Boosted by Sean Shields second minute goal St Albans City picked up a very satisfactory Southern League point on Saturday with a 1-1 draw and almost snatched all three at Clarence Park during a thrilling finale with Premier Division leaders Brackley Town.
Twice during added time City went close to securing their most impressive win of Dave Howell’s short reign but at the end of a fluctuating encounter a share of the spoils was a just outcome.
Brackley arrived for their first outing at Clarence Park in scintillating form having won seven of their previous eight matches and were unbeaten in 11 games.
City were making tentative steps towards a recovery with the previous week’s victory over Evesham United halting a slide down the table.
Howell made two enforced changes to the side that beat Evesham as suspension and injury ruled out James Gray and Nathan Ralph respectively. Ralph has also since been recalled by Peterborough United.
Ryan Moran returned to join Matt Cutchey in the middle of the defence while Danny Hart was reinstated to left of the midfield, a move that resulted in Ryan Watts dropping to left-back.
On a bright sunny afternoon that quickly became overcast and chilly St Albans could hardly have started better.
Hart attacked down the left and when his low cross scuttled through a cluster of legs Shields pounced from beyond the back post to beat Billy Turley with a fine effort to the Town keeper’s left.
Only 102 seconds had elapsed but it was to be almost an hour before City had another effort on target.
The early exchanges were vibrant and City keeper Nick Jupp used his legs well to block a shot by Tom Winters with Carl Palmer heading the rebound across the goal and wide.
Brackley drew level on six minutes when Josh Green ran from the edge of the penalty area and was allowed a free header from just a couple of yards out as he nodded in an Owen Story corner.
Three minutes later Kemp glanced a header home from another Story corner but this time was penalised, possibly harshly, for a push on Paul Furlong.
Brackley were now in control and went close with a flashing drive from the busy Story. Midway through the half Jupp made an excellent save low down from Story with Moran completing the clearance.
Chances came less frequently as the half wore yet City looked dangerous on the break, although a shot well wide from Shields was all Turley had to worry about before the break.
At the opposite end of the pitch Cutchey got in a crucial tackle as Jefferson Louis turned close to goal and Jupp ensured the sides went in level when diverting Louis’s ground shot over the bar.
Brackley, having brushed aside City’s early breakthrough, should have felt confident of taking the game after the interval but instead it was City who dominated the early stages after resumption.
Mo Shariff, struggling to match the impact of his City debut the previous weekend, had two half chances within seconds of the restart while David Ijaha, teed up nicely by Hart, forced Turley into an acrobatic tip over with a fine effort from 25 yards.
A free flowing move involving Town skipper Brett Solkhon and Winters ended with Jupp making a remarkable save on his goal-line from Steve Diggin.
Hart made way for Jerome Walker on 72 minutes and the direct running of the 23-year-old soon caused problems down the left side of the Brackley defence.
Even so City had a let off when Louis turned Moran and had his shot blocked with the rebound hooked wide.
City had another anxious moment when Chris O’Leary, who had a particularly good second half, needlessly conceded a corner from which the free Green headed wide at the back post.
A purple patch for the league leaders was thwarted again by Jupp who saved superbly to his right from Louis’s firm drive.
On 88 minutes Furlong, who had been involved a tough physical battle all afternoon and picked up his fifth booking of the season, was replaced by Sakho Bakare.
The Frenchman was soon in the think of the action as City forced Town to defend in depth during almost five minutes of added time.
Ijaha sent Walker away down the City right and the substitute, not for the only time, skipped past Tommy Jaszczun before crossing low towards the near post.
Green fluffed his clearance and Bakare, with a clever over-head kick, forced Turley to save with his left foot. The ball went out to Ijaha who was caught by Story as he attempted a shot right on the edge of the penalty area.
Referee Chris O’Donnell deemed the infringement to be just outside the box and from the ensuing free kick Shariff’s day was made complete as he ballooned the ball into the Hatfield Road trees.
Still City pressed forward and Turley was called upon to make one last save to gather the rising ball after Walker had headed a Watts cross firmly into the ground. |
