Steve Watts in action at Ford
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St Albans City continued their run of improved form at Ford United’s temporary Oakside home at Barkingside on Tuesday but not for the first time in recent weeks the Saints were left to rue missed chances as the Motorman fortuitously extended their unbeaten Ryman League run to a seventh game.
Such luxuries are unheard of for St Albans this season but the positive manner in which they have approached recent games suggests that a place in the end of season promotion play-offs is looking more likely than at any other time over the past four months.
Steve Castle opted for the same starting XI as for Kingstonian which meant a generous extra run out for the again nondescript Neil Gough before he belatedly gave way to the returning Scot Oakes. It did seem that City would be better served with Greg Deacon on the right, in place of Gough, and Dave Sargent coming in on the left.
City were quickly into their stride and, on a troublesome bouncy surface, had Ford penned back in their own half before the breakthrough arrived on 13 minutes. City battled to win the ball in the middle of the pitch before Steve Watts swept it wide to Deacon, after cutting inside the City midfielder carefully picked out Lee Clarke with a low cross that the on-loan Peterborough United striker turned in via keeper Jamie Lunan’s left hand post.
Seven minutes later Clarke looked certain to net his second when he met a Gary Wraight corner at the back post but had his header from barely a yard out blocked on the line by Sammy Cooper and within a further three minutes Ford, having offered precious little threat, drew level with a classic route one goal – the third such goal conceded by City in as many games. This time the beneficiary was Glenn Poole as he just beat George Clark to Robbie Reinelt’s through ball and clipped it over the keeper and one bounce into the goal.
The rest of the half was, at best, scrappy but not without controversy. Clarke, quite rightly, was booked for deliberately handling a Richard Thomas cross into the net while referee Gavin Ward outrageously awarded Lunan a free kick after the keeper went after and shoved Clarke, how a penalty was not forthcoming will stay a mystery.
The half ended with Clark making a fine save to his right following a well struck Poole free kick. As with the first half, City began the second on top but it was with a comical goal that the lead was regained on the hour. Wraight hit a powerful low corner towards the near post that was missed with an air shot by John O’Sullivan but headed in at the back post by Clarke as the ball bounced up.
City maintained the pressure but other than for a free kick just over by Watts the home goal was not threatened for some time. A neat piece of control and shot on the turn by Poole signalled an upturn in Ford’s fortune only for City to hit back with Watts having a header saved low down following a Deacon cross, the Saints leading scorer then tested Lunan with an effort from 30 yards that swerved several times before the keeper gathered it at the second attempt.
But hopes of a second successive away win were shattered ten minutes from time when a deep cross from Poole was met by Chris Perkins who, despite being well beyond the back post, beat Clark with a looping that took an eternity to drop inside the keepers right hand upright.
Castle brought himself on for the final five minutes and having sent one effort over the bar he then powered in a formidable drive that missed the target by the minutest of margins.
Report by Dave Tavener |
