Simon Martin powers home a header
|
Three more goals for St Albans City supporters to savour, a hatful of other chances created, thrilling wing play down either flank. Yes it was just another day at Clarence Park on Saturday for Colin Lippiatt’s gifted side as Sutton United’s winless run was extended to an eleventh game by the highest scoring side in senior non-league football.
At times John Rains Sutton side looked far better than their current form suggests but at other times City simply toyed with their guests and could have easily overturned the four-goal drubbing received at Gander Green Lane back in October.
In a pacy and thoroughly enjoyable encounter City should have been ahead inside six minutes when a Ben Walshe free kick picked out Simon Martin who headed against the stanchion. Sutton responded with a good effort just over the top by Jay Conroy before St Albans went ahead on 16 minutes with a trademark flowing move that saw Tom Davis, in excellent form, switch the play out to Walshe whose cross this time was smartly headed home by Martin.
Within two minutes United were level when Paul Honey chipped the ball over an unusually dormant City defence to Luke Cornwall whose miscued shot from a narrow angle wrong-footed Paul Bastock and allowed Mark Watson to stab the ball home from a few yards out.
City suffered a second blow moments later when Martin, who appeared to injury himself during his goal celebration, limped off to be replaced by Paul Hakim who did his personal cause little harm.
Championship chasing Saints regained the lead on 23 minutes with a goal built on persistence. Three times Sutton repelled an attack down the City right before Matt Hann, receiving a throw-in from Chris Seeby, managed to whip over a low cross that skidded across the face of the Hatfield Road goal until Lee Clarke pounced at the back post for his 19th goal of the season.
A spell of sustained pressure saw Hakim just beaten by visiting keeper Phil Wilson to a Patrick Ada through ball, Clarke blocked when going for Hakim knock down close to goal and Wilson palm over a rising effort from the outstanding Ram Marwa following good work by Hakim and Hann.
Sutton almost caused an upset when Watson headed over from a Matt Gray cross while an audacious effort from wide on the right by Clarke, after being teed up by Seeby, dipped just over Wilson’s goal.
The second half commenced with City applying further heavy pressure to the United goal but for a while clear chances were hard to come by. Clarke had two decent looking penalty appeals rejected while Hann went on a mesmerising run before exchanging passes with Hakim only to then be blocked by Wilson. Twice Seeby tested Wilson with crisp, though straight, shots at the busy custodian.
Sutton’s best hope of saving the game was wasted on 69 minutes when Gray drilled a dangerous ball across the face of the home goal that Watson inexplicably knocked back across goal where it was cleared but was immediately knocked back in by Eddie Akuamoah for John Scarborough to head over.
St Albans secured their eighth win in nine Conference South matches on 75 minutes when Ada passed to Clarke who, after having one attempt charged down, sent a truly majestic ball across the park to Hann who raced clear to see his rasping drive pushed away by Wilson, but the keeper was helpless as Walshe’s inswinging left-footed corner was smartly headed high into the goal by the tireless Marwa.
How City only scored three times in another masterly display of attacking football is a mystery and even in the closing minutes Wilson had to be alert to deny Hakim after the striker twisted swiftly and fired low from 18 yards.
Bastock, nursing a touch of pneumonia, made a spectacular save to his right in the final minute as Gray attempted to reduce the deficit.
Match report by Dave Tavener. Kindly supplied by The St Albans Observer. |
