A second half penalty saved by St Albans City’s on-loan Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Lee Butcher was not enough to deny visitors Newport County from gaining a thoroughly deserved Blue Square South point from a disappointing encounter at a sun-kissed Clarence Park on Saturday.

City led through an early Simon Martin goal, his third in two games, but when Sam Foley drove home a spectacular equaliser eight minutes from time it was a goal that had been on the cards for some time as the Exiles came close to stopping City from extending their unbeaten run to a sixth match.

Saints manager Steve Castle elected to keep Simon Martin in the starting line up following his two-goal blast late in the previous week’s 4-0 romp away to Fisher Athletic. This meant Gary Cohen had to settle for a place on the bench until replacing Paul Hakim just after the hour.

County boss Dean Holdsworth made three changes from the side beaten 4-0 at home by Bath City during the week while leading scorer Craig Reid was again absent through injury.

The visitors appeared determined to put the midweek mauling behind them and, playing down the slope towards the Hatfield Road goal, were soon onto the offensive although clear chances were not forthcoming during the opening 45 minutes.

As the Welsh side pushed forward City appeared content to attack on the break, something they did to good effect. The opening exchanges suggested that a lively and entertaining 90 minutes was in prospect. Sadly, it was not as defences got the upper hand and incisive passes from midfield seldom came to fruition on the dry playing surface.

County made four appeals for penalties during the afternoon with varying degrees of conviction. Certainly James Quilter handled inside three minutes when stumbling to put a third minute Danny Rose cross away for a corner, but it was unquestionably a case of ball striking hand unintentionally.

St Albans won their first corner on seven minutes but the first threat on the visitor’s goal came from another corner five minutes later when Simon Martin just failed to make a firm contact to Jonathan Hunt’s out-swinging left-footed cross.

The lively Rose skied an effort high and wide before City took a 15th minute lead. Solomon Shields dispossessed right-sided County midfielder Kris Leek close to the halfway line, a poked through ball sent Simon Martin clear and bearing down on Glyn Thompson’s right hand post.

With exquisite timing Martin waited until the keeper committed himself before scoring his 82nd goal for the Saints with a delightful flick over Thompson placing the ball just inside the far post.

A minute later Hunt sent Hakim rampaging through the County defence. Thompson did well to block the City strikers shot while Martin’s follow up was blocked.

As the half progressed City became increasingly impotent going forward and County, without suggesting an equaliser was in the offing, enjoyed the balance of play. A speculative hook over his shoulder by Wayne Turk sailed high over the target before Foley went down in the penalty area, claiming unsuccessfully City skipper Ben Martin had pushed him.

In one of their better moves City looked to have found a way through when Shields and the excellent Scott Cousins combined down the City left only for Martyn Giles superb tackle to curtail Cousins’ foray inside the penalty area.

In reaching the interval without conceding a goal City had also notched up what, in terms of minutes, was a fifth successive game without the opposition managing a single shot on target.

That quite remarkable statistic – which is either testament to City’s defensive strength or a damning indictment of how poor Conference South strikers are this season – was extended beyond the break by just another four minutes.

Newport began the second period just as they ended the first, on top. When a harmless looking ball was played into the home penalty area two challenges went in from City defenders. The first a legitimate one by Ben Martin, but it was a trip by James Quilter on Foley that persuaded referee Stephen Child, after a relatively prolonged delay, to point to the spot.

Rose moved forward and hit the penalty, left-footed, close to the foot of Butcher’s left hand upright – it certainly was not a bad penalty kick – yet the 20-year-old keeper was able, in his third match, to make his first save when his extended left hand pushed the ball wide of the goal.

It was a warning that should have produced a positive response from the Saints but instead the Exiles continued to dominate. Castle sought to shake things up with a double substitution. Off went leading scorer Hakim and right-sided midfielder Hassan Sulaiman.

The introduction of Gary Cohen’s pace into the attack seemed a sensible move, as did adding the hustle and bustle of Hector Mackie to the midfield. Cohen was quickly involved in a number of promising incidents but his contribution was more muted once he was harshly booked when stretching to block a Turk clearance.

After Butcher comfortably saved an Aaron Cook header from a Rose free kick City had a golden opportunity to add a second goal but Cohen, sent clear by Quilter’s long ball, snatched at his shot far too early and scuffed the ball softly wide.

Rose was more accurate with a snapshot that forced Butcher to save before City went close again on 78 minutes. Ben Martin played the ball down the City right to Cohen who laid it off to Mackie whose rising drive went only just over the apex of crossbar and post.

Suddenly the game seemed to have come alive but the equaliser when it came on 80 minutes was out of the blue. A Newport attack looked to be petering out when Foley swivelled just outside the penalty area and unleashed a stunning drive that flew high into the top right-hand corner of Butcher’s goal.

It was the first goal City had conceded for 572 minutes and only County’s second goal in five visits to Clarence Park.

City could have been ahead again within a minute. Simon Martin did well to put Cook under pressure as the defender tried to run the ball out for a goal kick. Cook fell to the ground and touched the ball with both hands but his body obscured the view of both the nearside linesman and the referee, thus not conceding a penalty.

Before the minute was out Newport counter-attacked with Foley breaking down the left and crossing low to Rose whose point-blank shot was smartly blocked by Butcher and scrambled clear.

Three minutes later Cohen evaded Giles down the City left and sent a low cross into the goalmouth that Thompson failed to intercept but was just too far ahead of the incoming Simon Martin.

Prior to the kick-off a one-minute’s silence was observed in memory of St Albans City Club Historian Derek Christmas, who passed away the previous Sunday. His son Martin was present for both the tribute and the match.

St Albans City: L.Butcher, J.Fisher, A.Bailey, S.Shields, S.Cousins, B.Martin, H.Sulaiman (H.Mackie 61), J.Quilter, S.Martin, P.Hakim (G.Cohen 61), J.Hunt, subs, R.Frater, I.Effiong, A.Everitt.

Newport County: G.Thompson, P.Bignot, M.Giles, W.Turk, A.Cook, P.Cochlin, D.Rose, N.Davies, S.Armitage (K.Cooper 64), S.Foley, K.Leek (M.Smith 90), subs; S.Jenkins, T.Lyons, K.Blackburn.

Goals: 1-0 S.Martin 15, 1-1 Foley 80.

Booked: Fisher, Hunt, Cohen, Turk.

Referee: Stephen Child (Beckenham).

Att: 494.