St Albans City celebrated their 100th league game under the joint-managerial reign of Graham Golds and Jimmy Gray with a hard fought Conference South goalless draw at the heavily sanded Westleigh Park home of Havant & Waterlooville on Tuesday.
The Hawks dominated possession throughout but could make little headway against a resolute City defence.
Lee Bradbury’s side went into the game on the back of a run that had seen them win just one of their previous four Conference South matches, and as the lowest goal scorers in the top ten of the league table.
Not a single Havant player has yet managed to get into double figures with regards to league goals, and the manner in which they struggled to break down an extremely well organised City defence, which was a well supported by the midfield, suggests that their hold on a play-off position could well be in some jeopardy.
As for St Albans, it was a case of mission accomplished.
Jimmy Gray stated that one of the main aims was to keep a clean sheet and a formation of 4-5-1 merely underlined the fact that his side was looking to stay tight at the back and hope to catch the Hawks on the break.
In fact, City did more than catch Havant on the break, over the 90 minutes they created the better openings and can feel disappointed not to have bagged a couple of goals.
But it was Havant who made all the early running and City did look to be in for a difficult evening.
Inside the opening minute Ben Wright got away with an accidental handball and laid the ball off to JJ Hooper whose goal-bound shot was blocked by City captain Lee Chappell, with the ball rolling out for a corner after bouncing onto an upright.
The near post corner was flicked on by Dan Strugnell and retrieved wide of the back post by Brian Dutton, who slipped it inside to Harry Cornick with the new addition on loan from Bournemouth forcing the excellent Joe Welch into his first save of the night.
Havant maintained their flying start with Chappell doing well to block another effort by Cornick and Hooper meekly clipping the rebound into the side-netting.
But the Hawks early enthusiasm soon waned and City were able pose some threat of their own.
Not too surprisingly the Saints first chance came from a Chappell long throw that Omar Beckles headed into the goalmouth.
When the ball was knocked back out to him, Beckles chipped a good ball to the edge of the six yard box that a stretching John Frendo headed over. Behind Frendo was the recalled Steve Wales who was, possibly, better placed to head home but the chance was lost.
Wales, though, was the guilty party when firing wide when well-placed following James Kaloczi’s through ball.
Frendo, following a pass from Lowe, was next to squander a good opening when his shot to the left of Ryan Young was parried and then gathered by the Hawks goalkeeper captain.
City’s impressive spell continued when Hawks defender Ed Harris’s rushed clearance was headed forward by Beckles to Wales who controlled the ball on his chest before forcing Young to save with a cleanly struck half volley.
Havant ended the half in positive fashion with a good run into the penalty area by Hooper whose shot was blocked by Beckles. As City struggled to clear their lines Brian Stock fired in a fine effort that flew just over Welch’s crossbar.
The home side also started the second half on the attack and only a timely intervention by Chappell denied Cornick a debut goal.
Welch was soon called into action to deal with a low effort from Hooper but it was to be something of a collector’s item for City, despite seeing little of the ball for long stretches, restricted the Hawks to very few genuine chances.
Havant did open City up in style on the hour though with the best and most incisive move of the night.
When one attack broke down Havant built another with Harris, Strugnell and Scott Donnelly combining swiftly to feed Cornick.
After neatly sidestepping Chappell, Cornick went past Darren Locke with a short pass to Wright who immediately played it back inside to Cornick, whose first time shot was superbly deflected away from goal by the lunge of Howard Hall.
Ben Swallow tried to force the rebound home from a tight angle but could only strike the outside of the post.
A goal was beginning to look inevitable although Welch still had little of serious threat to worry about.
Stock again tried his luck from distance and Wright gently touched a cross through to Welch.
Possibly frustrated, Havant began to concede possession cheaply and only a flying diving header by Strugnell denied Lowe a clear view of goal from Wales’ excellent cross.
From a corner by Chappell the again impressive Beckles headed just over the home goal.
Beckles was one of three players described by Jimmy Gray as ‘midfield dogs’ – the others being Charlie Gorman and Kaloczi – for the manner in which they snapped ceaselessly whenever Havant had the ball.
During almost five minutes of added time Havant were twice in good positions to grab a late winner but Donnolly wasted the first by drilling a free kick high over the heads of his team mates, while the final action saw, most appropriately, Locke repel the Hawks from a Swallow corner.
St Albans remain in 13th position in Conference South and will try again on Saturday, 14th February, to complete their first league double of the season when Basingstoke Town travel to Clarence Park.
Kick off is at 3pm. |
