Elliot Benyon scored what is believed to be the fastest goal ever scored in 112 years of football at Clarence Park on Saturday and set the tone for an afternoon of spellbinding, nerve-jangling entertainment as St Albans City leapfrogged the former Football League club to make it a pretty dismal day for the Northamptonshire outfit as they celebrated their 800th game since the amalgamation of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds by being dumped into the relegation places of the Nationwide Conference.
A goal up inside eight seconds is pretty good going, two up in three minutes is fair dinkum but goodness gracious, three goals inside the opening twelve minutes was simply staggering. And the remarkable fact is that throughout this breathtaking spell it was not one-sided as Rushden, under the temporary leadership of Tony Godden following the dismissal of Paul Hart, stretched the City defence to capacity with an attack so quick it made the greyhounds of Dagenham & Redbridge seem like members of the Derby & Jones club going for a stroll at Eastbourne.
If this relegation football in the Nationwide Conference then long may we struggle, but clawing our way to safety on the final day would be handy.
City manager Colin Lippiatt was forced into changing the side that played well the previous week away to Forest Green Rovers due to Paul Hakim's controversial proposed switch to Weymouth. His absence led to Lee Clarke regaining a place in the forward alongside the tremendously exciting Benyon. Clarke may have been short of goals this season but a record of 72 goals in 140 games prior to kick off is not to be sniffed at. Taking Clarke's midfield role was Ram Marwa and his ever-changing hairstyle.
Many people missed the opening goal, Rushden left back Paul Watson, who went on to have a fine game, must have wished he'd missed the ball as City, attacking the Hatfield Road goal, played the kick off back to Tom Davis who launched a long ball in the general direction of Watson's part of the pitch in front of the boardroom. Seeing his goalkeeper handily placed in the centre of the penalty area Watson attempted to guide his header in that direction but played it far too straight along the edge of the box and Benyon, who gambled by charging through the middle from the off, gladly took the ball in his stride, to keeper Scott Tynan's left and slid it into the most open of open goals.
In recent weeks Rushden have defeated Altrincham and Yeovil Town quite convincingly in the FA Cup but going into a potential relegation battle with a ten match winless league run behind them was not the ideal preparation and two minutes and 43 seconds into their first visit to Clarence Park for a competitive fixture the omens for ending that run were not good for by then City were two goals to the good.
Marwa won the ball just inside the Diamonds half and sent Matt Hann away down the City right. For 45 minutes this was the Hann who ran Conference South defences ragged last season and even the professionals of Rushden could not contain the City winger as he sped away and put in a cross that eluded Benyon but not Clarke as the City captain brought the ball down and fired, from close in, high to Tynan's left for his first home league goal since the end of March.
One of the most fascinating contests of the afternoon was fought out between Damian Batt and Tyrone Berry. When in full flight Berry was a joy to watch but Batt, who has specialised in man-marking over the past three matches, had an excellent game and certainly did his bit to curtail the threat posed by Berry. But Berry was involved early on and played a ball to the highly impressive and powerful Lee Tomlin who had decent claims for a penalty rejected as Batt came in inside the penalty area.
Before ten minutes had elapsed Benyon terrorised the Diamonds when blocking a clearance with the ball going out for a goalkick while Gary Elphick, quickly back to top form following his return after a lengthy injury lay off, put in a match-winning tackle when Tomlin was bearing down on goal inside the box. Rushden's plan to get behind the City defence was working well with the speed of their attack worrying the Saints but there also no lack of skill as Tomlin left Batt and Dave Theobald in his wake as he raced clear only for Paul Bastock to announce his return after three matches out through suspension with a spectacular display between the sticks and, on this occasion, whipped the ball off the strikers toes. A quick glance at the ol' timepiece and still only 12 minutes had been played but before the minute was out City had struck for a third time.
Bastock launched the ball long towards Clarke who, some 25 yards from goal, helped it on to Hann. Speedily it was touched into the middle of the penalty area where Benyon stretched out his right leg and with a deft flick of the outside of his boot clipped the ball past Tynan and into the net via the inside of the upright for his fourth goal in six on-loan matches.
Surely now Rushden would accept their fate in good grace as City pondered overturning the six-goal drubbing suffered in their previous home league match, far from it as this game galloped towards a nail biting climax. On 15 minutes, after Rushden stormed through the City left flank, Bastock made a remarkable double save from Tomlin and Michael Rankine. Moments later Elphick intervened again with a marvellous tackle on Tomlin while City hit back with a fine near post cross from Hann that Benyon sent goalwards but was deflected wide for a corner.
