St Albans City headed back from the sunshine which engulfed the lush turf at Colston Avenue on the opening day of the Ryman League season last Saturday ruing the squandering of two Premier Division points after totally dominating an entertaining encounter with troubled Carshalton Athletic. After the substandard football served up during the second half of last season the Saints performance against one of the likely relegation candidates was a breath of fresh air but the club's dire disciplinary problems of last season remain with City, perhaps uniquely, having two of their coaching staff banished from the bench by referee Bruce McLaren.
The Woking-based official had no option but to dismiss Alan Randall once he encroached onto the pitch to offer some unwise comments after claiming, completely without justification, for a City penalty just minutes after the Robins had taken the lead through a controversial penalty decision. Randall was joined in the stand for the start of the second half by Erskine Smart who was ordered not to return to the bench after exchanging contrasting views with a linesman. Sadly City will receive bad press for those two incidents but they should not overshadow an encouraging performance in the face of some excessive provocation from the Surrey club. Carshalton had midfielder Simon Bassey dismissed for two yellow card offences but it was only Mr McLaren's leniency which allowed the Robins to finish the game with ten players on the pitch. City were quickly into their stride and the Carshalton goal had a couple of nervous escapes before the game was turned on its head in the 11th minute. Robins striker Joel Rogers received the ball with his back to goal and with Peter Risley and Corey Campbell in close attendance, but as the Carshalton man turned towards goal Campbell was adjudged to have tugged Rogers shirt and from the resultant penalty Matt Elverson drove the ball high to Laurence Batty's right into the roof of the net.
City responded well with the outstanding Spencer Knight causing countless problems for the home side, from his cross Martin Randall pulled an easy save out of Robins keeper Andy Harris while the keeper did well to beat away a fine Chris Piper free-kick. An innocent collision between Lee Akers and Martin Randall in the 17th minute led to optimistic City penalty appeals and Alan Randall's ridiculous stroll onto the pitch. Carshalton had a let off when a goalbound Campbell header was deflected away whilst Martin Randall, after being superbly set up by Gary Ansell and David Pratt, somehow scooped the ball wide from inside the six yard box but that missed paled into insignificance compared to a completely free header he wasted during heavy second half City pressure. City could have gone down to ten men on the half hour when Batty handled outside his penalty area but Mr McLaren deemed that the keeper's momentum had carried him into trouble. From Martin Kuhl's well placed free-kick Batty got down well to his left to concede a corner.
The second half saw the Carshalton goal come under even greater attack but somehow it remained intact as Ansell failed to accept a couple of good chances and Knight was thwarted by Harris' outstretched arms. City finally drew level on 69 minutes following one of numerous heavy challenges by Darren Brodrick on Randall. The free-kick was played short to Knight and from his left-sided cross Campbell sent a cracking header into the back of the net. Two minutes later Bassey said his farewells after a distasteful foul on Mark Rooney, new Robins boss Tony Rains quickly withdrew both of his strikers as he attempted to cling onto a point and with no shortage of good fortune this was achieved. Somehow the combined challenge of Richard Goddard and Junior Samuels failed to force home a Knight cross while a blistering drive by Ansell was pushed upwards by Harris and as the ball came down Randall sent a header looping onto the top of the net.
Report by Dave Tavener |
