DAVE ANDERSON’S determination to see that his side is not known purely as the team that defeated Torquay United fell on deaf ears at Clarence Park on Boxing Day as Cambridge City, in front of the Saints highest gate of the season, sauntered to a comfortable 2-0 victory.
The Saints were sluggish from the off where as Cambridge, managed by former City boss Gary Roberts, were on their game from the start and made sure they avoided being sucked into a relegation battle that is looking increasing ominous for the lowly Saints.
St Albans had won their three previous matches, unfortunately for Anderson two of those games were Setanta Shield ties and the need for Blue Square South points grows with every passing defeat. The Saints showed one change from the starting XI that accounted for Torquay with Hasim Deen coming in at right back for the injured Jomo Faal-Thomas.
Cambridge gave an early warning of what was to come when Neil Midgley broke clear on three minutes only to be denied by the advancing Nick Eyre. But there was no escape for St Albans on 16 minutes when Michael Gash met Ashley Fuller’s ball in from the left and after turning Ben Martin clipped a fine finish high to Eyre’s left.
A minute later the home side responded positively but Lee Clarke, taking a pass from Deen, shot wildly over the Hatfield Road goal. Cambridge put that minor moment of concern behind them and had the points wrapped up by the interval. The lively Wales, taking an excellent return pass from Gash lifted the ball just over Eyre’s goal but there as no escape for City on 45 minutes.
Clarke lost possession just inside the Cambridge half and the Saints stood transfixed as Fuller raced deep into home territory before cutting the ball back to Wales whose cross from the Cambridge right was smartly headed inside Eyre’s left hand post by Midgley.
If St Albans were to get anything from the game it seemed that they needed to hang on at just one down at the break but with Midgley’s goal Cambridge looked to have secured the points. And there was little to suggest from the early exchanges after the interval that St Albans could turn the tide as the visitors continued to pose the greater threat.
Within 15 minutes of the restart Eyre twice clung onto fine efforts from Fuller while two of City’s better attacks ended with Jon Stevenson shooting almost out of the ground and Daniel Chillingworth heading at over the top. Deen, taking a pass from Scott Cousins, was more accurate with his drive from 25 yards but still the ball went just over the target.
Eyre enhanced his fast growing reputation on 69 minutes with two quick fire saves, firstly from Joe Bruce’s powerful drive – that Eyre only saw late – and then low by the foot of his right hand post from the again unfortunate Fuller.
St Albans rallied in the latter stages but by then the game was up. Cambridge keeper Martin Davies, one of the visitors less impressive performers on the day missed an inswinging Paul Bruce corner but with no one on hand to turn the ball in the keeper avoided any further embarrassment.
Indeed Davies redeemed himself in the final moments when rushing to block the ball at the feet of Cousins and, in added time, saving Clarke’s firm drive from distance, although Davies again needed two attempts to gather when the ball had been fired straight at him.
Report by David Tavener |
