It is back at the ‘Unwin’ on a dark, dank, Tuesday evening for the return of the Cambs Invitation Cup, a cup that the ‘Robins won last season. Tonight’s visitors are Blue Square North, Histon FC from just down the road. It was obviously going to be a hard game as Histon had brought a strong side with 6 players from last Saturdays league team and a number of the highly thought of youth squad.
Things did not look any better when Dave Wilson did a calf muscle in the warm up, Chris Sterecki and Josh Curry were out with the Norovirus, Adam Murray was just getting over it and a couple of others were feeling unwell. Changes from last Saturday’s starting eleven saw Josh Bridgeman, Taz Chisingo, Sam and Luke Parkinson come in with Andrew Claydon and Richard Gammon dropping to the bench. The pitch was very wet and slippery and just as the game was about to kick off there were a few spots of rain starting, so that wouldn’t make things any better foe either side.
The kick off saw Histon first onto the attack, down the wing they went but the eventual cross was dealt easily by Lee Pacey in the Ely goal. In the 3rd minute Ely got the first corner of the game but Ben Lawrence saw his header go over the bar. The next 10 minutes saw play in the middle of the park but on 14 minutes Histon got away down the middle and ’Pace’ had to be alert to save at the forwards feet
It was in fact from there that Ely exerted pressure and on 18 minutes they took the lead. An attack down the left wing saw the ball come in, midfielder Josh B had got in the box and he headed the cross goal wards. Hayden in the Histon goal made a fine save getting his hand to the ball, it rebounded out to Josh again who shot but Hayden pulled off an even better save and a defender was able to clear the ball out to the left. The Robins got possession back again and as the cross came back in Josh was there again, not to be denied this time, he glided a header into the net, giving Hayden no chance at all. 1 - 0
The Spalding United Fc representatives watching ahead of the Vase game saw Ely dominate attacking down the sides but the delivery into the box was not very good. Long throws and set pieces into the box kept the Histon defence busy and Nick Impey was unlucky in the 34th minute not to get on the end of a through ball but the keeper got there first. Histon’s pace out wide was always a danger and on 40 minutes Darren Coe had to produce a fine saving tackle on the left hand edge of the box. On 44 minutes it was the same player, ‘Coey’, at the other end, who, from a corner on the right, got in a powerful near post header that just scraped over the bar. The half came to an end, the ‘Robins’ going in to the break with a slender lead.
The second period got under way with the rain getting a bit heavier and the football fairly fast and furious. In the 47th minute Luke Parkinson played a good ball down the left, Taz took it down to the bye line, played in a fine cross on to Nick Impey’s head. Inexplicably from 6 yards out and unmarked, ‘Imps’ placed his header well over the bar. The next minute Histon went down the middle and the shot brought out a good save from ‘Pace’. At the other end ‘Imps’ had another good shot that went just wide, Josh B hit a piledriver that brought out another good save from the Histon keeper and it was mainly Ely going forward.
The next minute or so saw Liam Bolton go off with a twisted ankle and Richard Chadwick replace him, then Andrew Claydon replaced an ‘off colour’ ‘Mussa’. Austen Diaper dropped into the unaccustomed position of right back, a job he did extremely well and ‘Imps’ into central midfield, the subs going on up front. Within five minutes Porky got his head to a long throw but inexplicably for him he nodded wide. It was on the hour mark that Histon equalised
The Histon wide man got down the right as he pushed the ball forward, Sam Parkinson got between him and the ball and as he was about to take it away the Histon lad used both hands to push him out of the way. The ball went out of play and the Ref. gave a corner!!!!. (This was yet another inexplicable decision from the Ref. whose performance on the night was inept, fussy and really very poor overall which of course leads to player frustration) The corner was swung in deep and Histon’s Calver came in fast, towards the back post, rose well and headed powerfully into the net 1 - 1
Ely went on the attack again, on 65 minutes Porky had an effort as he got through but the shot was soft and easily saved, 67 minutes Richard Gammon replaced Taz, other two minutes on, more silly Refereeing, some pushing in the box saw Chads get a yellow card, totally unnecessary. Ely were still going forward, Ben Lawrence had a header go over the bar but then on 88 minutes it nearly all went wrong. A long range shot came in and unusually ‘Pace’ fumbled it, the ball fell to Histon’s forward, Elmes but Ben Lawrence got in a great smothering tackle before the lad could slide it home from 5 yards. The ball was then eventually cleared the ‘Robins’ went down the other end ‘Chads’ headed the ball back to ‘Imps’ but his shot from 18 yards was just wide and the final whistle went. Extra time!!!!.
The first half of extra time saw Histon slightly on top but the Ely back four was playing well and held firm. Now it was raining harder and there were a lot of tired legs out there. The last 15 minutes got underway and the ground was getting more muddy, you would think that the higher league club would have the edge on fitness but it was the Ely team going forward in the end and although they had a couple of shots there were no more scares at either end and the whistle brought the game to a conclusion.
It’s a penalty shootout.
The Downham Road end of the ground was to be used, it was raining hard and slippery everything for a dramatic climax. Histon were to take the first penalty.
1. Histon penalty, hit to the right, low, it hit’s the foot of the post 0 - 0
1. Ely penalty, taken by Josh Bridgeman, hit with power to keepers left,
Keeper got hand to it but it went in 0 - 1

2. Histon penalty, hit well to keepers left, scored 1 - 1
2. Ely penalty, taken by Luke Parkinson hit well scored 1 - 2

3. Histon penalty, scored well 2 - 2
3. Ely penalty, taken by Porky Claydon well struck no chance to keeper
on his left 2 - 3

4. Histon penalty, well struck scored easily 3 - 3
4. Ely penalty, taken by ‘Chads’ well struck to keepers left into corner of
net 3 - 4

5. Histon penalty, hit down middle ’Pace’ got a strong hand to it, the
ball bounced up and out 3 - 4
Ely Win Through to the semi-final
A great win by a really hard working team, if only the finishing had been better then may be we could have put the game to bed a lot earlier but it was a really good night, entertaining for spectators and encouraging for the team Great Win