St Albans City emerged from deepest Sussex with a thoroughly deserved Ryman League point on Saturday following an enthralling Premier Division encounter with a Bognor Regis Town side back in the top flight after a ten year absence.
The Saints played with an openness and freedom so rarely seen this season and but for the thickness of the woodwork Steve Castle could have celebrated his first away win since being appointed manager as Jamie Richards, outstanding on his debut, struck an upright deep into injury time in a match which neither set of supporters wanted to end.
Richards, a trialist with the Saints in the summer of 2002, was strong in the air, agile on the ground and a constant thorn to a Rocks defence which was frequently all at sea. Also new to the side was goalkeeper Wesley Jackman who showed a few nerves with some suspect handling as he stood in for the injured George Clark.
Neither side went into the game in the best of form with Bognor having won just one of their previous six league games whilst City’s record was one win in seven but from the early stages this free flowing encounter had goals written all over it although both of the Rocks first half strikes owed much to City’s benevolence.
Jack Pearce’s side took the first half honours and could have built a convincing interval lead. City survived couple of scares before Bognor went ahead with a fortuitous goal on 11 minutes when a blistering drive from David Piper thudded into Miguel De Souza who could only look on as Matt Russell thumped home the loose ball from close range.
St Albans, boosted by their best away support for quite some time, drew level just eight minutes later with an excellent goal. Having been gifted possession by Rocks defender Jodey Rowland, City quickly switched the play wide to Richards whose cross from the right was swept onto the crossbar by Jay Murray for Simon Martin to score with a careful header from the rebound.
But Bognor, beaten on each of the Saints three most recent visits to the fine Nyewood Lane ground, were in front again by the 24th minute when Jackman moved forward to collect a crisply struck low cross by Russell only for Derek Brown to divert the ball into his own net at the near post.
Within three minutes Murray was denied an equaliser when he shot straight at Craig Stoner’s legs as the keeper came from his line and then a Chris Seeby shot was deflected over the bar but it was Bognor who finished the half in control with Rob Collins and David Birmingham both going close before Brown headed off the line an overhead effort from the influential Russell.
Nine minutes after the restart Jackman made a spectacular save from Collins, that save took on greater significance two minutes as City drew level for a second time. Scott Oakes, whose contribution grew as the game wore on, worked a slick one-two with Richards down the Saints right and crossed beyond the far post to Seeby who, after appearing to use an arm to control the ball, slipped a square pass for Murray to tuck the ball away from just a few yards out.
Thereafter the game ebbed and flowed with Richards causing Bognor all manner of problems. Twice inside four minutes Stoner saved from Richards before De Souza rescued City a headed goalline clearance after Lou Savage clipped the ball over the flapping Jackman.
For ten minutes Bognor had City on the back foot but the Saints launched a furious late onslaught on the home goal. Richards got behind the Rocks defence to collect a superb long ball from Corey Campbell only to lift it a few inches over the bar and Martin Williams went even closer with a thundering drive before a move started by a vital tackle at one end of the pitch by Campbell ended with Richards racing clear and beating Stoner with a low effort that crashed into the woodwork before being scrambled to safety.
Report by Dave Tavener |
