The reliable duo of Sean Shields and Steve Wales came up trumps again for St Albans City as the Saints added to the problems of lowly Weston-super-Mare with a competent 2-0 victory at Winterstoke Road on Saturday.

For the second weekend running Shields and Wales got the goals that secured City’s victory, the Saints second success in seven visits to Weston.

The game was generally a low-key affair but there was plenty for City to be satisfied with, particularly their finishing from limited chances and solid defending that allowed Micky Bell’s side barely a sniff of goal.

St Albans named an unchanged side for the third consecutive game while the Seagulls gave a debut to on-loan Bristol City midfielder Gus Mafuta.

On a cloudy though mild afternoon the home side, beaten in each of their previous three league games, started reasonably brightly but appeared to lack the cutting edge required to break through a dominant City defence.

St Albans posed the first serious threat when John Frendo fed Wales down the right and from his low pass James Comley, on the edge of the penalty area, had a shot that deflected off Weston skipper Tom Jordan and looped just wide of the target.

Referee Andrew Lever seemed to be just a bit too quick to flash his yellow card and collected five, mostly unnecessary bookings.

However, the Portsmouth-based official decided against awarding free kicks when Weston striker Ryan Bath went to ground in the City penalty area – it was an elaborate dive – and then when Lee Chappell went down at the opposite end of the pitch after appearing to have been pulled by Aaron Brown.

The Seagulls went close to scoring a freak goal when a long clearance by keeper Luke Purnell bounced high off the turf and had to be tipped over the crossbar by Saints custodian Joe Welch, as the dropping ball threatened to dip just under the crossbar.

City took the lead on the half hour when Frendo rode a challenge by Jordan before shooting with his right foot – something of a collector’s item – from 18 yards.

Purnell, diving to his right, did well to beat the ball away but could do nothing to stop Shields from heading home the rebound, as he became the first City player since February to score in three consecutive games.

At the opposite end of the pitch the Seagulls continued to struggle to trouble the Saints, although a corner by Dayle Grubb caused an anxious scramble in front of the goal before Darren Locke cleared his lines.

Weston’s best chance to get back on level terms saw Mafuta thread a good ball through to Jamie Lucas. But after evading Lee Chappell’s dramatic lunge, the Seagulls leading goalscorer shot to the left of Welch who saved in relative comfort.

The destiny of the points was pretty much settled on 42 minutes when Comley sent an excellent crossfield ball out to the right to Wales.

Purnell was tempted to move forward to intercept but was stranded about 12 yards from goal, as Wales slid the ball to his right for his 12th goal in 25 games for the club.

The second half was played out almost as if the two sides accepted the outcome as inevitable and chances became ever more scarce.

That said, Comley did whip a free kick past a five-man defensive wall only for it to go straight into Purnell’s midriff, while Shields, after receiving a pass from James Kaloczi, tried, and only just failed, to chip the ball over the keeper.

The home goal had one other let-off when a John Kyriacou cross was retrieved at the back post by Shields whose low shot ricocheted off the legs of Purnell and hit the top of the crossbar before being partially cleared by Jordan.

Midfielder Kaloczi was next to go close with a header from a Kyriacou cross.

City’s final chance of the afternoon fell to Frendo who, looking to avoid a fifth consecutive game without scoring, received a pass from Shields but shot straight at Purnell.

The home side had a rare effort on the City goal when Jordan headed the ball onto Corey Williams and the Weston substitute thudded a shot against the outside of the upright.

The win lifts the Saints back up to seventh in Conference South while Weston-super-Mare remain just one place off the foot of the table.

St Albans are back in FA Cup action next Saturday, 25th October, when fellow Conference South side Concord Rangers make their first visit to Clarence Park for a Fourth Round Qualifying tie. Kick off is at 3pm with the winners going through to the competition proper.

Weston-super-Mare: L.Purnell, R.Lee, J.Llewellyn, A.Brown (J.McClennan 57), T.Jordan, C.Fortune, G.Mafuta, J.Cane, J.Lucas, R.Bath (C.Williams 75), D.Grubb (A.Fiddes 57), subs; S.Camper, B.Ash.

Booked: Cane (8), Fiddes (76).

St Albans City: J.Welch, J.Kyriacou, L.Chappell, C.Gorman, B.Martin, D.Locke, J.Kaloczi (D.Green 84), J.Comley, J.Frendo (G.Mitchell 79), S.Shields, S.Wales (D.Keenleyside (88), subs; L.Clarke, T.Ward.

Booked: Comley (33), Locke (85), Green (86).

Goals: 30 0-1 Shields, 42 0-2 Wales.

Referee: Andrew Lever (Portsmouth).