St Albans City survived a second half battering at Scraley Road on Saturday before grabbing a dramatic late winner which ended Heybridge Swifts' 13 match unbeaten run in the Ryman League and hauled the Saints into the Premier Division top six for the first time this season.
Such a lofty placing is a staggering achievement given that six weeks ago new manager John Kendall saw his side go down 3-0 at home to Basingstoke and sit just six points off the foot of the table. Now, having handed Heybridge their first league reversal on home soil this season, St Albans are just seven points adrift of leaders Canvey Island and four points behind third placed Farnborough Town who visit Clarence Park this coming Saturday.
The Saints latest success, their seventh in succession, owed much to a couple of brave substitutions made by Kendall as the Saints sought to stem the Swifts wave of attacks. Instead of looking to shore up a defence which was undergoing a severe test, Kendall threw on strikers Amara Simba and Robbie Simpson and the duo combined, just a minute from time, to extend the Saints winning Premier Division sequence to five matches - their best league run since early 1996.
The goal itself was a mixture of fine individual skill and opportunism. Simpson, receiving the ball outside the penalty area down the Saints left, drifted past one defender and then a second on the goalline before attempting to slip the ball into the goalmouth. The combined presence of goalkeeper Kingsley Banks and a defender stopped the ball in its tracks just a couple of yards from the goal where Simba nipped in to slide home his fourth goal in six games from a tight angle.
The goal was no more than City deserved for their first half performance alone when they controlled proceedings without seriously testing Banks. After the break the accolades went the way of the City defence and in particular goalkeeper Richard Hurst who pulled off a string of outstanding saves in keeping his fifth consecutive clean sheet.
During the opening exchanges City won four corners but could not force the ball home but the Saints should gone ahead on 29 minutes when David Pratt and Ansell combined well to free Chris Piper but his clipped shot across the diving Banks drifted narrowly wide of the far post. The Swifts only serious attempt on goal during the opening half saw Hurst use his legs well to deny leading scorer Kris Lee.
Seven minutes from the break Mark Rooney and Pratt opened up the home defence - something they did frequently - and from Rooney's cross Swifts defender Ian Wiles sliced the ball high into the air. Banks, in comical fashion, missed the ball on its way down but spared his own blushes when smothering it at the second attempt.
Within the opening six minutes of the restart both Lee and Adam Gillespie went close for the home side and the Saints had an almighty let off on 54 minutes. Peter Risley exacted revenge on Chris Payne for an earlier lunge and was booked for his troubles, from the ensuing free-kick, taken by Payne, Lee headed home only to be pulled back for offside. City had another escape later on when Corey Campbell handled inside the penalty area but this time the Swifts were penalised for pushing the City defender.
Although City were dangerous on the counterattack it was the brilliance of Hurst which kept the Swifts at bay. Parker curled a free-kick just wide and Hurst then made two excellent saves from Lee and Gillespie before the latter sent a scorching effort a few inches over the top. Lee was thwarted in a one-on-one with Hurst while a late City flurry saw Banks scramble low to his left to keep Ryan Moran waiting for his first league goal.
Just when it seemed as though the two clubs were about to conclude their first ever goalless draw up popped Simba to capitalise on Simpson's penetrating run.
Report by Dave Tavener |
