Basingstoke Town 0, Histon 1

TO NEW manager Francis Vines' ongoing frustration, Basingstoke Town succumbed to another insipid home defeat, only 48 hours after their fine 2-1 away win at Carshalton, with this Bank Holiday Monday reverse to Nationwide South play-off contenders Histon.

Vines was hoping his side would claim the draw or win that would guarantee the club's Nationwide South status before this weekend's crucial match with Hayes - but it did not materialise after Danny Bloomfield's 66th-minute header gave Histon all three points.

It was a performance for Vines, he revealed afterwards, that confirmed his views about certain individuals' lack of desire to be at the club, their impending exits, as well as the need "for a major squad overhaul in the summer".

He also warned: "Players have to prove to me in the next three games they are worthy of being asked back for pre-season training - never mind next season."

Vines is yet to taste league victory at the Camrose - the 2-1 win over Newport IOW was in the Hampshire Cup semi-final second leg - with successive 1-0 defeats to Maidenhead and now Histon sandwiching two fine away displays and wins over Yeading and Carshalton.

He is itching to "give the supporters something to cheer about at home" - but has been let down on each Camrose league occasion by Town's Jekyll-and-Hyde persona.

His further verdict on Monday's match was "we didn't deserve to lose but we didn't really do enough to win the game", but his over-riding concerns centred around the way the side "shot themselves in the foot" and certain players were "happy to accept a 1-0 defeat".

But in the early stages, there was little indication Town would not pick up where they left off at Carshalton, for James Taylor's fine header from Jamie Gosling's cross had veteran stopper Lance Key scrambling to his right to turn it around the post.

And the experienced goalkeeper was also blessing his fortune on 15 minutes when, as he lay grounded, he clasped on the line a near own-goal from Matthew Mitchell-King, after the defender nearly turned in a David Ray cross.

Perhaps lulled into a false sense of security, the Town ranks failed to match these endeavours. Histon duly came back into the game and the first half only finished goal-less thanks to a couple of goal-line clearances.

Town players Nick Beasant and Ray were in the right place at the right time to thwart striker Ian Cambridge and defender Roscoe Hipperson from netting.

In the second-half, Lewis Cook decided to get involved, albeit only by taking set-pieces, a couple of which flashed past Key's goal as he scrambled to get to them.

From another Cook delivery, one that was allowed to bounce by the Histon defence, Town striker Taylor was unfortunate to see his header evade Key but not the covering defender on the line.

Histon responded and thought they had gone ahead on 60 minutes, when Cambridge took a central free-kick quickly and beat Stuart Searle inside the right-hand post.

But referee Williams had not blown the whistle, as he was talking to the Town wall, while Histon had not taken the kick from the full 10 yards distance.

So he ruled out the goal and from the following retake - a left-footed effort to the other side of the goal by Jamie Barker - Searle made a fine stop to push it around the post.

But Town failed to heed the warning and Cook's ongoing reluctance to defend left full-back Matt Ottley exposed the run of Matthew Hanniver in behind him as the clock reached 62 minutes.

Hanniver's instant clipped-in ball was perfect for Bloomfield to meet from nine yards with a downward header that bounced once and in past Searle's dive.

To freshen things up, Vines introduced Giuseppe Sole and Ricci Dolan for Beasant and Gosling respectively, and the substitute duo combined to create Town's best chance of an equaliser in the 71st minute.

Following a corner that wasn't cleared by Histon, Sole fed Dolan with a lay-off but he dragged his shot wide of the left-hand post through the crowded box.

It was a "great chance" Vines felt should have been taken to secure a draw, although Histon had the final opportunity when marauding left-back Erkan Okay lobbed over Searle and hit the bar after cutting in from the left flank on a run.

Basingstoke Town: Stuart Searle, Lee Molyneaux, Matt Ottley, Jason Bristow, Danny Brown, David Ray, Ben Surey, Jamie Gosling (sub Ricci Dolan 69 mins), Nick Beasant (sub Giuseppe Sole 65 mins), James Taylor, Lewis Cook.

First published: Thursday, April 20, 2006