St Albans City put their recent indifferent form behind them on Tuesday night with a six goal destruction of Ryman League Division Three side Ware who escaped from Clarence Park probably relieved that the margin of defeat was not in double figures.
Having struggled to create chances of late the Saints could so easily have doubled their actual tally in reaching the 2nd Round of the Herts Senior Cup but instead had to satisfy themselves with taking their total of goals against their county rivals to ten in two games this season.
Leading the way on a cold night was striker Miguel De Souza who scored the Saints first hat trick of the season as Ware crashed to their heaviest defeat at the Park since suffering an infamous 9-3 Mithras Cup defeat in December 1974.
The goal feast began as early as the fourth minute when 32 year-old De Souza was afforded ample space to place a simple header from a perfect Beckett Hollenbach cross to the left of goalkeeper Lee Robinson and into the back of the Hatfield Road net. De Souza ought to have made it two from another free header four minutes later while Leon Townley also went close with one more headed effort on ten minutes.
Ware almost hauled themselves back onto level terms with a fine half volley from Matt Kearney that flew narrowly wide but the visitors were cut open again in the 18th minute in the most direct style. Goalkeeper Duncan Roberts, making his home debut, drilled a long kick down the centre of the pitch that eluded the Ware defence and as Robinson came out to clear his lines in stepped De Souza to head the ball over the stranded keeper for his second goal.
Thereafter all that stood between City and a substantial interval lead was the woodwork as Simon Martin rose well to plant a header onto the crossbar - the same fate befell Corey Campbell during injury time - and City’s leading scorer also struck the inside of the upright after outwitting three defenders in the minutest of spaces.
During the opening 15 minutes of the second period Roberts was called upon to make a couple of routine saves while his opposite number began to work overtime. De Souza completed his hat trick in the 56th minute when neatly guiding the ball home from inside the six yards box after Leon Townley had flicked on a Scott Oakes free kick.
In the 63rd minute Martin dispossessed Kevin Kilroy before being hauled down by the same player to win the first penalty by any side in a St Albans match this season - by this time last year (17 games) City supporters had seen nine spot kicks - and then picked himself up to send Robinson the wrong way to claim his ninth goal of the season.
As City visibly upped the tempo Ware had a remarkable escape when Robinson blocked a Jon Challinor shot and was relieved to see Challinor’s second attempt cleared by Kilroy when at least half of the ball looked to have trickled over the goalline. Ware had another escape when Ryan Moran sent Gary Sippetts away but the strikers crisp shot just evaded the far post.
Robinson made a marvellous full stretch save from an away swinging Challinor shot but the keeper was let down by his defenders on 72 minutes when former Saint Nicky Burt, following a Hollenbach cross, presented the ball straight to Rob Kean who duly despatched it at speed into the York Road goal.
Ware almost snatched a consolation goal though Shane O’Brien but it was City who were celebrating again on 82 minutes when Sippetts powerfully headed home an excellent cross from the left by Martin. During the final few minutes Robinson saved low down from Martin and Sippetts while Dominic Naylor went close from distance and a blistering effort from Hollenbach came within a whisker of adding to Ware’s woes.
Report by Dave Tavener |
