Nick Roddis
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After enduring a nightmare journey on the M3 to get to Dorset on Saturday, St Albans City found themselves two goals down inside fifteen minutes against a Dorchester Town side that had rattled in four goals in each of its three previous home league matches yet still Colin Lippiatt’s revitalised Saints hauled themselves back to pull off an unlikely victory to rise jubilantly out of the bottom three.
The wet and windy conditions that swept across the country were not conducive to either side but what was to the Saints liking was playing against the most porous defence in the Nationwide South as they chalked up a third successive victory and a third consecutive away win. Such is the optimism sweeping through Clarence Park it is almost as if the Steve Castle era never happened.
Whether the traffic problems St Albans, and their supporters, encountered on their way to Dorchester affected their mindset at the kick off is not known but when the Magpies cantered into an early two goal lead City looked to be staring down both barrels. The first goal, on five minutes, did not bode well for the Saints as it was straightforward free kick routine with Mark Robinson crossing to the back post for Mark Jermyn to head the ball into the goalmouth where the first effort was blocked before Matt Groves stepped up to fire in his 17th league goal of the season.
Moments later the heavens opened and the swirling wind, mostly to City’s backs, was accompanied by heavy rain that, thankfully, soon relented. A couple of good City attacks, from the second of which Lee Clarke saw his downward header from a Ram Marwa free kick bounce up and over the goal, suggested that St Albans had put the early setback behind them.
Then, on 15 minutes, Dorchester struck for a second time. Chris Seeby obstructed Diogo Andrade and from Justin Keeler’s free kick Brown, from some 15 yards out, twisted his body superbly to send an unstoppable looping header inside the top right hand corner of Bastock’s goal.
In Brown and Groves Dorchester possess two of the best strikers St Albans have faced all season but after that early flurry the duo, despite causing problems whenever the Magpies went forward, did not get any more efforts on target as Gary Elphick and Ben Martin fought hard to impose themselves on the game.
Indeed, other than for a header wide by Brown and a 30-yard shot just over the bar by Alex Browne the rest of the half belonged to the Saints although the play was mostly between the penalty areas rather than around the home goal.
With two goals in a dramatic three-minute spell, both by defenders, City ensured parity at the interval. The first, on 28 minutes, came courtesy of a Tom Davis free kick from wide on the Saints left that was glanced on just inside the penalty area and headed away by a defender just as keeper Craig Bradshaw was set to claim it. Before Bradshaw could reposition himself Seeby unleashed a perfect right-footed volley from 12 yards that flew at speed into the back of the net.
Three minutes later and City were level and as with the previous three goals it originated from a set piece. Matt Hann, out on the Saints right, clipped a corner towards the near post where Seeby glanced a header that beat Bradshaw but bounced off the back post. Tom Beech, who had probably his best game for the club, returned the ball back across goal for Elphick to out jump everyone and score with a close range header.
Hann, playing against the club he left to join the Saints last summer, tried his luck with three off-target efforts from distance before the break while Davis, whose annoying eagerness to go to ground with ridiculous ease angers friend and foe alike, also sent a good drive just over the target.
The wind appeared a touch weaker as the sides came out for the second half and the home side certainly could not blame the conditions for the Saints winning goal on 47 minutes. Magpies’ left-back Simon Radcliffe attempted to escort a rolling ball back to Bradshaw seemingly unaware that Beech was giving chase. As Bradshaw got to within three yards of the ball Beech stretched out a long leg and poked the ball onto the leg of the advancing keeper where it then kindly ran square for Lee Clarke to crown a fine personal performance by tucking away his 18th goal of the season.
An anticipated Dorchester onslaught never really materialised and other than for a well struck Justin Keeler free kick through the Saints defensive wall, smartly smothered by Paul Bastock, and a late header over the bar by Brown St Albans victory was hardly called into doubt. In fact, but for two unfathomable refereeing decisions the Saints margin of victory would have been greater.
On 64 minutes Dean Hooper, booked again but this time extremely harshly whilst Brown somehow escaped punishment despite shoving his hand into Hooper’s face in full view of the referee, played a good ball to Beech who sent Hann scurrying into the penalty area before being unceremoniously bundled to the ground, amazingly a goal kick was awarded to Dorchester.
Minutes later a delightful move involving Clarke, Davis Beech and Clarke again ended with the Saints leading scorer being chopped down by Gary Middleton a good couple of feet inside the penalty area but this time City were handed nothing more than free kick outside the box that Davis drove a yard wide.
Aside from excessive time wasting tactics during the closing stages City almost added a fourth goal when Marwa fed Beech down the right, he in turn laid the ball into the path of Clarke whose low shot was saved at the foot of the post by Bradshaw.
Report by Dave Tavener
The Saints revival under new manager Colin Lippiatt gathered pace with their third consecutive victory and their third successive away win at a wet and windy Dorchester Town on Saturday.
Having conceded 2 goals in the first 15 minutes, this City side produced a performance of great character built upon a tireless work-rate to take the honours and climb out of the relegation places to sixteenth in the table for the first time since August.
Available for selection once again after injury and sickness respectively were the impressive Ben Walshe and Scott Cousins, but they joined former England semi-pro International striker Lee Charles on the bench as Lippiatt refused the temptation to change a winning side.
After the longest journey in this season's League programme, the visitors found themselves two goals down in short order against a side who had scored four in each of their last three home games. After just 5 minutes a free-kick from Mark Robinson was hit to the back post and returned by the head of Jamie Brown. The first shot was blocked but the prolific Matt Groves fired home the rebound to notch his 17th goal of the season.
City began to settle but were rocked on 15 minutes when the Magpies scored a second. A free kick from Justin Keller was met by a superb looping Brown header from 15 yards which gave Paul Bastock no chance. From then on, however, the Saints centre-back pairing of Ben Martin and Gary Elphick took control of their third of the pitch and neither of the Town strikers were permitted another effort on goal.
The visitors began to dictate play through the midfield and responded with two goals in a three minute spell on the half hour. On 28 minutes a Tom Davis free-kick caused some confusion between keeper Craig Bradshaw and his defence, to be headed clear but only to the feet of Chris Seeby who sent an instant volley crashing home from 15 yards.
Another set-piece three minutes later produced the equaliser. A Matt Hann free-kick was headed goalwards by Seeby. With Bradshaw beaten, the ball rebounded from the far post to be gathered by Tom Beech and his cross was met by the head of Elphick who scored from close range.
The Saints had dominated the last 30 minutes of the first half and began the second in like vein. What proved to be the decisive goal came within two minutes of the re-start.
The Town left back Simon Radcliffe escorted a rolling ball back towards his keeper unaware that City striker Tom Beech was giving chase. An outstretched long leg from the youngster sent the ball onto Bradshaw's body before rebounding square to the unmarked Lee Clarke who gleefully scored his 18th goal of a remarkable season.
For the remainder of the half, St Albans were largely untroubled in defence and threatened to extend their lead. Two penalty appeals were denied by the referee, the first on 64 minutes when Hann was bundled to the ground in the box by Middleton and minutes later the same defender fouled Clarke seemingly well inside the penalty area. The referee gave the free-kick outside the box which was driven wide by Tom Davis.
City finished the game on the attack. A crisp move involving Ram Marwa and Beech wide on the right resuted in a cross into the path of Clarke and his low shot was well-saved at the foot of the post by Bradshaw.
Report by Tom Lewis |
