07.04.2007 at 15:00 Clarence Park
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Attendance : 680
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St Albans City
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1 - 5
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Altrincham
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Referee : Nick Kinseley (Essex)
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Nationwide Conference
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Leon Archer (10)
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Robert Lawton (3)
Colin Little (13, 21, 45)
Roderick Thornley (90) |
Lee Clarke (88)
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Karl Munroe (60)
Roderick Thornley (85) |
Scott Cousins makes his Conference debut for the Saints
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Mathematically, life goes on as normal in this corner of Hertfordshire. In fact, even if you do not believe in fairies at the bottom of the garden this is, so we are told, the time of the resurrection so a mere battle against relegation should be a stroll in the park. In Altincham's case a stroll through Clarence Park as boosted by Colin Little's 33-minute hat-trick Graham Heathcote's side considerably eased their fears of the drop with a fourth consecutive away win but for the Saints their longest run without a league win for 32 years goes on.
Defeat for Grays Athletic at Woking on Saturday means St Albans City head to Tamworth on Easter Monday still will something to play for but if the Lambs are as clinical with their finishing as Altrincham were then the total of 83 goals conceded this season will continue to rise. Alty, without an away win all season until last month, mustered just seven on target efforts all afternoon yet still became the third visiting side this season to score five or more times at the Park. The visitors took full advantage of a new-look City defence and also some generous bobbles on a deceptively uneven pitch, one of which contributed greatly to the opening goal.
City made two alterations to the XI that started in midweek against Morecambe as injury ruled out Djoumin Sangare and Chris Watters. The loss of Sangare at midday led to a quick call to Scott Cousins and a return from Harrow Borough where he has been gaining match practice on the road to fitness following the broken ankle he suffered at Tamworth back in January 2006 - bearing in mind Monday's opponents Scott can hardly be relishing his return to the team. Cousins' usual left back slot was taken by Chris Seeby with Ahmed Deen, a tad surprisingly, being moved inside to partner Gary Elphick.
On a gloriously sunny, though not as warm as had been anticipated afternoon, Altrincham took just three minutes to set City on the path to league defeat no.24.There appeared no great danger as City half cleared a Lewis Chalmers long throw, something that was to be seen regularly throughout the game, until Peter Band nodded the ball onto Robbie Lawton who shot goalwards but with no great conviction. Paul Bastock dived to his left to make what should have been a fairly routine save only for Lawton's downward poke to rise sharply off the rough goalmouth leaving Bastock to grope in vain and watch the ball loop into the net off his fingertips. Bastock kicked the dusty ground in anger, such actions ten seconds earlier may have removed the offending divot and prevented a goal. Being Easter it was inevitable that the keeper would get egg on his face.
That goal set the tone for a lively opening twenty minutes in which both defences looked as reliable as Royal Navy and Iranian navigation systems. Alty keeper Stuart Coburn punched away unconvincingly as Leon Archer challenged while Colin Little skied a clear opening into the wispy clouds after the ball skimmed off Elphick's head. St Albans took full advantage of that fortunate break with an excellent equaliser on ten minutes. Tom Davis played a ball out to Malik Buari who whipped over a top quality right footed cross on the cricket ground side of the pitch that Archer met perfectly to power a tremendous header high to Coburn's right in the York Road goal for his sixth goal in 14 appearances.
Ah, marvellous, we are going to go down fighting after all, so we thought. Altrincham, receiving good vocal support from their 141 followers basking on the Hatfield Road terrace, took just two minutes to quell such hopes. Chalmers sent Joseph O'Neill sprinting clear of a Saints defence that yelled for offside without noticing that Deen had not fully pushed up. As Bastock advanced O'Neill shot low but was thwarted by the diving keeper only for Little, thinking positively in giving chase to his team-mate, to send the rebound crisply into the back of the Saints net.
