City come close
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The rare luxury of a home Ryman League point – and even rarer clean sheet – was scant consolation for St Albans City as their promotion play-off hopes were hit by the failure to see off a new-look but poor Heybridge Swifts side at Clarence Park at the weekend.
Heybridge have brought in a number of loan signings from Football League sides recently, most noticeably one time Luton Town strikers Andrew Fotiadis and Carl Griffiths, but recent results have not supported the extra expense and on Saturday St Albans should have secured their first home win of 2004. City showed one change from the defeat at Hayes with Chris Seeby harshly dropped to allow Chris Zoricich to return
The Saints most promising moments came during the opening half as they attacked the Hatfield Road end with a cold wind to their backs. The visitors goal survived several uncomfortable moments although keeper Jonathan Chatfield had few direct shots to deal with. He should have been beaten on ten minutes though, when Steve Watts laid the ball off to Lee Clarke who in turn found the free Greg Deacon. The teenagers shot appeared to be going narrowly wide but was met by the incoming Watts who somehow headed wide with the goal at his mercy.
Heybridge suffered a setback midway through the half when Fotiadis clashed accidentally with Miguel De Souza and came off second best to depart on a stretcher. On 26 minutes the Saints almost fell behind to a freak goal as Graeme Butler, in attempting to clear a cross, only succeeded in slicing the ball against the frame of his own goal and then just avoided the rebound as the ricochet headed in his direction.
As City upped the tempo Chatfield became the busiest man on the park. After saving a long range effort from Adam Parker the keeper had to stretch to tip away an overhit Oakes free kick and then bravely smothered the ball as Clarke dived in to get on the end of Watts knock down from an Oakes cross.
A good ball in from the Swifts left by Neil Cousins picked out Griffiths but in taking too long to get the ball under control he allowed De Souza to make a vital tackle and clear the danger. Referee Phil Sharp, whose handling of the game left a good deal to be desired, ignored a blatant shove by Cousins on Butler to latch onto Daryl Bourgeois through ball only to see his low shot smartly pushed away by the diving George Clark.
The half ended with City on top as Chatfield saved from Watts, after Gary Wraight had blocked a Bradley Thomas clearance, while Parker, again City’s best player, sent a crisply struck rising drive from thirty yards into the crossbar.
After the break what little good football had been witnessed during the opening 45 minutes gradually ebbed away, as did goalscoring opportunities. Surging runs by Butler and Parker deserved some reward, but received none, while Gough did well to win the ball close to goalline only to see his enticing ball across the face of the goal elude everyone.
Clark dived full length to his right to keep out a fine effort from Shane Huke on 89 minutes while a minute later the keepers long kick down the pitch was headed on by Watts to the offside looking but free Parker who somehow fired wide from ten yards. |
