If St Albans City are to progress into the Conference then they will most likely have to get there via the play-offs after an inexplicable loss of two points at the Warren on Tuesday in a match which, for all but two minutes, was competently in their control.
Yeading, beaten 5-2 at St Albans earlier in the season, displayed no lack of fight on a wet night in west London but City provided all the class at the dimly lit Warren only to be made to pay for squandering a series of good openings that could easily have been rewarded with a five-goal cushion before Yeading opened their account.
Ding keeper Luke Blackmore was quickly called into action to deal with a misdirected Ben Walshe cross that dipped just under the crossbar. City wasted two good opportunities in quick succession with Matt Hann over-hitting a square pass to the free Walshe, while Ben Lewis spooned over a knock down by Paul Hakim.
With midfielders Tom Davis and Ram Marwa in excellent form City continued to dictate the play with Blackmore needing two attempts to gather a drive from Davis. St Albans drew first blood on 23 minutes when an inswinging Walshe corner from the Saints right was characteristically glanced goalwards off Marwa’s shaven head and into the roof of the net via Blackmore’s hands.
Excellent work down the City right ended with Marwa slipping a ball into Walshe but after engineering a good opening failed to get sufficient power to beat Blackmore from ten yards. The home goal enjoyed more good fortune when Hann and Walshe exchanged passes with the latters low cross being deflected onto the bar off the knee of Yiadom Yeboah with Hakim stretching to poke the rebound onto the top of the goal.
Yeading went close with a fine half volley by Ben Hudell who also had a shot squirm out of Bastock’s hands but somehow loop just over the bar. After Bastock made a good save from a crisp Errol Telemarque header City soon got on top after the interval and on the hour a sweeping move ended with Hann smartly firing home only to be ruled offside.
On 67 minutes the outcome seemed to be settled when another swift attack created space for Hann to drill the ball across the face of the goal for Walshe to show great composure to fire a low shot back across goal and into the far corner of the net.
Moments later a good ball by Davis was wasted when Hann sliced his shot wide and on 81 minutes Lee Clarke sent Marwa clear, he selflessly squared to Hann whose shot beat Blackmore but struck the retreating Adam Everitt on the goalline.
As City bemoaned their ill-fortune Yeading broke at speed and when Patrick Ada missed the ball Davis Haule laid it across Bastock for Lee Roache to reduce the deficit. It seemed inconceivable that Yeading were still in contention yet two minutes later the Ding were level when Marvin Morgan sent a glorious deep cross to the unmarked Michael Barima who cracked a smart volley into the net of his one-time team mates.
St Albans piled forward in the closing minutes forcing a string of corners but when Blackmore denied Clarke and Davis in quick succession the loss of two vital points was confirmed. |
