St Albans City’s erratic striker and great showman Sakho Bakare stole the show at Clarence Park on Saturday when he emerged from the substitutes bench to wipe out a two-goal deficit and set up an absorbing 3-2 Southern League victory over Oxford City that hauls the Saints firmly into the race for a play-off position.
The Frenchman’s great unpredictability, not to mention the 14 goals that mark him out by some distance to be City’s leading goal scorer this season, has won him an army of admirers at Clarence Park but accolades should also be heaped on fellow substitute Sean Shields with the 20-year-old having a hand in all three of the Saints goals.
With an hour gone the possibility of a St Albans victory was fanciful in the extreme. Once ahead Oxford had completely controlled the first half and when the Hoops doubled that lead there appeared no way back for David Howell’s side.
But once Bakare had roused the home support the mood around the old stadium changed and very quickly the momentum was with the Saints and Oxford were unable to wrestle it back.
City made one change from the midweek draw at Totton with a fit again David Ijaha reclaiming a central midfield position from his former Harrow Borough team mate Danny McGonigle.
Oxford, beaten in just one of their previous seven league games since the turn of the year, opened brightly with Liam Malone testing Nick Jupp early on while the experienced Steve Basham sent a volley across the face of the home goal following a cross by Marvin Martin.
Saints replied with a header into the goalmouth by the once again outstanding James Gray that Oxford’s 6’9” goalkeeper Jason Mooney punched to the edge of the penalty where Ijaha seized possession and shot against the foot of the keeper’s left hand post.
Danny Hart drilled the rebound into the six yard box but Mooney, under pressure from Simon Martin, did well to smother the ball.
St Albans had to reorganise on 17 minutes when Chris Seeby suffered a potentially serious facial injury after an accidental clash with Oxford’s powerhouse midfield Andy Ballard.
Substitute Matt Cutchey, better known as a central defender, took Seeby’s place at right-back and can feel more than pleased with his contribution.
But just three minutes after that incident St Albans fell behind when Wayne Blossom rose at the back post to head home Darren Pond’s corner from the Oxford left. Both Ryan Watts and Danny Hart headed the ball after Blossom but neither was able to stop it from entering the Hatfield Road goal.
The in-form Jupp later admitted he had misjudged the flight of the ball and did not challenge for it as he believed it was drifting out of play.
For the remaining 25 minutes of the half Oxford, without seriously troubling Jupp, bossed the game although a cracking volley from 25 yards by Pond left Jupp stranded as it thudded into the crossbar.
The St Albans defence deserve high praise for keeping Oxford at arms length at a time when Mike Ford’s looked on course to make the points safe.
Heavy rain matched the mood of the home side soon after the restart but a rainbow that engulfed Clarence Park did indeed unearth a pot of gold for the Saints, either that or Howell made inspired substitutions as he sent on Bakare for Lansiquot on 56 minutes and Shields for Chris Henry three minutes later.
But sandwiched between the St Albans changes Oxford struck for a second time with former Banbury forward Aaron Woodley sweetly half volleying home from Benjamin’s right-sided cross.
Oxford’s position now looked impregnable but, quite amazingly, the Saints were level within 12 minutes.
Ijaha began the recovery when he slipped the ball out to the right to Shields who ran wide of Martin before sitting up a lovely cross at the back post that Mooney did not fancy and Bakare was able to head most impressively into the goal.
Oxford substitute Mike Lyon became the second opposition player in five days to be booked for diving after nudging the ball wide of Jupp and the feeling that Oxford’s wheels were coming off was enhanced a minute later, the 70th, with Bakare’s second goal.
And it was a goal that will haunt Mooney for many a long day.
A Cutchey throw on the City right was headed on by Simon Martin for Bakare to send an angled right-footed volley from seven yards straight at the keeper who blocked the ball with his hand next to his right shoulder only for it to drop down and bounce between his legs, up against his thigh and into the net.
The momentum was now very much with the Saints and Oxford, so composed for over an hour, appeared unable to fight back. The direct running of Bakare and wing wizardry of Shields had transformed St Albans as an attacking entity.
But the drama did not completely unfold until the first minute of added time. Shields shuffled between either foot before seeing his cross deflected out for a corner on the Saints left.
Hart steadied himself before whipping over his best corner of the day and with a stooping header from six yards the excellent Cedric Ngakam sent the ball wide of a cluster of players for his first goal at the Park.
During the afternoon a collection was taken around the ground that raised over £176 for 12-year-old Bailey Sarwa who suffers from a rare form of cancer. |
