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11.08.2009 at 19:45 Clarence Park Attendance : 318
St Albans City
2 - 0
Worcester City
Referee : Ian Rathbone (Northampton) Blue Square South match

Goalscorers
Drew Roberts (59)
Danny Green (88)
None
Opening squads
Paul Bastock
Alex Bailey
Luke Thurlbourne
Adam Everitt
Ryan Frater
James Quilter
Gary Cohen
Solomon Shields
Paul Hakim
James Fisher
Drew Roberts
Richard Mace
Graham Ward
Shabir Khan
Mark Clyde
Wayne Daniel
Tom Kemp
Jordan Fitzpatrick
Gary Walker
Martin Butler
Rob Elvins
Aaron Moses-Garvey
Substitutes
Jamie Thurlbourne
Mark Peters
Darren Quinton
Danny Green
Daniel Chillingworth
Marco Adaggio
Kevin Spencer
Matt Dinsmore
Louis Bridges
Carl Heeley
Substitutions
Darren Quinton -> Solomon Shields (68)
Danny Green -> Paul Hakim (87)
Daniel Chillingworth -> Drew Roberts (90)
Marco Adaggio -> Jordan Fitzpatrick (46)
Kevin Spencer -> Graham Ward (77)
Yellow cards
Ryan Frater (58)
James Fisher (80)
Luke Thurlbourne (82)
Martin Butler (33)
Mark Clyde (70)
Red cards
None. None
Match report

Celebrations Start!
Spectacular second half strikes by Drew Roberts and substitute Danny Green clinched a first Blue Square South victory of the season for St Albans City on Tuesday night as Worcester City left Clarence Park still pointless and now at the foot of the table after the opening two fixtures.

Following the Saints fruitless trip to Dorset at the weekend manager Steve Castle erred on the side of experience with Roberts coming into the attack and James Quilter into the back four. Castle also pulled an ace from his sleeve in giving Paul Hakim what is likely to be one of a number of infrequent appearances this season.

Business commitments deem Hakim to be unavailable for Saturday matches but he wasted little time in showing the experience and quality that was lacking up front for St Albans on Saturday.

Worcester, beaten at home at the weekend, made two changes to their starting line up but it was the Saints that settled the quickest in a match of few clear cut chances. That both goals came from shots well outside the penalty area highlights how much the defenders held the upper hand.

Hakim took just five minutes to make his mark as his crisp drive was blocked with James Fisher picking up the pieces to win St Albans first corner. Luke Thurlbourne took the majority of City’s six first half corners and although he cleared the defender at the near post each time City were unable to put any of the crosses to good use.

Worcester were blighted by the same problem with two free kicks and a cross from a dangerous position all going tamely into Paul Bastock’s safe hands. The visitors 3-5-2 formation should have swamped the Saints midfield but it was the home side that continued to have the balance of the opening half.

Good work by Alex Bailey who drilled a cross towards the near post would have surely been turned in by Gary Cohen had Wayne Daniel not made a timely interception.

Solomon Shields, on 27 minutes, had the first shot of the game but that it bounced gently wide suggested that goals would be hard to acquire.

Five minutes later Hakim surged past Mark Clyde down the left of the Worcester defence and tested Richard Mace with a firm low drive that the keeper did well to block at the foot of the near post. Hakim fired the rebound high across the face of the goal and the chance was lost.

Fisher tested Mace with a curious effort from out wide on the right that was gathered with ease while just before the break Aaron Moses-Garvey for once got the better of the otherwise dominant James Quilter only to see his shot curl just wide of Bastock’s left hand upright.

Worcester began the second period with far greater attacking intent that seen prior to the interval and won a couple of quick corners, having failed to win any before the break. The Saints survived a mad scramble after the under pressure Bastock failed to deal with a corner but skipper Ryan Frater was on hand to tidy up.

But the promising start made by Richard Dryden’s side was squandered on 59 minutes through a combination of careless defending and quick thinking attacking play.

Daniel attempted to run the ball clear of his lines but overran the ball, which was swiftly pushed up to Roberts. Standing some 22 yards from goal Roberts turned, looked up, saw Mace off his line and duly despatched a perfect shot high over the keeper and into the York Road goal for City’s first strike of the season.

Shields went close to adding a second moments later before the game disintegrated into a scrappy affair.

Worcester, even with the experienced Marco Adaggio bolstering their attack for the second half, could make little headway against the Saints backline.

And twice in the last ten minutes when they did break through Quilter was on hand to clear the danger with well timed tackles.

Throughout the match there had been the potential for flashpoints and in the latter stages referee Ian Rathbone got busy with his yellow card as five names went in to his book. In the first half alone the Northampton match official blew for 22 free kicks, although some seemed harsh in the extreme.

Worcester screamed loud for one more infringement when Adam Everitt and visitor’s striker Martin Butler collided inside the box; on this occasion the referee saw nothing amiss, much to the visitors dismay.

Worcester followed that with defender Clyde, with a gentle looping header, providing their only on-target contribution to the evening’s disjointed entertainment.

The Saints were not so shy in attack and Green, less than a minute after coming on and eager to reclaim a place in the starting XI, scored with a blistering drive worthy of any Goal of the Season competition and one that served as a reminder of his capabilities.

The 19-year-old former Harlow player harried Clyde as a high ball fell from the sky and clearly flustered the former Northern Ireland international struggled to clear his lines.

Daniel stepped in to help but failed to get any distance on his clearance and the ball was swiftly given back to Green who, some 28 yards from goal, twisted and unleashed a wondrous drive that flew at pace past the startled Mace to confirm St Albans first victory over Worcester with just two minutes remaining.