim; 3. Erkan Okayyc, 7. John Kennedy, 6. Adrian Cambridge (capt), 18. Nathaniel Knight-Percivalyc; 14. Cliff Akurang, 10. Antonio Murray. Subs: 2. Matthew Haniver, 5. Matthew Langston (for Murray, 66), 11. Jamie Barker (for Okay, 90), 23. Danny Wright (for Akurang, 77), 20. Mark Osborn
Referee: S P Cummins (Cheshire).
Attendance: 705 (inc 33 away fans).
This match report was originally written for and published on the now defunct www.staffordrangers.co.uk
