Paul Hakim celebrates scoring St Albans Citys first goal in the Nationwide Conference
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Fears of first day nerves or being overawed at Kidderminster Harriers splendid Aggborough Stadium never crossed the minds of Colin Lippiatt’s gifted young side as St Albans City stormed into the Nationwide Conference in stupendous fashion on Saturday as a football lesson was dished out to Mark Yates disjointed and ultimately demoralised Kiddy side.
Making their bow at the highest level in which the club has ever competed St Albans, particularly during a memorable opening 45 minutes, tore apart their Worcestershire hosts by sticking to the type of free-flowing passing football that won the club so many new admirers on the path to promotion last season.
City were three goals to the good at half time – manager Lippiatt was disappointed it was not five – and even the exceedingly harsh dismissal of Gary Elphick proved little more than an inconvenience for the confident Saints.
City were positive from the off with Paul Hakim causing an anxious moment for the Harriers as he attacked down the right, by the ninth minute the Radlett-resident had put City on the path to victory.
Adam Wilde, one of just two starting debutants for the Saints, intercepted Dwane Lee’s square ball on the halfway line and helped it onto Lee Clarke. With a precise pass through the heart of the Harriers defence the City captain sent Hakim clear and with a perfectly placed shot to Scott Bevan’s right Hakim continued the goalscoring form he showed at the end of last season.
Lifted by their good start City imposed themselves on their illustrious hosts most impressively. At the back City were powerful and dominant, the midfield demonstrated a phenomenal work rate supplemented with excellent passing while the two strikers gave the massive Kiddy defenders a troublesome afternoon.
Clarke, set up by Chris Seeby, burst between two defenders before his shot was blocked and from a Ram Marwa header shot low for Bevan to concede a corner. Surprising it may have been but unjust it was not as City went two up on 21 minutes with a spell of sustained pressure ending with the excellent Dave Theobald glancing a Matt Hann corner from wide of the six yard box across the goal and into the net off the foot of Bevan’s left hand post.
St Albans pressed for more as Kidderminster’s passing became increasingly erratic. Hann, back to his best form, whipped over a cross that just eluded Clarke and Marwa while another flowing move saw Hann and Wilde present Clarke with a clear opening which was squandered as he fluffed his shot and stumbled to the ground.
Yate’s side were not without chances with Russ Penn forcing the once again brilliant Paul Bastock into a good save while Michael Blackwood sent a clear opportunity onto the stand roof.
Two minutes from the break City added a deserved third. Wilde was fouled wide on the halfway line and as the players headed for the penalty area Harriers skipper Stuart Whitehead exchanged a few words with Hakim. As Lee Flynn’s free kick arrived perfectly at Hakim’s feet Whitehead turned hothead and scythed down the City striker. Clarke duly opened his account for the season with a rasping drive from the penalty spot high to Bevan’s left.
The Saints were quickly onto the offensive after the restart only for Clarke to be booked for diving when it did, in fact, look to be a second City penalty. As the half wore on City attacks became less frequent although Marwa just failed to turn in a Wilde cross and an exhilarating run by Hakim ended with Hann winning a corner.
Despite Kidderminster finally applying pressure to the visitors goal clear chances were restricted due to the dominance of the City defence and the superb timing they demonstrated in diving in to block shots. Even so, Bastock was relieved Andy White scooped a sitter over the bar from a low Jeff Kenna cross and the Saints keeper could only look on after punching away a corner with Penn’s follow up fizzing just over the bar.
Kidderminster were thrown a lifeline on 75 minutes when the outstanding Gary Elphick was not only penalised for handball in the penalty area but also astonishingly sent off.
As the dejected Elphick trooped off Bastock ended Harriers comeback hopes by diving low to his left firstly to parry Dean Sturridge’s soft penalty and then smother Luke Reynolds follow up.
City ought to have added a fourth goal on 83 minutes when a tremendous surge by Hann saw his 20 yard shot strike an upright with Simon Martin, possibly with too much time on his hands, carelessly prodding the rebound wide of the most open of open goals.
The final few minutes plus a generous four minutes of added time saw City penned back in their own penalty area but still the defence stood firm with Ben Martin and Theobald resolute. Bastock made a good save from Mark Creighton and a stunning one from a Gavin Cowan header before the veteran Kenna marked his debut with a beautifully struck 25 yard free kick deep into added time giving Kiddy a little to smile about. |
