Following hot on the heels of a morale sapping exit from FA Cup, St Albans City slumped to an eleven season low of a fourth consecutive Ryman League defeat on Saturday but the Saints first ever reversal at home to Basingstoke Town was not quite as bad as it appears on face value.
As with all games, the difference between the sides was in front of goal. Ernie Howe's Hampshire club put away what were probably their only three good chances of a rain sodden afternoon whilst the Saints, within minutes of each goal, struck the woodwork an equal number of times and had the embarrassment of seeing Chris Piper have a second half penalty saved by 'Stoke keeper Scott Tarr.
Those statistics are the if's and but's, in reality City lost because their marking at the back, certainly for the first and third goals, was non-existent, whilst the attack, despite the added skills of former French international Amara Simba, was again lacking in penetration.
For new City boss John Kendall these are very frustrating times as he again had to field what is perceived to be a below strength side as ten players, many considered to be certain first team starters, were again watching from the treatment room. What the walking wounded will have seen is City make a very promising start with some of their best football since the opening week of the season.
Richard Evans, having broken his home duck with a goal against Baldock, sought to add another with a good effort from 20 yards early on which Tarr gathered comfortably and the keeper was also called into action to hold a Simba header from a David Pratt corner. City's early promise though, was shattered on 23 minutes when Richard Newbury played the ball up to Stuart Girdler whose precise diagonal pass found Lee Chudy in ample space and the youngster duly slid home the first away goal of his career.
Four minutes later thoughts that this was not going to be City's day were strengthened when Simba laid a short pass off to David Pratt who turned swiftly some 22 yards out and clipped a left footed shot wide of Tarr but against the face of the keeper's left hand upright.
Basingstoke's first victory at Clarence Park was virtually secured on the half hour when Girdler flicked on Chudy's near post corner and despite Piper seemingly clearing the ball off the goalline straight in Richard Hurst's arms a goal was awarded on the word of a linesman.
To their credit City didn't argue about the decision but they had cause to feel disgruntled a minute later as a powerful Richard Goddard header from a Pratt corner thudded against the woodwork and came to rest in Tarr's thankful arms. City's final bid to reduce the first half arrears saw Simba belie his 38 years and attack the visitors defence before unleashing a rising shot which Tarr again clutched without fuss.
The second period was a disappointment in that City failed to raise their game sufficiently to trouble Basingstoke and the relatively decent football of earlier on vanished as both sides conceded possession with ease in the wet conditions. Goalkeeper Hurst, who joined the club the previous day from Conference strugglers Kingstonian, made a good low stop from John Mycroft whilst a swift City break ended with Robbie Simpson sliding a Junior Samuels cross into the side netting.
City hopes of scoring only their second League goal in more than six hours rose sharply when Stoke defender Paul Wilkinson tripped Simpson in the penalty area. The spot kick was entrusted to the out of form Piper but his soft effort to Tarr's right was beaten away and the keeper was relieved to see Simpson's follow up head in the same direction thus allowing Tarr to complete a decisive double-save.
The heavens relented enough for the meagre crowd to start drifting away early but their stroll became more of a march in the 87th minute as Honor and Sean Gorman combined down the Basingstoke left and as the ball came into the goalmouth Mycroft was able to poke home his first goal for the club. City still found time to locate the woodwork one final time as Simba turned and shot powerfully from 12 yards against an upright, that the ball then rolled across the face of the goal merely added to the Saints sense of injustice. |
