Histon beaten Bugbrooke St Michaels in United Counties League thanks to goals from Pharrell Anderson and Connor Barnes

Histon halted a sequence of back-to-back United Counties League Premier Division South defeats with a 2-1 win over Bugbrooke St Michaels this afternoon.

Chris Nunn’s men went into their final fixture of 2024 at Bridge Road having suffered losses to Lutterworth Town and Aylestone Park in their two most recent league outings.

However, a goal in either half was enough to secure the victory that has moved the Stutes up to eighth place in the standings, five points adrift of the play-off places.

Histon broke the deadlock inside the opening 10 minutes when Pharrell Anderson was put clean through and he won the battle with Bugbrooke goalkeeper Sam Rushby to score his third goal of the season.

Joe Sutton had two chances to double Histon’s advantage and Connor Barnes then rattled the crossbar before Bugbrooke equalised against the run of play to send the sides into the break level at a goal apiece.

Despite the setback, Histon started the second half on the front foot and after Matty Allan sent his headed effort just wide of the target, Barnes scored what proved to be the winning goal.

Visiting goalkeeper Rushby was unable to hold a lofted ball into his box and the Histon forward was on hand to apply the finishing touch.

Goalscorers Anderson and Barnes both saw goalbound efforts kept out by Rushby in the closing stages, but this time around there was to be no response from the visitors.

Histon will be back in action on Boxing Day (26 December) when they make the short journey down the A14 to lock horns with Godmanchester Rovers.

It has been a tough campaign so far for bottom-of-the-table Rovers, who will go into the festive fixture having lost their last six games in all competitions, during which time they have conceded 19 goals.

Last season’s Boxing Day meeting between the two teams ended 2-1 in favour of Histon thanks to goals from captain Max York and winger Danny Gould.