City needed a second quick response but nine minutes later found the deficit doubled. A sliced clearance fell to Seeby out on the left but a poor first touch handed possession to Lawton who cut inside only for his shot to ricochet right across the pitch and out for a throw off Seeby who did well to redeem himself. But the relief was short-lived as from Chalmers excellent long throw Bastock fumbled the ball and as it fell Little was ideally placed to nod home the third Altrincham goal of the afternoon, and their 50th in the league this season. Having already punched poorly and dropped a couple of crosses it was evident that this was not going to be the Bostonians finest hour, or even forty-five minutes, but given the countless occasions when he has saved our bacon over the past two and a half years it is hard to believe that any City supporter could find it in their hearts to criticise the Lincolnshire Legend.
Such was the openness with which the game was flowing more goals beckoned but gradually the chances dried up and the passing, clearly not helped by a series of unkind bobbles on a pitch that was heavily watered during the week, became increasingly inaccurate.
Within a minute of that goal Buari drove the ball into the box where a diving header from Archer won a corner off Coburn's outstretched fingers. On 26 minutes Alty skipper Stephen Bushell, looking to benefit from Lawton's miscue, sent a hideous effort in the general of the Clarence Park bandstand, and Guy Lopez, one of City's best acquisitions this season, shot poorly wide after Lee Clarke's excellent through ball had bounced off Archer's foot.
Little seemed to be in a hurry to complete his hat-trick and got the ball into the net on 35 minutes from a Gary Talbot header but was deemed to be offside. Soon after he smartly clipped the ball over Seeby and ran the other side of the defender to send a fine effort just over the Saints goal. The Altrincham supporters were ecstatic and screamed for a penalty for handball as Elphick spread himself out to soak up the sun in the penalty area; referee Nick Kinseley ignored the throaty appeals. But Altrincham did have cause for celebration right on half time as Talbot helped on another penetrating Chalmers throw and this time Little timed his run to perfection as he, from close in, completed his first hat-trick in just over two years.
Given the manner in which the defences were being opened up it seemed inevitable that more goals would follow but as the visitors manager confessed afterwards they were content with what they had and were prepared to let St Albans attempt to claw their way back into the game. In truth, it never looked likely as plenty of possession for Lippiatt's boys was met by a solid pale and dark blue wall whenever the goal came into sight. During the first ten minutes of the half Coburn had a couple of moments of concern. Firstly when Archer gave chase to a long hoof from Bastock, Coburn required two goes at gathering the ball on that occasion and on 55 minutes the Alty custodian looked on as Archer headed comfortably wide from a Cousins free kick.
A ‘what happened next' incident occurred on 61 minutes when City were awarded their tenth penalty of the season. There appeared to be little danger as Coburn stood in the middle of his area with the ball safely in his grasp but to his right the action was warming up as Karl Munroe blocked Clarke as the City skipper headed out of the box. Mr Kinseley spotted the infringement and after pointing to the spot handed the defender his fourth booking in five games. Back in August both sides failed to score from the spot at Moss Lane and just over seven months on little has changed as Coburn did well to shove his left hand down to stop Davis's low effort. Maybe it was not the best penalty ever seen but it was low and reasonably hard, credit has to go to Coburn for an excellent save.
The game was petering out with Bastock given virtually nothing to worry about while the visiting keeper made a decent save, again low to his left, after Clarke had set up Dean Cracknell. Fortunately Alty boss Heathcote was still in the ground and he livened up proceedings by storming out of the visitors dug-out and heading down the tunnel mumbling something about either cheats or chiefs. Altrincham coach Dalton Steele, either bravely or unwisely, went to find the Alty boss but returned alone. Having been banished from the dug-out to the stands in the first meeting perhaps Heathcote just preferred to watch from afar as he saw out the final moments from halfway down the tunnel.
Maybe for substitute Rod Thornley and Little it was just as well that their boss was absent for a few minutes as he probably missed seeing both of them squander sitters in front of the City goal. But the boss was back in time to catch a glimpse of a marvellous goal by Thornley during close on eight minutes of added time. The substitutes eventful 15-minute appearance also included a booking for a foul on Elphick. Steve Aspinall fired a long ball down the park that Thornley lashed, from around 30 yards - 45 by his own estimation - over the stranded Bastock and down into the net, it was a strike to cherish.
Elphick missed the goal as by that time he was back on the bench caring for his damaged calf that Colin Lippiatt suspects could rule him out for the Saints final four matches of the season. |
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