Chris Seeby rises highest in a goalmouth melee
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With their eleventh defeat in fifteen home matches since the turn of the year St Albans City slipped into the Nationwide South bottom three on Monday as an enterprising Lewes recorded only their second victory at Clarence Park, ominously Lewes’ only other success at St Albans came during the Saints relegation season of 1982-83 when the Sussex club won by an identical scoreline.
Having fallen behind for the fifth successive match City did well to move ahead early in the second half through a brace of Lee Clarke goals but with Darren Sarll dismissed just three minutes into the second period the Saints were facing a stiff test and ultimately can only blame themselves for the latest addition to their lamentable home record.
In keeping with a side which has risen swiftly through the Ryman League in recent years Lewes played some very confident and smooth passing football during the first half but could not have complained had they been only the second visiting side to lose at the Park since last Christmas as City created no shortage of good openings against a very poor goalkeeper. Fortunately for the Rooks the Saints are not the most lethal finishers around and with Clarke squandering four clear-cut chances they were able to secure maximum points.
For the second time in three days City trailed to an early goal as Richard Thomas and Ben Walshe allowed Kirk Watts far too much space which he gratefully accepted and crossed with pinpoint accuracy for Warren Haughton to head home with ease in the fifth minute. Watts went on to have a very influential first half.
City replied with a good run by Adam Parker leading to the ball finding its way via a defender to Clarke who shot poorly straight at Rooks custodian Ademola Bankole but it was Lewes who threatened most early on. Watts, fed by Barrington Belgrave, sent a fine curling effort into the woodwork and Lee Fieldwick maintained the pressure with a superb turn and cross which flew, untouched, across the face of the home goal.
City drew level on 23 minutes courtesy of some abysmal goalkeeping by Bankole. Having needlessly tipped an inswinging Gary Wraight corner out for another corner, this time on the Saints right taken by Walshe, the giant keeper fumbled the ball into the goalmouth where Clarke eventually forced it over the goalline off his chest.
Clarke had two grand chances to put City ahead, the first saw him head wastefully over from one of a series of excellent crosses by Walshe while the second was headed powerfully against the crossbar following a cross from Wraight, the latter coming after a spell of sustained Lewes pressure.
Three minutes after the restart Lewes cleared their lines following a City corner with a long ball by Barry Moore which sent Watts clear of Sarll only to be hauled down by the City midfielder which left referee Peter Stanton – who had a fine game – with no alternative but to dismiss him.
Somewhat remarkably the game took an unexpected twist as the ten-man Saints went ahead on 51 minutes when Clarke expertly peeled away from his defender at a Walshe free kick to smartly head home at the back post. But City’s upturn in fortunes lasted barely two minutes as from Steve Metcalf’s twice taken free kick Max Hustwick rose to head high to Mel Capleton’s right into the roof of the Hatfield Road goal.
With a neat piece of control and swift turn Lee Newman created space for himself only to shoot into the side netting before the Rooks, in the 72nd minute, scored their third goal. Junior Kadi, another Lewes player to make a good impression, spotted that Belgrave had moved goalside of Dean Hooper and picked him out with an exquisite pass, Hooper, with the aid of Capleton, managed to force Kadi wide but the Lewes striker kept his composure and calmly slotted the ball low into the City goal.
Both sides had chances in the latter stages to add to the tally, for City Clarke headed wide and Miguel De Souza had a low shot blocked by the keeper while both Newman and Haughton missed good openings for the visitors.
Report by David Tavener |
