St Albans City’s ability to score goals even when experiencing an off day came to the fore at the Newport Stadium on Saturday as Colin Lippiatt’s side moved to within three points of Conference South leaders Weymouth courtesy of some clinical finishing to repel the spirited fight offered by relegation threatened Newport County.
The Welsh side showed commendable determination on a difficult surface but other than for a goal from the impressive Matt Green could find no way past the evergreen Paul Bastock. City, on the other hand, were decisive from their limited opportunities.
With injury and suspension ruling out Lee Flynn and Patrick Ada respectively Lippiatt recalled Mark Burgess at left back and Nick Burton to the centre of the defence while the Exiles were missing three regulars through injury.
From the start it was clear that a rough pitch was going to hinder St Albans passing game so the Saints quickly employed a long ball game that certainly does not suit them, and rendered the midfield obsolete for long stretches, but proved pivotal to the final outcome.
City could hardly have made a better start when, on three minutes, a Burgess cross was charged down but collected by Walshe who went wide of the defence before striking a low cross that Simon Martin turned goalwards for Matt Hann to pounce on for his 15th goal of a remarkable campaign.
Lee Clarke and Martin both had chances to extend the lead but the growing threat was coming from the Exiles for whom Green and Craig Hughes presented a potent attack. Hughes and Sam O’Sullivan both made good opportunities for themselves only to shoot straight at Bastock while the keeper also saved well from Stuart Edwards.
Clarke, with a free header from a Walshe corner, ought to have doubled the Saints advantage before Newport, one place above the relegation places, drew level on 38 minutes when an Ian Hillier free kick was half cleared to Green who turned well and fired low into the corner of the net beyond Bastock’s outstretched right arm.
County ended the half in the ascendancy with efforts from Green and Ashley Williams but 12 minutes after the restart City got their championship aspirations back on track with a well-constructed second goal. Martin and Clarke worked the ball square to Chris Seeby who fortuitously beat the lively Tyrone Toppar and fed Matt Hann whose low cross from the City right was missed by Clarke and Martin but Marwa was on hand to score his fourth goal in three games.
With what appeared to be a peach of a goal Walshe added a third on 64 minutes. Attacking down the left, he went wide of his man and from a seemingly impossible angle clipped an outswinging cross-shot that beat Tony Pennock and went into the goal after grazing both crossbar and left hand upright, Walshe later admitted that he had not gone for goal.
To their credit Newport fought on gamely on the physically demanding surface with Hughes almost punishing a misunderstanding between Ben Lewis and Bastock who was more commanding when diving full length to his right to safely clutch a Hillier header.
City could have added a fourth with a swift counter attack but Clarke chose to go it alone rather than pass to the unmarked Hann and the chance was lost.
Match report by Dave Tavener. Kindly supplied by The St Albans Observer. |
