19.09.2007 at 19:45 Clarence Park
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Attendance : 314
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St Albans City
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0 - 5
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Thurrock
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Referee : Justin Comley
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Blue Square South
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None. |
Leon McKenzie (2, 63)
Che Stadhart (17 pen)
Darryl Plummer (83)
Duporte (90) |
A fifteen minute horror show preceded a nightmare showing as Saints’ winless streak at Clarence Park this season continued against lowly Thurrock.
Once again boss Ritchie Hanlon chose from the same squad depleted by the losses of Paul Semakula, Paul Bruce, Fola Onibuje, Marcel McKie and Ben Martin, however an unchanged line up from the side that played well on Saturday indicated no desire to make any alterations.
A cool night in the Park saw the temperature raised inside the opening two minutes of the game when a harmless looking free-kick from the left was floated into City’s box by Greg Lincoln and met by the head of Leon McKenzie whose looped effort gave Eyre little chance of preventing the ball from reaching the top corner.
The goal came out of nothing and seemed to surprise even the visitors as they celebrated only their second goal on the road this season.
Warning signs continued on 10 minutes as a rare missed header by Hasim Deen allowed the rapid Fola Orilonishe to get through on goal but Eyre was on hand to thwart the danger with a quick thinking low save.
City’s keeper who has been in inspiring form so far this season was again at the centre of attention on 13 but this time for all the wrong reasons. Saints No.1 was sold short with a back pass and having committed himself to claiming the ball, Eyre had to make a quick decision as Che Stadhart pounced on the loose pass to advance on goal. The Thurrock No. 9 half rounded Eyre before he was clipped by the outstretched right hand of the keeper to send the striker tumbling.
A straight red card was shown by referee Justin Comley as the former Dagenham keeper received marching orders for the first time in his career. Eyre will miss just one game within the next two week period as a result.
Jamie Waite was set for his for his first taste of Conference South football, as City’s back up keeper took the place between the sticks replacing midfielder Paul Smith who was used as the makeweight for the substitution. Waite’s first task was to defend the second penalty in successive games at the Hatfield Road end against the Saints.
Despite guessing the right way, Stadhart’s penalty was hit well enough to find the bottom corner to cap a bewildering opening quarter of an hour for the home side.
Stadhart then started to run at will going forward for the visitors as he began to enjoy more freedom; moments after his goal he flashed another chance wide before having another half hearted penalty appeal this time against Waite, waived away.
City ventured forward unable to really create chances for the forward line of Clarke and Morgan as Batt and Mackie snatched at half chances before the half hour mark.
It was the Essex side though who continued to work the better openings as decent combinations from Lettejallow, McKenzie and Oiloishe stretched the play on both sides to cause problems for the ten men in opposition.
Certainly if McKenzie and Orilonishe could have found their shooting boots instead of producing wasteful pot shots then the score line may have been even greater before the end of the first half.
Saints looked susceptible every time the ball came back into their own half as a series of misplaced passes and poor awareness nearly cost them dear.
Gary Elphick was, however able to pick out a sublime pass to the path of Danny Morgan as City’s top marksman found some space but not for the first time the striker was unable to collect the ball properly from under his feet.
The last ten minutes of the first half saw a spate of yellow cards produced, the first going to Elphick who was unfortunate to have his name taken for a handball decision as the ball appeared to come off his chest.
He was followed by Thurrock right back Phil Anderson and midfielder Greg Lincoln who halted both Batt and Mackie as they made strides forward.
An uphill challenge faced the home side for the second half as a two goal deficit seemed already to be proving too much for the struggling ten men to at least draw level to.
City’s best chances after the re-start came from set pieces as Deen caused a few aerial problems for the visitors but few attempts managed to test keeper David Blackmore.
On the hour mark Hanlon withdrew Hector Mackie who put in another tireless shift on the left of midfield and replaced him with the on-loan Alex Bolt who got his longest stint in a Saints shirt so far.
With the match lulling, a swift counter attack on the right hand side from the visitors saw Darryl Plummer supply a poked pass to the feet of McKenzie who found time to slot the ball with ease past Waite for the third goal of the game.
City responded on 65 with their first shot on target as Clarke put through Morgan who got hold of his shot well put didn’t trouble the keeper too much with his drive.
Hassan Sulaiman who was one of Saints’ better performers on the night whipped in a corner from the left which managed to elude everybody, nearly finding the back of the net in the process, which is as close as City came all night.
A terrible mix up from Scott Cousins and Waite on 75 let in a contender for miss of the season as the yellow boots of Fola Orilonishe proved to be brighter than the winger’s finishing as with an unguarded net he managed to put the ball into the side netting when it was easier to score.
A let off for the home side turned into a scare as Elphick struggled off the field moments later to be replaced by Reiss Noel who came back into the first team for the first time since the game against Fisher.
Substitute David Bryant strayed across to the right for the Fleet as the fourth goal came about with ease, the low cross picked out Plummer who sprung the leaky defence with a low shot past the left hand of Waite.
Bai Mas Lettejallow turned in some impressive passes for the visitors as he created much of Thurrock’s attacking play. In injury time Lettejallow picked out substitute Darryl Duporte who interchanged with Bryant before receiving the ball back to crash his shot convincingly past Waite for the last goal in a washout display from the home side to match the damp conditions by the end of the night. |
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