St Albans City and Billericay Town both gleaned something positive from Tuesday's dismal encounter at Clarence Park but for the disappointingly low attendance there was precious little to enthuse about in this Ryman League fixture as the two sides ground out a goalless bore for the second successive year.
For the Saints there was the satisfaction of ending a four match losing run while Town gained some respectability having been mauled 5-1 when the two sides last met at New Lodge back in December. On the downside, St Albans have now failed to score in three consecutive home Premier Division matches - 311 minutes in total - and Billericay have now gone 11 away matches without a win.
With Richard Wilmot and Rob Smith both having recovered from injuries sustained during Saturday's defeat by Gravesend, the only changes to the side saw strikers Mike Bignall and Gary Ansell come in for Paul Armstrong and Simon Martin, the latter having also taken a knock at the weekend. Although well short of match fitness Ansell showed some useful touches and with a shot against the woodwork came closer than anyone to breaking the deadlock.
But with most of the action confined to the centre of the pitch it was City's defence which took most accolades with the always hard working Richard Evans slotting in well at right back alongside the sponsors man of the match Ryan Moran. Smith is far too good an attacking player to leave in defence for any length of time but again the former Norwich City youngster did well with Steve Cook giving excellent support down the left.
In the middle of the park, Danny Honeyball couldn't get forward as often as he would like but was reliable as ever while most of the decent quality in midfield was supplied by Gary Wraight. Rob Kean worked tirelessly but the undoubtedly talented John Nutter had a quiet evening out on the left.
Given both sides recent indifferent form it was hardly surprising that goalmouth incidents were in short supply but a chilly evening began to warm up on 22 minutes when Gary Calder's side, now coached by the ever colourful George Borg, should have forged ahead. Town skipper Chris Moore whipped a free kick in from the left which Kelechi Opara headed across the goal to Joe Baker but the midfielder failed to add to his two goals which accounted for Aldershot at the weekend and mustered an amazing miss from point blank range.
City's first serious attack came on 27 minutes but was snuffed out when Moore headed Honeyball's cross out for a corner. From Wraight's dead ball kick the ball was headed out only as far as Nutter whose crisp drive was deflected over the bar. With both sides frustratingly conceding possession at will the two defences generally dominated affairs and the half petered out without any further threat to either goal.
Billericay went close on the hour when from Martin Carthy's cushioned header Gary Henty drilled an inviting ball across the face of the home goal. The Saints best attacking spell of the entire game came around the middle of the second half and for some ten minutes the visitors had to defend the York Road goal in numbers.
On 67 minutes Smith and Nutter exchanged passes down the left following a free kick and from Smith's cross low towards the near post Ansell dived in and stabbed the ball against the outside of the woodwork. Six minutes Martin, on for Bignall, twisted well on the edge of the penalty and forced Jerome John to save low to his right - it was City's first on target shot in three home matches. Moments later Martin held the ball up well and laid it off to Nutter whose powerful toe-poked shot was well beaten out John.
Having survived City's best spell, Billericay hit back with Moore going close with a header but it was City who ended the affair on the attack with Smith going on a remarkable solo run from the halfway line through the middle of the Town defence before being crowded out on the edge of the penalty area while the final attacking intention came from Armstrong who received a short free kick from Kean and struck the ball cleanly enough from 25 yards but his direction was a few yards out.
Report by Dave Tavener |
