St Albans City’s taste of the high life in the Southern League turned sour on Tuesday as Cambridge City went on the rampage and sauntered to a 4-0 victory at Milton Road, a result which was highly flattering to David Howell’s Saints.
Gary Roberts’ Cambridge side are tipped to be the frontrunners this season and it was not difficult to see why although the naivety of City’s play did seem to make the Whites job more straightforward than it ought to have been.
Cambridge scored four times, hit the woodwork and squandered at least three genuine sitters as they removed City from the top of the Premier Division table in some style.
Howell made one change to his starting XI from the side that won at the weekend. Striker Brian Haule stepped in to replace the unavailable James Bent. Substitute Paul Furlong was also unavailable with his place taken by John Sonuga.
Included in the Whites line up were former Saints Dave Theobald and Jonathan O’Donnell, the latter on a one-month loan from Luton Town. Leading the attack was the normally prolific Craig Hammond who was in somewhat wayward form and spared the Saints from a complete rout.
The opening exchanges were little more than gentle sparring on a superb playing surface but once ahead Cambridge stepped up several gears while St Albans remained surprisingly timid.
One of the Saints biggest failings was in allowing the Cambridge midfield far too much space in which to operate and veteran Whites midfielder, the suitably named, Adrian Cambridge exploited it to devastating effect.
On 18 minutes Cambridge laid a simple pass out to right-back Liam Nicell who darted close the goalline before unleashing a vicious cross-shot that arced over young City keeper Kyle Merson and fell just inside the far post to open the scoring.
Fluke or not St Albans were already in serious trouble and more goals looked to be in the offing as Hammond, Neil Midgley and Luke Robins began to link with menace.
Midway through the half Hammond broke free from the Saints defence and stretched to reach the ball that he clipped past Merson but also just wide of the target. Before taking the goalkick young Merson changed his grey top and later in the half his face matched the red of his new jersey.
St Albans were not without chances themselves with Sean Shields frequently teasing the home defence while Rob Haworth and Brian Haule won a good number of high balls that they challenged for only for the attacks to then peter out.
City came close to drawing level on 34 minutes after Ryan Moran broke up at Cambridge attack. Sean and Solomon Shields exchanged passes before Sean saw his low drive saved by home keeper Zac Barrett.
Moran made a couple more good interventions before Midgley went close with a diving header.
City were undone for a second time on 37 minutes when Nicell’s throw on the Whites right was collected by Joey Abbs. From his deep cross Robins peeled away from Matt Pooley at the back post to send an excellent header to the left of Merson for the second goal.
Less than a minute later Hammond sent Midgley clear through the middle but the shot again went just the wrong side of the post.
Nicell’s highly influential half continued on 41 minutes when his cross was headed goalwards by the stooping Robbins who was celebrating moments later as the ball slipped from the hands of the diving Merson and trickled over the goalline.
As the interval approached both Midgley and Theobald put headers over the Saints goal and Abbs forced Merson into a making a save.
Howell resisted the temptation to make changes during half time but was expecting a positive response from his side during the second half.
But the City manager certainly did not get much of a physical reaction as St Albans conceded just one free kick during the entire second half.
St Albans did muster ten shots on goal during the second 45 minutes but they all lacked conviction and Barrett was not called upon to make a save.
Cambridge, on the other hand, threatened to score whenever they moved forward and revelled in the space City conceded far too easily.
Nicell sent a thunderous effort against the woodwork from 25 yards and Robbie Nightingale led a counter-attack that ended with Merson saving from the midfielder.
In the latter stages the visitor’s goal resembled a coconut shy as Cambridge lined up to take pot shots.
A shot by Robins ricocheted off Matt Cutchey to Hammond who, with Merson stranded on the opposite side of the goal, somehow blazed over the bar.
Hammond then headed tamely over when well placed to receive a cross from Robins before Tony Burke squandered the easiest of chances after Merson had parried a firm effort from Dubi Ogbonna.
The home side finally added a fourth goal, to repeat the scoreline from the last time St Albans paid a visit to Milton Road, when Pooley accidentally allowed a low cross from the Whites right to slide under his foot and into the path of Hammond who finally located the target with well placed right-footed shot low to Merson’s left.
There was still sufficient time for Hammond to shoot wastefully wide after a kind defection off City substitute Marvin Alebiosu fell into his path and the Whites marksmen then sent a cleanly-struck half volley straight at a relieved Merson. |