St Albans City kicked off their second century at Clarence Park on Saturday with a thrilling 3-2 victory over high flying Eastleigh that all but secures the Saints membership of the Blue Square South for another season.
Mathematically St Albans may still yet face demotion but in reality City now know that the maximum they need to survive is victory in either of their final two matches of what has been a most amazing and fraught campaign.
Saturday’s encounter could hardly have been further removed from being labelled a typical end of season affair. For long stretches, particularly during the opening 45 minutes, it was not pretty on the eye but, especially after the interval, this was an absorbing contest that twisted and turned and kept the Saints largest crowd of the season thoroughly enthralled.
City were without the injured duo of Ben Martin and Hassan Sulaiman while Jonathan Hunt still nursed a slightly sore heel on the bench. The visitors also bemoaned some notable absentees including former City defender Ashley Vickers due to a familiar suspension.
Two other former Saints, talented striker Steve Watts and veteran goalkeeper Gareth Howells were on the bench while left back Chris Piper and winger Matt Hann were in the starting XI.
Eastleigh, winners in just one of the four previous meetings between the two clubs, pressed during the first half towards the Hatfield Road goal with a strong, cold wind at their backs. But despite having the better of the opening half the Spitfires only located the target from the penalty spot and throughout the afternoon Ian Baird’s side let themselves down with wayward finishing.
After just seven minutes Eastleigh’s lack of direction became apparent as Andy Forbes flicked wide a header from a Piper cross. Forbes was also off target after collecting a rebound off James Quilter while Paul Bastock, having earlier been presented with the Blue Square Player of the Month award for March, smothered a dangerous Paul Sales header from Andy Harris’s long throw.
With the result crucial to both side’s aspirations maybe nerves were playing a part but as a spectacle the first half was tepid with the ball all too often being hoisted high and long on a hard dry pitch.
But on 18 minutes City almost broke through when James Fisher passed to Bradley Gray down the right, and from his cross Paul Hakim seized on an error by Luke Byles to test keeper Jason Matthews with a low drive that the former Weymouth keeper got down swiftly to block.
Although Hakim and Akanni-Sunday Wasiu struggled to make any real headway the latter forced Matthews into another low save after exchanging passes with Paul Bruce. But City fears of being sucked back into the bottom three resurfaced on 21 minutes when the Spitfires were awarded a contentious penalty.
James Fisher slid in to tackle Hann with the former Saint going to ground although Fisher may have nudged the ball before making contact with Hann. Referee Anthony Coggins pointed to the spot and Eastleigh’s leading scorer Forbes drove the ball powerfully to Bastock’s right to open the scoring.
Two minutes later City were caught daydreaming as Forbes clipped a clever ball high across the pitch to the free Hann who never looked certain of his next move as he went into the penalty area, and as Bastock came out the ball bobbled tamely wide.
Eastleigh’s St Albans-born striker David Hughes shot wide before City caused a couple of flutters in the visitors defence. Luke Thurlbourne, who has accepted a contract with Southend United for next season, won a free kick that Bruce whipped into the goalmouth. Matthews did well to deal with the effort as it took a wild high kick off the uneven surface.
But the keeper was less positive just prior to the break as Sunday attacked a cross from Fisher, the ball being scrambled to safety after Matthews fumbled.
The second 45 minutes were more cohesive and entertaining almost from the off. Ryan Frater, who returned from a two-match ban to collect the sponsors Man of the Match award, hit a long pass to Gray that the work experience Leyton Orient youngster brought down well and called Matthews to save.
An overhit Hann corner was retrieved by Forbes and played into Sales before breaking free to Karim El Salahi whose shot was deflected by Sales in a crowded goalmouth before being cleared. City hit back with Matthews saving easily from Hakim and a flowing City move, involving several players, ended with Hakim just failing to get a firm contact to Gray’s pass into the box.
City did not win their sole corner of the game until the hour but one minute later the game burst fully into life and the Saints future turned significantly. Thurlbourne was twice involved as City moved forward but when the 18-year-old was blocked inside the penalty area Gray was close by to lash a splendid low left-footed effort all along the ground and just inside Matthews' right hand upright.
Less than a minute later and Eastleigh’s voluble following, led by incessant banging on a drum, were temporarily silenced as City struck again with a high class finish by Sunday. Gray played a short ball to Hakim who pushed a good pass through the middle to Sunday. The Nigerian feigned to go inside then out as he bamboozled the visitors defence before firing low to Matthews right for his second goal of the season.
Two minutes later Eastleigh replaced Hann with the impressive Mark Marshall but by now St Albans were into their stride and looking to chalk up a fourth consecutive home win. Even so, the Hampshire side came close to drawing level as Harris’s enticing free kick just eluded Bastock’s right hand post.
Thurlbourne seized upon a poor clearance from Matthews but his audacious effort from fully forty yards never looked likely to seriously worry the retreating keeper. Eastleigh bolstered their attacking options with the introduction of the gifted Watts on 69 minutes but five minutes later a calamitous error by Matthews handed City a two-goal cushion.
Spitfires skipper Harris, from around 30 yards out, played what appeared a safe back pass to his keeper. Sunday, forever as keen as mustard, charged towards the Hatfield Road goal as the keeper shifted the ball onto his favoured foot. Matthews then unwisely tried to shimmy his way past Sunday who simply dispossessed the Eastleigh custodian and cracked the ball into the most vacant of open goals.
City boss Steve Castle believed the gift was justice after the earlier penalty decision but far from securing the points the goal merely added more fuel to the flames in what felt like a fever pitch cup tie as Clarence Park erupted.
During his 21 games for the Saints four years ago Watts scored nine times but not one was at the Park, that record ended after 80 minutes on Saturday. The 31-year-old cut inside from the Eastleigh right, shrugging off Lee Clarke along the way, before beating Bastock with a glorious left-footed shot from around 28 yards that came to rest inside the keepers right hand upright.
It was a peach of a goal and the first time Bastock had been beaten twice since his sensational return to the club nine games ago.
The final minutes were tense times for the hosts and Watts really ought to have squared things up with a free header from Marshall’s inswinging free kick but referee Coggins confirmed he would have disallowed the effort for offside had it gone in. City were home and dry.
With Weston-super-Mare going down 1-0 to Bromley on Saturday there is a possibility that City’s remarkable escape from relegation could be confirmed even before Tuesday’s visit to Maidenhead United. Weston need to take at least a point from Monday’s home game with Basingstoke Town to avoid being relegated alongside Dorchester Town and Sutton United, a defeat and City’s survival will be a mathematical certainty.
Report by David Tavener |
