A BRADLEY Gray goal eight minutes from time saved St Albans City from equalling their worst goal drought for 70 years on Tuesday but a 2-1 defeat to county rivals Bishop’s Stortford at a cold Clarence Park has nudged the Saints one match closer to relegation from Blue Square South just 12 months after demotion from the Conference National.
Gray’s goal, following good work by the impressive debut making substitute Wasiu Akanni Sunday, offered City hope of salvaging a welcome point but in mustering just a handful of on target efforts all evening in a scrappy and mistaken ridden encounter the Saints can have few complaints at falling to an incredible tenth home defeat of the season.
Manager Steve Castle made two changes from the side beaten at Eastbourne on Saturday with club captain Lee Clarke not even making the bench following a run of one goal in 1,012 minutes. While in defence Ben Martin was left out of the starting XI with his place taken by midfielder James Quilter.
Hasim Deen stepped into the midfield with Paul Hakim and Simon Martin being pitched together in attack. The failure of either player to locate the target once more has extended their combined time on the pitch without a goal to a remarkable 974 minutes.
The biggest criticism of City regarding and their two previous matches is for an excessive use of the long ball and during the early exchanges against promotion seeking Stortford the Saints best chances came when playing a passing game with the ball on the ground.
The match almost got off to a sensational start when a near post Stortford corner, swung in by Ahmed Deen, was well met by Danny Harris who was only denied a goal by the alert Nick Eyre. City held their own during the opening 45 minutes and first threatened Andy Young’s goal with a header over the top by Hasim Deen on seven minutes.
A long diagonal ball of some 40 yards by James Fisher was superbly brought down on the chest by Hakim who then raced towards the visitors before seeing his firm low drive from 20 yards clip the stanchion at the back of the Hatfield Road goal.
Five minutes later Scott Cousins embarked on a dangerous run down the City left before cutting inside and exchanging passes with Simon Martin and firing a let footed shot from 18 yards across the face of the visitors’ goal.
But City’s promising start was terminated on 24 minutes when Martin Hayes’ side closed in on their second success at Clarence Park this season. Former Saint Ahmed Deen whipped in an excellent right footed cross from the Stortford left that Eyre believes he got a punch to although the outstretched boot of Bishop’s midfielder Craig Edwards bundled the ball into the home goal.
Play was delayed for almost five minutes while Eyre received attention to a large gut close to his left eye and by the end of the game the wound was encased by a growing and colourful lump on the side of the keepers head.
A fine defensive header by Fisher following a deep cross by Loui Fazakerly denied Stortford a second goal but a calamitous mix up almost handed the visitors a second goal right on half time. Eyre collided with Quilter when rushing to the edge of his box to clear as the unusually subdued Greg Pearson gave chase to a long ball.
Fisher did enough to stop Pearson from pouncing on the loose ball, and as Fazakerly looked to pounce with Eyre still stranded he was clipped by Luke Thurlbourne whose interventional cost him a booking but may have saved the Saints from falling further behind. Pearson’s shot from the resulting free kick went a couple of yards wide.
Just a minute after the restart and City were forced to replace the injured Quilter with Ben Martin but with no substitute keeper on the bench the blooded Eyre was forced to soldier on.
The second half lacked any cohesion or quality and when City fell further behind on 57 minutes their hope of closing the gap on 19th in the table Welling United faded.
Paul Bruce, booked for the 12th time this season after an altercation with Edwards who was also cautioned, deflected wide an Ahmed Deen free kick. From Deen’s ensuing corner Harris flicked the ball on unchallenged at the near post for Pearson to stab home his 22nd goal of the season.
Three minutes later Sunday got his first run out in a City shirt when replacing Simon Martin. Sunday nearly missed his big chance as his international clearance only arrived moments before the 5pm deadline with the player arriving by taxi less than 45 minutes before kick off.
The Nigerian soon made his presence felt with his passing to feet making a welcome change to what had gone before. On 74 minutes Sunday turned and slipped a delightful ball through to Hakim only for the former Stortford player to see his low shot well saved by keeper Young to earn City their only corner of the game.
And it was Sunday who on 82 minutes played a leading role in City first goal in eight minutes short of eight hours play. Attacking down the right flank, Sunday drilled the ball low to the edge of the penalty area to Bruce who steadied himself before firing low to Young’s left. The keeper parried the ball but could do nothing to stop Gray, who had only been on the pitch for five minutes, from pouncing to score his first goal for the club.
With their hopes raised the lowest attendance seen at Clarence Park for a league game this season awaited a barnstorming finale but Young saw out the closing minutes without being troubled again.
Report by David Tavener |