Lightning struck for a third time in four games as far as St Albans City are concerned with Tuesday’s 2-2 Southern League draw at the Eyrie with Bedford Town being the third occasion in the past four matches that David Howell’s side has failed to hold on to a two-goal lead.
Former Saint Drew Roberts denied City their second away Premier Division success of the season with a two-goal burst inside 60 seconds that took his recent run to a staggering ten goals in just five matches.
But in all truth Roberts should have been able to complete his hat-trick without altering the outcome of the game as this was a match that City really ought to have been four goals to the good before the Eagles nest began to stir.
Missed chances left City to reflect on what might have been and as the side continues to languish in 14th position just where their season is heading is anyone’s guess.
Only three sides have scored more times than St Albans while also only three sides have conceded more goals than Howell’s side. The latter statistic needs to improve greatly if the club is to launch a bid to secure a play-off position come the end of the season.
For 76 minutes on Tuesday City looked to be improving their defensive record as the back four of Kosi Ntlhe, Ryan Moran, Matt Cutchey and Reece Yorke dominated the Bedford attack and, at this point, a Saints win looked a formality.
With a slight hamstring injury ruling out Rob Haworth, Sakho Bakare was restored to the attack while Peterborough United’s 17-year-old left-back Ntlhe, in for Sean Shields, was given his first start and showed himself to be a youngster of immense talent and potential.
During the opening 45 minutes the pace was frantic and the work rate of both sides phenomenal.
City had an early let off when Cutchey, continuing his good form from the weekend, almost turned a Gareth Price free kick into his own net but on 11 minutes it was St Albans who made the initial breakthrough.
David Ijaha won the ball 30 yards from the home goal and tore towards the penalty area. Bakare stole the ball from the feet of his captain and after a neat shimmy drilled a low right-footed shot to keeper Ian Brown’s right for his fourth goal of the season.
Boosted by that early strike the Frenchman, and attacking partner Jerome Walker, harassed and tormented the home defence all evening.
Clear chances were scarce before the interval and having been on the back foot during the early stages Bedford were more impressive as the half drew to a close.
Even so, the Eagles were making little headway as the City defence, including the relatively diminutive but highly impressive Ntlhe, won a succession of headers with Cutchey even blocking a fierce drive from Price with his head.
A minute from the break Roberts teed up Callum Lewis for a powerful effort that Nick Jupp got right behind and palmed over the top, it was Bedford’s first on-target shot of the evening.
St Albans looked to have taken a firm grip on proceedings in the second minute of added time as Ryan Watts notched a fine opportunist goal.
The tireless Walker helped a long kick on to Watts who wasted no time in controlling the bouncing ball before firing across Brown and into the net from 12 yards.
For the opening 30 minutes of the second half there could only possibly be one winner as City dominated. Bakare had a shot saved by Brown before, on 54 minutes, somehow failing to head home from four yards out following a cross from Danny Hart that was sheer perfection.
Bakare, having played the ball wide before continuing his run into the box, got his head to the ball but in trying to glance it into the corner of the net managed to miss the goal altogether.
While Walker continued to cause the home defence problems Bakare began to tire and Howell later admitted it was probably a mistake not to replace him with Joakim Ehui.
City were given a warning when James Faulkner, from a Price free kick, put a free header over the bar. At the opposite end a flowing move ended with Walker stabbed the ball wide following a near post Hart cross.
On 64 minutes another good chance to secure a three-goal lead went begging. Ijaha played the ball up to Walker who did well to shake off Paul Cooper and slide the ball across the face of the goal to the incoming Hart whose point blank effort was blocked by Brown for a corner.
Shields replaced the tiring Hart and immediately won a corner, and Walker fired across the goal but cracks began to appear at the opposite end of the pitch as Josh Beech and Faulkner wasted good opportunities.
Bedford finally got their aim straight on 76 minutes when Faulkner got between Cutchey and Moran before chesting the ball down and crossing low to the back post where the unmarked Roberts swept the ball home.
A minute later and the game was turned on its head completely as Roberts scored his 15th goal of the season to pull the eagles level.
The influential Max York won the ball from Ntlhe and crossed the width of the pitch to Roberts who cut inside Reece Yorke before shooting to the right of the static Jupp, who claimed later that he was unsighted.
The goals came at a time of mounting Bedford pressure and for a few minutes after the equaliser City did look likely to lose all three points but after bad misses by Jamaine Hall and Lewis bounced back with some welcome defiance.
Walker shot narrowly wide before Watts had a shot charged down, the rebound fell kindly to Shields who steadied himself before forcing Brown to make a fine save low to his right. But in added time it was Roberts who could have rewritten the whole story but for once his accuracy deserted him. |
