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26.12.2005 at 15:00 Clarence Park Attendance : 658
St Albans City
3 - 0
Bishops Stortford
Referee : Paul Toyer (Luton) Conference South match

Goalscorers
Lee Clarke (49)
Ben Walshe (60)
Matt Hann (86)
None
Opening squads
Paul Bastock
Dean Cracknell
Scott Cousins
Nick Burton
Tom Davis
Nathan Bunce
Matt Hann
Paul Hakim
Lee Clarke
Ben Walshe
Chris Seeby
Andy Young
Bob Thanda
Gareth Gwillim
Tom Davey
Ben Lewis
Rob Gillman
Scott Forbes
Jack Midson
Duane Jackman
Steve Morison
Alex Martin
Substitutes
Mark Burgess
Mark Graham
Simon Martin
Aaron Barnett
Patrick Ada
Roy Essendoh
Ryan Maxwell
Louie Evans
Danny Kersey
James Hussey
Substitutions
Patrick Ada -> Dean Cracknell (82)
Simon Martin -> Paul Hakim (82)
Mark Burgess -> Chris Seeby (86)
Roy Essendoh -> Steve Morison (46)
Ryan Maxwell -> Scott Forbes (63)
Louie Evans -> Tom Davey (66)
Yellow cards
None. None
Red cards
None. None
Match report

Scott Cousins in action.
Three outstanding second half strikes supplied the knock out blows as St Albans City clambered back into the top three of the Conference South with a comfortable Boxing Day victory over county rivals Bishop’s Stortford at Clarence Park.
During an even opening 45 minutes Stortford threatened to defeat the Saints for only the second time in the past 11 meetings but ultimately slipped quietly to a ninth successive reversal at the Park. Possibly even more pleasing for City than recording their biggest win over Stortford for exactly seven years was the sight of leading scorer Lee Clarke scoring for the first time in 13 weeks.
Clarke played with much of his panache of old and with equally excellent flashes of brilliance from, in particular, Ben Walshe and Scott Cousins, there was much to admire in City’s performance.
City, facing the awkward setting sun during the opening half, started brightly but once Stortford had repelled the Saints early advances the visitors were frustrated by Paul Bastock who saved bravely at the feet of Alex Martin and cleanly from a Duane Jackman header. A good tackle by Nathan Bunce on his home debut thwarted Martin while Jackman just failed to turn the ball in after a miscue by Steve Morison had set him up.
As the tide began to turn Stortford keeper Andy Young made a stunning save low to his right following a powerful and perfectly placed Clarke header from a Matt Hann free kick.
Young also saved from Dean Cracknell and a series of crosses from either flank, principally from Hann and Walshe, kept the visitors defence busy before they had an outrageous moment of good fortune when Bunce’s goalbound header from a Hann cross was blocked by former Stortford player Paul Hakim.
Despite Stortford showing up well before the break it seemed just one goal would almost certainly lead to their downfall and within four minutes of the restart Clarke, after 16 goalless games, duly obliged. Cousins and Davis showed some deft touches in confined space by the touchline just inside the Bishop’s half before the latter found Walshe whose exquisite floated ball from the left was chested down inside the penalty area by Clarke who turned swiftly and fired low under Young into the York Road goal from 15 yards.
Stortford responded with a fine low effort from 25 yards by Martin, which Bastock stopped at full stretch, but by now City were fully in control. The second goal, on the hour, punished slack Stortford defending as Clarke blocked a poor clearance close to the corner flag and laid a pass off to Hann whose excellent cross from the right was greeted with a rare header from Walshe that beat Young high to his right.
With 30 minutes remaining Stortford looked well beaten and Hann was desperate to get his name on the scoresheet. In one period of sustained pressure, Hann, Clarke and Hakim all had efforts blocked by desperate defending with Clarke blazing over a second attempt while Hann was also denied when trying his luck from 25 yards.
But the one-time Peterborough United midfielder was not to be denied and when Clarke won a free kick by the goalline for obstruction in the 86th minute Hann collected Walshe’s short pass, rode one challenge then drilled a deadly accurate shot inside Young’s near post for his tenth goal of the season.


Match report by Dave Tavener. Kindly supplied by The St Albans Observer.