St Albans City’s continuing struggle for goals almost proved costly on Saturday as Ryman League Premier Division side Harlow Town secured a fully merited FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round goalless draw at a sun-kissed Clarence Park.
City now face a first visit to Harlow’s Barrows Farm stadium on Tuesday and few would bet against the tie going to a penalty shoot out after the two sides cancelled each other out at the weekend. Steve Castle’s Saints had the greater share of the play but the threat of Harlow, particularly through the lively Danny Green, snatching a sensational victory was never far away.
St Albans showed three changes to the starting XI that won at Newport the previous week. Luke Thurlbourne replaced Ben Bowditch in the centre of midfield while Rod Hicks who lasted just 30 minutes before a cut above an eye led to his premature departure replaced the injured Hassan Sulaiman.
Lee Clarke won a recall to lead the attack with Simon Martin relegated to the bench where he was joined by Gary Cohen who had recovered from a knock he picked up in midweek when playing for the Reserves.
City put six goals past Harlow in the only other meeting between these clubs in the FA Cup in 1937 but given the Saints recent failings in front of goal there was scant likelihood of a repeat performance, in fact Harlow had the first shot of the day when Green struck a tame effort straight through to Paul Bastock.
The opening exchanges were lively with City looking the stronger outfit while Harlow demonstrated a determination to attack the home side although the Owls made little headway against a solid St Albans defence.
The prospect of an open encounter continued with Alex Bailey forcing James Hassell into a full stretch save on eight minutes with a fine shot from 25 yards. Nothing came of the corner and indeed City caused Harlow few problems from eleven corners won during the afternoon.
The impressive Green, taking a pass from Leon Lalite, won a free kick when bundled over on the edge of the box by the combined force of Ben Martin and James Quilter. The ball was ideally placed for Mark Taylor, the Owls free kick specialist, but his dead ball effort was easily headed away for the visitors’ first corner.
Clarke, in the starting line up for only the fourth time this season, went close to claiming his first goal in open play since March with a looping header onto the roof of the net following a deep free kick from Lee Protheroe.
Having failed to score in open play in their previous four matches City began to look edgy and almost gifted Harlow the lead when Bastock dithered on a clearance before knocking the ball out to the left side of the penalty area when put under pressure by Rhys Henry.
The young striker, on loan to the Owls from Southend United, retrieved the ball and cut it back to former City forward Jamie Richards whose deflected shot rolled gently through to the relieved Bastock.
Midway through the half City began to exert some pressure but good tackles and headers by Danny Chapman, Ryan Kirby and Paul Kear kept City at bay while a long range effort from Thurlbourne sailed safely over the target.
Castle shuffled his pack on the half hour when Hicks departed with his eye injury. Scott Cousins returned from injury to go to left back with Bailey moving from that position to the right of midfield, while Jonathan Hunt switched to the opposite flank.
The final minutes of the half were quite frantic with City squandering a good chance when Bailey, normally a reliable passer of the ball, slid a poor pass behind Clarke and Hakim when the duo were well placed just outside the penalty area.
City’s final attempts before the interval saw a scuffed Hakim shot deflected out for a corner and a Hunt free kick fly harmlessly through to the keeper.
St Albans have yet to concede a goal at the Hatfield Road end of the ground this season and knowing that Harlow would be attacking that end after the break possibly eased Castle’s disappointment in seeing his side once more fail to score when playing down the slope towards that goal.
It was of little surprise to see City on the attack early after the restart but Harlow continued to defend with fortitude although Chapman almost glanced a header into his own net from a Protheroe cross.
Hunt intercepted a clearance by Taylor and advanced before exchanging passes with the powerful Quilter. After moving to the edge of the penalty are Hunt sidestepped a defender and unleashed a firm drive that Hassell did well to push out by his near post for a corner.
Hunt was again involved when he received a short pass from Thurlbourne and benefited from a bizarre clash between Harlow duo Lalite and Henry that left both players grounded. But the opening was wasted with a low cross-shot towards the near post that Hassell again saved in comfort.
After surviving a spell of St Albans pressure Harlow bounced back positively with Green and Henry running at the home defence with some purpose. Lalite and Richards combined well to set up Henry for a low shot that Bastock saved to his left.
On the hour Protheroe tested the keeper with clean strike from 30 yards that Hassell watched closely all the way. James Fisher started a City move that saw Hunt send Hakim away but after taking the ball on his chest Hakim had a soft effort easily saved.
Teenagers Henry and Green combined again but really Henry would have been better off going for goal himself rather than passing to his colleague who was outnumbered and dispossessed by three City defenders. City sought to change the game with the introduction of Cohen for Hakim but Harlow were now into their stride and Green went close with a shot from distance that went just wide of Bastock’s goal.
Both sides had chances in the closing stages to avoid the need for a replay. For Harlow, Green, after being teed up by Fowler, beat two defenders and saw his cross-shot palmed out by the crowded Bastock who eventually reclaimed the ball from Richards following a handful of anxious seconds as City struggled to gain control inside their own penalty area.
Striving for their first FA Cup victory in three years City turned to their former skipper Clarke for a late winner but after sending one miscue well wide the one time Northern Ireland Under 21 international flicked a gentle effort through to the keeper.
With time running out, Cousins drove good free kick in from the City left to the back post where Ben Martin headed the ball square but it bounced harmlessly across the face of the goal despite Cohen’s best efforts to score with an overhead shot.
One final City assault on the visitors goal fizzled out as a Hunt free kick went untouched through to Hassell.
Referee Lee Venamore possibly marred an otherwise fine personal performance with some excessive blowing of his whistle late in the day. It was something that drew disparaging comments from a frustrated Castle for which the Maidstone official ticked off the City manager. |