Solomon Shields was quick to announce his return to St Albans City after suspension on Saturday by scoring the Saints second, and victory clinching, goal at the Wessex Stadium as hosts Weymouth remain firmly rooted to foot of Blue Square South.
City’s performance scaled no great heights but Steve Castle’s side were still good value for the 2-0 win that brings to an end the Saints run of five successive away defeats and seven games without a win.
The return to winning ways could hardly have come at a better time as attention now turns to City’s FA Cup 2nd Qualifying Round tie at Heybridge Swifts next weekend.
The overall quality of the game was, unsurprisingly, not high as the two sides went into the match boasting just three wins between them in a joint total of 20 games this season, but Castle was delighted as City had little trouble in keeping their first clean sheet in ten games and then scoring a superb second goal.
With James Fisher and Jamie Thurlbourne ruled out through suspension Castle was able to reinstate Shields straight back into the midfield where he was joined by Luke Thurlbourne and, out on the left, David Galbraith, and, on the right, Gary Cohen.
Daniel Chillingworth retained his position up front alongside Drew Roberts who was stretchered off late in the day with an injury to his right leg.
James Quilter stood in at right back for the second game with the excellent Mark Peters joined in the middle by captain Ryan Frater, while Adam Everitt, who sustained a nasty head wound, completed the back line at left back.
Weymouth player/manager Matt Hale also made two changes from the side that gained a creditable draw at Newport County in midweek, the loss of experienced central defender Matt Bound being the biggest blow to the Terras inexperienced side.
To say goalmouth action was in short supply would be the understatement of the season and it soon became apparent that the opening goal would be a massive psychological blow to the wide on the receiving end. The early play suggested that such a goal was not to going to arrive too early.
Weymouth won the first corner of the game on seven minutes, no threat was forthcoming from that effort but from City’s first corner on 13 minutes Cohen glanced a header over the goal from Galbraith’s in-swinging left-footed cross.
The first direct shot of the game was kept waiting until the 24th minute when Chillingworth’s effort was charged down. Chillingworth may not have got on the score sheet but the 28-year-old again showed himself to be an excellent target-man and led the City attack well.
City, making their first appearance in the clubs new all-red away kit, went down to ten men for four minutes while physio Zac Chandler dealt with a lengthy cut above Everitt’s right eye. The patched up full back was sent back into the fray with the no.18 shirt on his back.
In Everitt’s absence City threatened when a long clearance by the impeccable Mark Peters was inadvertently put into Chillingworth’s path by Terras defender Scott Brice. Spotting keeper Ryan Harrison off his line Chillingworth attempted an ambitious lob from 35 yards but the shot drifted a couple of yards over the crossbar.
Having spurned a gift at one end of the pitch City offered Weymouth one at the other when Frater conceded possession far too easily. The ball was worked wide to Chris Allen whose cross was headed wide by the unimpressive Jake Reid.
The goal that changed the course of the game, on 40 minutes, also owed much to a defensive error, although on this occasion it was pressure applied that led to City edging closer to their first success at the Wessex Stadium.
Galbraith, inside his own half and close to the left touchline, brought the ball down well and with his second touch sent Roberts scurrying towards the goalline. Roberts' perfect low cross evaded the sprawling Harrison and just as Cohen dived in the City striker was beaten to the ball by Weymouth defender Martin Slocombe who turned the ball into his own net.
The second half, played in bright, warm, late summer sunshine was equally devoid of goalmouth activity but at no point did City look remotely likely to surrender their advantage. This point was emphasised by Peters on 54 minutes when he did well to block a shot by Reid with the ball bouncing gently through to the underemployed Paul Bastock.
City’s next attack saw Everitt cross from the left with Cohen looping a header onto the roof of the net. Cohen, who started the game wide on the right of the midfield, was proving a handful to the Terras defence but the search for his first goal of the season goes on.
St Albans made certain of taking their Conference South points total through the 100 barrier in Castle’s 89th league match in this Division with a splendid goal on 72 minutes. Peters clipped a ball down the right touchline to Cohen who neatly chipped it over Terras skipper Kyle Critchell before sliding a precise pass into the path of Shields.
As Brice and Slocombe closed in Shields shot right-footed first time to Harrison’s right from 15 yards to open his account for the season.
Nine minutes later City gave an eagerly anticipated debut to 17-year-old Jonathan O’Donnell and the teenager took his chance well with a couple of fine passes and a corner clipped into the heart of the Weymouth penalty area.
Moments after Jordan Rose headed over the City goal from a Slocombe free kick O’Donnell, receiving a short pass from the excellent Shields, played a first time ball up to Chillingworth. After cutting in from the left Chillingworth forced Harrison to concede a corner with a full length diving save to his right.
A minute before the start of over seven minutes of added time Godfrey Poku was given his City debut and during the extra time Weymouth finally mustered a shot on target. Frater lost the ball to Matt Cooper who saw his low shot from an angle shoot high off the boot of the diving Bastock and fly across the face of the goal before bouncing out for a corner.
An unused substitute for the Saints was central defender Justin Clayton who has joined the club on a one-month loan from Southend United. |
