St Albans City F.C. Statistics Saintsnet - The Official website of St Albans City Football Club

css drop down menu by Css3Menu.com

Change:  Move to:
06.04.2013 at 15:00 Clarence Park Attendance : 305
St Albans City
2 - 2
Bashley
Referee : Andy Aylott (Kempston) Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division match

Goalscorers
Elliott Godfrey (18)
Greg Ngoyi (62)
Ian Richardson (25)
Ian Oliver (48)
Opening squads
Nick Jupp
Joe Bruce
Ryan Wharton
Elliott Godfrey
Fabio Bufano
Richard Graham
Chris Henry
Darren Locke
Josh McLeod-Urquhart
James Comley
Greg Ngoyi
Stuart Moore
Ryan Case
Ian Oliver
Bradley Strickland
Matt Finlay
Ian Richardson
Josh Casey
Rob Gradwell
James Stokoe
Mark Gamble
Charlie Knight
Substitutes
Curtis Shaw
Elliott Bailey
James Comley
David Keenleyside
Brad Wadkins
Tom Hill
Alex Moth
Paul Gazzard
Stewart Kearn
Substitutions
James Comley -> Darren Locke (46)
Brad Wadkins -> Fabio Bufano (58)
David Keenleyside -> Chris Henry (58)
Alex Moth -> Charlie Knight (15)
Tom Hill -> Mark Gamble (52)
Yellow cards
None. James Stokoe (41)
Red cards
None. None
Match report
Two scrappy goals for the home side and two headed efforts for the visitors ensured an equal share of the points for St Albans City and Bashley at a sunny, though chilly, Clarence Park on Saturday.

A 2-2 draw was probably a fair outcome and is one that leaves the Saints well adrift of the Southern League play-off places and nudges The Bash a bit close to Premier Division safety.

Overall the game rose above a normal end of season tussle although too many passes tended to go astray for it to have been a truly entertaining 90 minutes.

City made one change from the side defeated by Hemel Hempstead on Easter Monday with teenager James Kaloczi rested to the bench as Joe Bruce returned to the starting XI.

The side from the New Forest also made one change from the side that defeat Weymouth earlier in the week with Matt Finlay replacing Gary Middleton.

Bashley made an encouraging start with Mark Gamble drilling a powerful effort wide of the York Road goal, while a cross by right-back Ryan Case was headed into the goalmouth where an audacious flick by Rob Gradwell was easily gathered by City keeper Nick Jupp.

Before ten minutes had elapsed City had responded positively with Chris Henry having a wayward shot at goal while headers by Greg Ngoyi and Fabio Bufano, following crosses by Josh Urquhart, both looped high over the target.

Goal chances continued to flow with Jupp saving low down from James Stokoe but Bashley looked to have suffered a blow when Charlie Knight limped off after just 15 minutes with a hamstring injury.

Things actually worked out well for Frank Gray’s side as substitute Alex Moth flitted around to great effect during the remainder of the game.

City almost scored a freak goal on 16 minutes when Henry was tackled and Urquhart was quickly onto the loose ball and from 30 yards forced Bash keeper Stuart Moore to backpedal to tip over the dipping shot.

From James Comley’s corner Darren Locke drifted in unnoticed at the back only to volley his shot weakly wide.

The opening goal finally arrived on 18 minutes and must surely be the softest conceded by Bashley all season.

Henry fed Richard Graham on the City right and from his long raking cross Finlay, unwisely, elected to head the ball back to his keeper.

But Elliot Godfrey had read the situation and as Moore came out attempting to collect the ball he was beaten by Godfrey’s outstretched left leg that got a just firm enough touch to clip the ball wide of the keeper and gently into the net.

Jupp protected City’s lead when comfortably saving Brad Strickland’s long-range effort but on 25 minutes Bashley grabbed a deserved equaliser after Finlay launched a free kick into the home penalty area from the half way line.

Bruce and then Bufano failed to get any distance onto their headed clearances and Moth swooped to chip a cross to the back post where the unmarked Bashley skipper Ian Richardson beat Jupp with a fine header over Jupp that dipped perfectly just under the crossbar.

City ought to have regained the lead when Ryan Wharton played a good ball out to Graham and from his crisp low cross Ngoyi controlled the ball and twisted only to then blaze the ball over the crossbar.

Ngoyi squandered two other half chances before the interval while right on half time Gradwell headed over from a Josh Casey free kick when the goal looked to be at his mercy.

An injury ruled Locke out from returning after the break, something that allowed Kaloczi to make a quick return to the midfield with Urquhart dropping from the middle of the park to right back and Wharton moving inside to his more familiar station alongside Bruce.

Just three minutes after the restart and Bashley closed in on completing the double over St Albans as they moved into a 2-1 lead.

Moth, on the Bashley right, laid a short pass to Casey who sent an excellent left-footed cross deep into the penalty area. Bash left-back Ian Oliver got goal-side of Urquhart and sent a header across Jupp that, somewhat surprisingly, went into the Hatfield Road goal despite the keeper getting a hand to it.

Having now scored his first goal for the club Oliver wanted more and beat Jupp all ends up with a glorious strike from close on 30 yards that thudded into the face of the crossbar.

Just prior to the hour City made a double change with the unusually quiet Henry and Bufano making way for David Keenleyside and Brad Wadkins.

Keenleyside wasted no time in making his presence felt as, on 62 minutes, he pressurised Case into conceding a somewhat needless corner.

Comley swung the corner into the penalty area where Keenleyside, level with the near post and some ten yards out, sent a crisp header through a crowd of players.

But before it crossed the goal line the ball clipped the elbow of Ngoyi who wasted no time after the game in rushing into the press-box to let everyone know that it was his goal.

The game went through a relatively quiet spell before Oliver went close with another fine effort from distance.

The closing stages were remarkably open with both sides pushing for victory and St Albans going closest to securing all three points.

A Comley corner was headed away as far as Elliott who lofted the ball high back and into the penalty area. Another defensive header only went towards the edge of the 18-yard box where Graham unleashed a cracking left-footed volley that flew off the knee of Case and just over the Bashley crossbar.