The fire that was missing from St Albans City during Saturday’s defeat at Stourbridge returned for Monday’s crucial showdown with neighbours Hemel Hempstead Town but a scrambled goal by former Saint David Hutton proved enough to end City’s promotion push for another year.
Hemel’s 1-0 victory, their first in the ten league games between the two clubs, has strengthened the Tudors grip on second place in the Southern League Premier Division table while City now face a battle to secure a top ten finish.
St Albans, certainly during the opening 25 minutes, could hardly have done more to achieve the breakthrough they needed.
Playing down the Clarence Park slope with a biting, bone-chilling wind to their backs, City needed a goal but, as they discovered in the meeting at Vauxhall Road on Boxing Day, Hemel possess an outstanding goalkeeper in Sam Beagle.
The Tudors keeper was called upon to make a few watchful saves during the afternoon and one absolutely stunning acrobatic tip away to keep out a Greg Ngoyi header. From that moment on there was a nagging doubt about City’s ability to forge ahead.
City made their intentions clear from the off and won a corner inside the opening minute and it was after just six minutes that Beagle, leaping in an arc to his left, stretched his right arm high to flick Ngoyi’s header out for a corner following James Comley’s well placed free kick.
Hemel’s resilience was to be admired as City piled forward with both James Kaloczi and Darren Locke unable to force home one of the four corners won in the opening nine minutes, while two further efforts from Ngoyi and a Locke header failed to seriously test Beagle.
As the half progressed Hemel came more into the game with former Saint David Hutton forcing Nick Jupp into making his first save while Jordan Parkes headed over from a corner.
But midway through the half St Albans should have taken the lead when Richard Graham crossed from the City right for an unmarked Chris Henry to somehow head wide from no more than eight yards out.
City appeals for a penalty were rejected, quite rightly, by referee Matt Foley following a trip right on the side of the penalty area by Jake Gilbert on Elliott Godfrey who was making his home debut.
Hemel gave warning as to their potential when Dave Pearce worked the ball onto his left foot and, from 18 yards, forced Jupp into a full length save to his right.
Five minutes from the break City had a let off when Parkes flicked on a near post corner and Godfrey headed clear from the goalline. Gilbert returned the ball into the penalty area where Steve O’Leary glanced a header narrowly wide.
The opening exchanges of the second period were in complete contrast to the earlier 45 minutes as now it was Hemel attacking with purpose and the attempts on goal tally swung in favour of the visitors.
Even so, Jupp, other than for the goal that settled the issue, had little more than routine efforts to contend with.
Parkes slipped a good ball square to Hutton and from his shot Jupp saved cleanly to his right but on 57 minutes Hutton turned match-winner.
City appealed in vain that Pearce was offside as he latched onto O’Leary’s chipped pass inside the left flank of the home penalty area.
With an astute dinked first time pass Pearce lifted the ball over Jupp for Hutton to slide in between Josh Urquhart and Ryan Wharton to prod the ball into the Hatfield Road goal.
Five minutes later Pearce missed a golden opportunity to add a second following Danny Talbot’s through ball.
As has often been the case in recent weeks Comley has been City’s inspiration in midfield and from his 64th minute free kick Fabio Bufano did get the ball into the Tudors net but was promptly booked having punched the ball past Beagle.
When City withdrew Comley on 70 minutes their movements became less cohesive and their diminutive forwards were left to battle for long balls that they had little chance of winning.
City’s defence generally did a good job in limiting the number of clear opportunities Hemel had and when Henry forced Beagle to stretch high to catch two fine efforts there was still hope that the Saints could stave off defeat.
Three minutes from time and Ngoyi also tried his luck from distance but his well struck drive drifted just beyond the target.
Hemel were content just to keep possession during the closing minutes and over the 90 minutes probably did just enough to justify their third win at Clarence Park this season.
City joint manager James Gray conceded that the defeat has ended the Saints hopes of sneaking into the play-off places.
"I'm down because our whole season was riding on that game. We got the defeat and I think we're out of the picture now," was his honest assessment.
As St Albans' owners talk of a new ground and playing in the Football League, Hemel are now well placed to join Stevenage, Boreham Wood and Bishop’s Stortford as county rivals to have leapfrogged the Saints in recent years. |
