Adam Parker - back in his midfield role
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After sauntering into a deserved two goal interval lead St Albans City ultimately held out for a flattering but most welcome and rare home win on Saturday as Carshalton Athletic slithered to their first defeat at Clarence Park for five years.
The Saints first home success in the Conference South – only their second win at the Park since the start of the year – was a mixed bag as they combined a pleasing first half display with some desperate defending for much of the second period as a mediocre Robins side almost snatched a share of the spoils.
Star billing for the Saints went to the debut making midfielder Ram Marwa and goalkeeper Mel Capleton. Marwa, previously with Grays Athletic, injected a combination of energy, crisp tackling and invention to City’s often tepid midfield while Capleton, despite carrying an injury into the game, made three crucial saves as Carshalton threatened a comeback.
City’s early play mirrored the wonderful late summer sunshine with the exceptional high quality of crosses of deadball specialist Ben Walshe causing a number of problems for the visitors although the nearest they came to a goal was a wayward header by the unmarked Adam Parker. Indeed it was the Robins who almost opened the scoring when a clever glancing header by Adrian Stone from a Sam Saunders free kick had to be acrobatically turned over at full stretch by Capleton.
The opening goal came just two minutes later, the 24th, when a Chris Zoricich cross was partially cleared as far as Walshe whose first time cross towards the back post was spectacularly, and unfortunately, headed into the Hatfield Road net by the diving Robins defender Peter Wood.
Boosted by that gift City proceeded to play some good passing football with the influence of Marwa being all too evident and on 36 minutes the Saints gained a two-goal cushion as Gary Wraight’s near post corner from the City left was flicked on by the boot of Walshe for Miguel De Souza to powerfully force the ball into the centre of the goal from eight yards.
Five minutes from the break Capleton again demonstrated his agility as he tipped over a back header from Dean Hooper that was on course to be the second own goal of the day following a throw-in by Wood and on the stroke of half time the City keeper did well to save low to his left when Stone looked certain to score.
City lost Marwa during the interval with a knee injury and his absence was quickly noticed as Carshalton began to boss the centre of the park, unfortunately for the Robins one of their two half time substitutes, Nic McDonnell, displayed the poor form that blighted his brief time with the Saints as he squandered two clear and crucial openings.
Carshalton’s early second half dominance was rewarded on 55 minutes when Saunders cut in from the Robins right and beat Capleton low inside his near post with a shot that deflected off City defender Ben Martin. Within the next two minutes Capleton made good saves from Stone and Saunders as City’s lead began to look increasingly fragile.
But City eased the pressure on 64 minutes with a fine goal as Wraight won the ball midway in the Robins half before slipping a good ball into the path of Lee Clark who scored his fifth goal in six games with a powerful drive across Searle that entered the goal via the inside of the keepers right hand post. Given City’s earlier superiority it was remarkable to note that it was only their second on target effort of the afternoon.
Other than for a snatched shot by Stone into the City woodwork Carshalton’s attacking threat faded after that goal while, for City, Parker misdirected another free header from a Walshe corner and Paul Armstrong, returning to the club after three seasons with Enfield and Leyton, made a good impression when coming on for the final 11 minutes and had one deflected shot saved by Searle.
Report by Dave Tavener |
