For the second time in four days St Albans City were grateful to the predatory instincts of leading scorer Lewis Toomey as the Saints wore down a gritty Gosport Borough to secure a battling 1-0 victory at a chilly Privett Park on Tuesday.
Against a side that chalked up an excellent 3-0 win at Chesham on Saturday, yet has collected just a single point on their own patch of green this season, City gave possibly their most workmanlike performance of the season so far and shrugged off several knocks to clinch a fourth consecutive victory.
A flowing thrilling match this was not but there were much to admire about City’s win that gave David Howell plenty to celebrate in his 50th league match as St Albans manager and keeps the side in fifth place in the Premier Division of the Southern League.
Gosport were unchanged from the win at Chesham while City welcomed back experienced midfielder Micah Hyde as teenager Matt Taylor stood down, while on the flank Richard Graham replaced Chris Henry.
Although this was very much a team effort some individuals do warrant special mention.
Toomey worked tirelessly alongside Barry Hayles and was rewarded with his ninth goal in just ten games.
Gangly 22-year-old Parisian Moussa Diarra again impressed alongside James Gray and then Danny Gordon after the skipper departed prematurely through injury.
Sean Shields played with great confidence and an exciting willingness to attack, and goalkeeper Nick Jupp made a couple of outstanding saves as he secured his first away clean sheet of the season.
Inside the opening two minutes Jupp came to City’s rescue with a fine save from Justin Bennett’s firm drive and on six minutes Boro’s leading marksmen, picked out by Dan Wooden, went wide of Jupp but his shot, when off balance, went into the side-netting.
Shields had City’s first attempt on goal of note, following good approach work by Toomey and Hayles, but home keeper Nathan Ashmore saved in comfort.
Gosport looked to have taken the lead on 12 minutes when Bennett headed on Gavin Jones’s cross into the penalty area and then took Wooden’s return pass before hammering a low shot goalwards only for the already stooping Jupp to somehow simply place a hand in the way of the shot and stop it in its tracks.
Gosport maintained their bright opening spell with a free kick routine ending with Bennett curling a decent shot just beyond Jupp’s left hand upright.
Having pressed hard to lay for the foundation for that much needed first home win Gosport were caught out on 26 minutes when Graham challenged Jones for a long Gray free kick and was the first to react once the ball hit the deck.
With quick thinking the Irishman chipped a pass towards the edge of the six yard box where Toomey stretched to slide the ball past the diving Ashmore to maintain his phenomenal goal-scoring record this season.
City squandered a couple of half chances before Lee Molyneaux dived low in front of Jupp and headed against the woodwork from a free kick while Hayles, after Hyde dispossessed Molyneaux, forced Ashmore to be alert with an audacious effort from eight yards inside the Boro half.
On the stroke of half time, from City’s only corner of the match, Hayles collected Graham’s short pass and twisted smartly on the goalline before sending the ball across the face of the goal with Diarra, Toomey and Shields all unable to apply the killer touch.
Although not lacking effort from either side the half lacked quality on the ball and the second half carried on in much the same manner with both sides having good spells without troubling either keeper too seriously.
After Toomey almost set up Hayles, and Shields forced Ashmore to trot backwards to gather a goal-bound chip, Gosport went close with Danny Smith volleying narrowly wide from a Jones cross.
A spell of pressure from Alex Pike’s side saw Wooden head across goal and Molyneaux flick on a Jones free kick with Wooden lunging in at the back post and prodding the ball, off Jupp, goalwards only for Diarra to clear.
Wooden picked up an injury for his troubles and was replaced by Bradey Norton.
Promising moves continued to fizzle out until new urgency gripped the game during more than six minutes of added time.
Four minutes into added time Toomey went at some pace down the City right and cut the ball back to Shields whose well-struck first time shot crashed into the frame of Ashmore’s goal.
During one final frantic assault on the City goal Ashmore joined the attack at a free kick but only succeeded in injuring team-mate Brown as the pair went for a header.
David Howell’s side now take a break from Southern League action to face Ashford Town (Middx) in the FA Cup on Saturday followed by Arlesey Town at home in the FA Trophy a week later. |
