Maidenhead & Windsor

Maidenhead Utd 1 Histon 4

Any thoughts of FA Cup glory were a million miles away from Histon's minds as they blew struggling Maidenhead away on Saturday.

Victory in the Maidenhead league game was the priority, and only now can they look ahead to Wednesday's make-or-break second round Cup replay against Nuneaton with a bumper home tie against Middlesbrough on offer for the winners.

As if to prove they were not saving themselves for the midweek showdown, Histon made a magnificent start at Maidenhead, taking the lead after just 39 seconds.

Adie Cambridge's throw was flicked on by Jamie Barker to Matty Haniver, whose 15-yard strike gave the Maidenhead keeper no chance.

They had a scare after 10 minutes when keeper Lance Key went down clutching his knee after having to back pedal towards his goal, but the veteran was able to resume after treatment, and showed no ill effects.

Boosted by that, they went 2-0 ahead when Barker curled in a glorious shot from just inside the right touchline.

And even with the prospect of the biggest game in their history looming, Histon refused to take their foot off the gas.

They went close again through Leon Gutzmore and Neil Andrews.

Maidenhead showed more determination in the second half, and Key had to tip over Ryan Ashe's shot in the 50th minute.

As the game became scrappy on the muddy pitch, Histon made it safe on 63 minutes.

Skipper Andrews getting the goal he deserved from 10 yards after a corner.

Key denied Lee Newman two minutes later, before Histon added their fourth from another corner, this time centre-back Roscoe Hipperson rising to head home with 11 minutes to go.

Maidenhead's consolation came on 81 minutes when substitute Mark Whiteman was given the easiest of chances a couple of yards out.

Histon boss Steve Fallon said: "We had the perfect start and just went on to dominate.

"We wobbled a bit near the end and let them have a goal back, which we should have done better with, but overall we could not have asked for more. It sets us up nicely for Wednesday."

Maidenhead: Tarr, Johnson, Parsons, Smith, White (Bacon, 67min) Gallen, Sheed-Osman, Ashe, Newman (Kwakye, 45) Hughes, Badu (Whiteman, 67).

Histon: Key, Haniver (Nightingale, 80), Okay, Hipperson, Vowden, A Cambridge (Goddard, 57), Farrington, Andrews, Barker, Gutzmore (I Cambridge, 79), Knight-Percival.

Cambridge News ~ Maidenhead ~ 12 December 2005