Suddenly City hit another purple patch and Tynan looked none to convincing with a panicky hack towards the touchline. Hann swiftly returned the ball into the goalmouth and when he collected it again appeared to be shoved in the back by Marcus Kelly although no whistle was forthcoming. Despite the problems the City attack was causing it was evident that a great deal of the remaining time would be spent in the vicinity of the home goal. Watson sought to make amends for his earlier bloomer with a well placed 20-yard free kick that Bastock swooped to turn around the post as he fell to his left every bit as smartly as the autumnal golden leaves giving a warm glow to the Victorian Park. The Lincolnshire Legend was back and revelled in his moments of extended glory.
From the ensuing corner, curled in left-footed by Watson, Bastock had to dive bravely amongst a cluster of feet, friendly and foe, as he smothered the ball close to his goal. Bastock eased the pressure with a long hoof that Benyon headed on to Hann whose speculative snap-shot drifted just wide of Tynan's left hand upright. A sliced volley by Tom Shaw quickly called Bastock back into the action before Ben Walshe, not quite the most fearsome tackler in the game, sent referee Keith Yeo flying with a dubious tackle from behind as Rushden headed towards the York Road goal.
The drama continued right up to the half time whistle with Benyon going to ground whilst waiting for a Hann corner, a stray arm as thought to be the weapon used but none of the officials - who all did well in a game which was not that difficult to control - spotted nothing untoward. Just prior to the conclusion Rankine threatened a goal when taking the ball off an indecisive Chris Seeby but seconds later the City full back had recovered his ground and regained possession.
The task facing City was simple as they came out for the second half, keep it tight for twenty minutes and then we can start thinking about getting out last seasons gas-guzzling victory bus for another celebratory tour. But, given this was supposed to be Rushden & Diamonds day as they celebrated that 800th match, the party was duly gate crashed. Just 59 second half seconds had ticked by when a stray pass from Davis led to Kelly working the ball onto Tomlin who beat Bastock from 22 yards with a ferocious right-footed drive. It was a truly wonderful strike and moved City to look at Plan B, which had not quite yet been devised.
Tomlin fired over with one effort, forced Bastock into another excellent save with another that really should have seen Rankine turn in the rebound while Batt and Berry continued their personal duel with the City defender blocking the wingers shot for a corner.
Wayne Hatswell seemed to squander a good chance with a shot across the face of the home goal but before the ball could be cleared Clarke had to make a crucial block on Shaw's goalbound effort. Eleven minutes into the half and Berry sent over what appeared a perfectly placed cross but before anyone could pounce Bastock was diving forward to grab the sphere and clutch it to his midriff. The pressure was incessant as Diamonds dominated the midfield and no sooner had City cleared their lines than the ball was once more flying back at them accompanied by eager red shirts.
On 62 minutes Rushden's large following of 479 raised the roof, if there had been one at that end of the ground, of course, as new signing Chris Plummer fired a free kick from in front of the main stand towards the back post where, after glancing off one head, the ball fell to Hatswell whose precise pass along the deck was swept home most emphatically by Kelly. Anyone seen Plan C?
Four minutes later a good run by Berry presented Rankine with an opportunity that he thundered just wide of the mark before Walshe won City a corner with a clever piece of control that teased the visiting defence. City had a chance to clinch victory on 71 minutes when Dean Cracknell, two minutes after replacing Davis who departed with a cut lip and a twisted left ankle, took a pass from Dave Theobald and arrowed a pass through the Diamonds defence that Benyon latched onto but, possibly, shot just a little early and wide of Tynan's left hand post.
City may have felt they were winning the battle as Rankine retired on 76 minutes but in his place came leading scorer Simeon Jackson, still there was to be no respite for a City defence that refused to buckle without a stubborn fight. Bastock frustrated Berry once more as the brilliant Bostonian plucked another tempting cross from baying strikers. But with 12 minutes remaining City's rearguard action looked to have been breached for a third time as Shaw beautifully controlled Watson's long ball and drove through a square backline looking in vain for an offside decision. Shaw did nothing wrong as he cracked the ball to the keepers left as Bastock flung himself to his right, but fortune was on City's side as the ball just clipped Bastock's boot which did enough to divert it onto the post for Marwa to clear the danger.
The final minutes were no less frantic as Elphick and substitute Lee Flynn made further crucial interventions while Tomlin fired over. The fourth official, Richard Jaye, indicated four minutes of added time were to be played. Referee Yeo was enjoying this far too much to knock off early and duly made the Saints sweat for five minutes and 39 seconds beyond the 90 minutes before bringing the curtain down. |
