A brace of spectacular strikes by Frenchman Sakho Bakare maintained St Albans City’s rise up the Southern League Premier Division on Saturday as the Saints moved to within seven points of Leamington who drop out of the play-off places on the back of a 2-1 defeat at Clarence Park.
With their fourth win in six games the Saints are emerging as serious, if belated, play-off contenders and in the unpredictable Bakare have a mercurial talent who can weave through the tightest of defences.
The Brakes arrived for their first visit to St Albans suffering a dip in form having failed to win any of their previous three matches, the poorest run of the season for Paul Holleran’s side.
St Albans announced an unchanged side from the XI that defeated Hemel Hempstead Town earlier in the week and the confidence that is now sweeping through the side soon became evident.
Inside three minutes a ball in from the left by Narada Bernard was helped on by Simon Martin to Dewayne Clarke who should have marked his home debut with a goal but scuffed his volley across the face of Lee Evans goal.
One of the most instrumental figures in City’s upturn in fortunes is David Ijaha who has flourished since relinquishing the captaincy.
Ijaha started a flowing move on six minutes and almost ended it with a goal when he clipped Clarke’s return pass just over the Leamington goal from 20 yards.
City’s bright start was rewarded with a stunning goal just two minutes later.
Receiving the ball well outside the penalty area Bakare, surrounded by three defenders, seemed to drifting nowhere until skipping to the side of Liam Francis and unleashing a ferocious effort from 18 yards that screeched beyond Evans outstretched left arm and crashed into the York Road net via the underside of the crossbar.
The partnership of Bakare and Simon Martin, although seldom linking directly with each other, caused numerous problems for the Brakes backline.
Leamington, too, looked lively going forward but City’s defensive quartet of skipper James Gray, central partner Cedric Ngakam and full backs Michael Harriman and Bernard, combined to give the Saints best defensive performance of the season thus far.
Behind that line goalkeeper Nick Jupp, who had few serious attempts on his goal to deal with, displayed confident and impeccable handling when faced with dangerous crosses.
A good City move ended with Evans saving comfortably from Bakare while Leamington, on 32 minutes, finally threatened the home goal.
A good ball out to the left by Richard Batchelor was slipped towards the near post by Michael Tuohy and diverted towards goal from six yards out by Luke Corbett but Jupp, instinctively, saved down by his feet.
A minute later Martin blocked a clearance and Bakare looked set to pounce on the rebound only for the dropping ball to spin hideously away from the Saints leading marksman.
City’s impressive first half performance ended on a high with Bakare chesting the ball into the path of Martin whose half volley was deflected out for a corner.
Leamington sought to improve their attacking strength during the interval when replacing central defender Francis with the long serving Jimmy Husband and the Brakes certainly proved to be more demanding opposition after the restart.
Jupp was soon called upon to flick over the bar a header from Batchelor following a Stephen Morley free kick and Corbett went close with a clever overhead kick after Evans had pumped the ball the length of the pitch.
Leamington ought to have drawn level on 59 minutes when Jacob’s Blyth free kick on the Brakes left led to Jupp saving James Mace’s close ranger header, Blyth’s follow up was also blocked with Batchelor drilling the loose ball high over the goal when an equaliser looked odds on.
Twice City worked themselves into good positions but on both occasions Ryan Watts was denied a shot on goal when Bakare and then Martin’s low crosses were intercepted.
The Brakes responded with a Tuohy cross being volleyed back across the home goal and wide by Polish substitute David Kolodynski while another chance went begging when Craig Owen’s cross landed on the roof of the net as the free Blyth looked on in frustration.
City looked to have made the game safe on 78 minutes with a second excellent goal by Bakare as he moved into double figures for the season.
Bernard threw the ball to Watts and took a return pass before crossing to Bakare midway inside the Brakes penalty area.
The Frenchman was forced away from goal and looked to be losing control before regaining the ball and twisting amongst a posse of defenders and sending a wonderful right-footed drive from 18 yards along the ground and to the right of a sprawling and clearly surprised Evans.
A superbly timed tackle by the impeccable Gray thwarted Kolodynski but on 86 minutes the Brakes player did reduce the arrears with an outstanding overhead kick that flew to Jupp’s right from Blyth’s cross and Corbett’s header.
During a gripping finale Watts curled a free kick onto the top of the Leamington net before Joakim Ehui, on for Bakare, took Ijaha’s pass and tore down the right past Morley before riding Asa Charlton’s wild lunge and cutting the ball back to Aaron Lansiquot who wastefully shot over from five yards.
During more than four minutes of added time Leamington created a couple of half chances but failed to test Jupp as they slid to their third defeat in four games.
Match sponsors Carpenters Nursery named Bakare and Harriman as joint man of the match winners.
Talking after the match City manager David Howell confirmed that right-back Harriman is to return to Queens Park Rangers at the end of his loan spell while central defender Ryan Moran has joined Southern League rivals Chesham United.
City striker Rob Haworth, who has made 199 appearances for the club, has signed dual registration forms with Isthmian League side Leatherhead. |
