Last updated at 16:25, Monday, 26 April 2010

CELEBRATION TIME: Simon Wiles celebrates his second half goal, and, inset Nick Chadwick salutes the AFC fans after his equaliser

BARROW were just two minutes away from a fight-back victory which would have been perfect preparation for their Wembley FA Trophy final.

But their hopes and spirits, boosted by an impressive second-half revival in a gripping game at the Glassworld Stadium, were dented slightly when the desperate home side snatched the win away from them in stoppage time.

Histon, who thought they needed a point for Blue Square survival as reports from three other crucial matches reverberated around the ground, threw everybody into attack, pumping everything into the box.

And in the second of the four extra minutes one of those hit-and-hope missiles, from full-back Erkan Okay, skidded off the head of Bluebirds defender Paul Jones and flew under the crossbar.

It was an equaliser probably deserved by the Cambridgeshire side, who hit the bar and had a header cleared off the goal-line by Simon Spender in the 87th minute, and it was certainly punishment for Barrow for falling back on deeper and deeper defence.

They showed in the early stages of the second half, when Simon Wiles was called from the bench, that they had the attacking game to outgun jittery opponents who had lost eight of their previous 10 matches, but they allowed the urgency of Histon’s situation to give the home side a late edge.

AFC co-managers Dave Bayliss and Darren Sheridan made four changes, no doubt with Wembley in mind, leaving Wiles, Phil Bolland, Andy Bond and Robin Hulbert out of the starting line-up.

But on a hard, tricky surface, in a swirling wind they rarely looked like putting a joined-up display together, until Wiles and Gareth Jelleyman went on as substitutes at the restart.

Histon, boosted by the return of power players Matt Langston and Danny Wright, controlled the first half, and took the lead in the 26th minute from the penalty spot.

Carlos Logan, beaten for pace by Lee Smith, tugged at the midfielder’s shirt outside the box, and was still grabbing at him when he went down a couple of yards inside the area.

Logan got a yellow card, and Glen Southam stepped up to send Stuart Tomlinson the wrong way with a perfect spot-kick.

The keeper kept his side in contention though a minute before the interval when he pulled off a brilliant reflex save to block a close-range header from Charlie Sheringham who was unmarked as he homed in on Wright’s right wing cross.

There could hardly have been a more rapid and dramatic transformation in the match after the break, however, as Histon found themselves trailing within eight minutes of the restart and staring relegation in the face.

Greg Blundell lashed a free-kick into the goalmouth on 48 minutes, Spender flicked the ball on at the near post and Nick Chadwick buried a header under the bar.

It got even better five minutes later for the small band of Bluebirds fans behind that goal when Wiles ran at and through the defence from the left and unleashed a drive from the edge of the box which blurred into the top right-hand corner of the net.

There seemed no reason why Barrow should not remain in control, but the weird atmosphere, as the reports and rumours of other games and goals filtered through, proved of much more benefit to the endangered home side.

Histon boss Alan Lewer admitted to a first time 2-4-4 formation as the clock ticked down, but it seemed it was not going to be the Stutes’ day when Nat Knight-Percival rattled the crossbar in the 87th minute and Spender blocked Wright’s follow-up header on the goal line.

Bayliss sent on Lee McEvilly for his presence in the heart of defence rather than the attack, but Barrow surrendered the midfield and looked more and more vulnerable to the kind of deflection which ripped away their win and sent the home team and supporters wild. It was not until a while after the final whistle that Histon realised late goals for Grays Athletic against Forest Green meant they would still have stayed in the division on goal difference even if they had lost.

First published at 13:14, Monday, 26 April 2010
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk