St Albans City repelled a spirited fightback by Division One neighbours Boreham Wood at a windy Meadow Park on Tuesday evening to set up a 2nd Round Ryman League Cup meeting at Clarence Park with another Division One side, lowly Leatherhead who will have seen enough from this replay to believe that further progress for the Saints is anything but a forgone conclusion.
St Albans, showing four changes to the side which started Saturday's game against Hitchin, looked to be comfortably in control as a brace from former Wood striker Junior Samuels and an excellent goal from Gary Ansell carried the Premier Division visitors into a three goal lead. Wood, having lost their previous three games and won just twice in their past 11 outings, looked finished but a soft goal from John Lawford and a fine effort from Andre Delisser ensured that City had to sweat during seven minutes of added time.
City were quickly out of the blocks with Ansell and Danny Jones both ripping through the Wood defence inside the opening minute but home keeper Noel Imber was not tested on either occasion. Indeed during the opening half hour neither keeper was called upon to make a save of note although on 28 minutes Ansell showed that his superb first touch has not been damaged by his five week lay off as he controlled a high ball on the edge of the penalty area before blazing well over.
The Saints had to wait just a further four minutes before moving towards their fourth consecutive victory. Jones beat Steve Magona with a crunching tackle in the middle of the Wood half and slid the ball out to David Pratt who ran down the right before sending over a low cross which evaded Ansell and a defender by the near post but was easily turned in by the unmarked Samuels inside the six yard box.
Wood spurned a clear opportunity to pull level on 42 minutes when Otis Hutchings shot wide following a good break down the right by the ever impressive Delisser. City showed no such mercy in front of goal and within 11 minutes of the restart had virtually made certain of stretching their unbeaten run at Meadow Park to six matches. On 48 minutes Ansell, out by the right hand touchline, superbly brought down a high ball before tearing past Magona and coming off the goalline to aim the ball through Imber's legs for his fifth goal in ten starts.
The best goal of the night came from Samuels on 56 minutes and reminded Wood of what they have lost. Ansell again broke away on the right flank before slipping a cross into the penalty area which Samuels looked second favourite to reach before nipping in front of his defender and cracking an unstoppable half volley across Imber for his fifth goal of the season.
But far from being over the game had new life pumped into it two minutes later as Lawford took advantage of being allowed to move forward without being challenged before surprisingly beating Lee Clark with a soft shot low to the youngster's right. That goal began with Pratt carelessly conceding possession and in the 69th minute Richard Goddard put his only blemish on an otherwise sound display by also giving the ball away cheaply. Delisser seized his chance to attack the City defence and withstood a firm challenge from the impressive Ryan Moran, who was injured in the process, before firing home from a tight angle.
Having forced their way back into contention Wood failed to maintain the momentum and City got through the final 20 minutes in some comfort and could have moved further ahead had Spencer Knight taken advantage of a free header from a Joe Lyons cross while only a deflection denied Samuels his first hat trick for the Saints. |