St Albans City rose again on Easter Monday from the ashes of Saturday’s shambolic display to extinguish Eastbourne Borough’s lingering hope of the reaching the Conference South play-offs with a thoroughly convincing 3-0 triumph at Clarence Park.

It was hard to believe that this was the same St Albans City that performed so ineptly just 48 hours earlier.

Well, in reality it was not, as Graham Golds and Jimmy Gray made five changes with Howard Hall, James Kaloczi, Jo N’Guessan, John Frendo and Jamal Lowe all being stood down – with the latter not even making it onto the bench.

John Kyriacou returned at right-back after more than three months out with a foot injury, while starting appearances were also given to the Green brothers – Danny and Jack – Michael Malcolm and Steve Wales.

Young Jack Green, who is not 18 until August, has a knack of making things happen, and Monday’s game was another example where his creative eye and tenacity led to him playing an instrumental part in the third City goal.

Wales has struggled to hold down a regular place in the side in recent weeks but made a fine return to form out on the flanks and set the ball rolling with a cracking opening goal.

But they were not the lone stars as the Saints kept a third consecutive home clean sheet.

Sam Corcoran purred in midfield and James Comley struts around the middle of the defence with all the swagger of an individual who graced Clarence Park for one game in 1989 – Franz Beckenbauer.

The comparison is slightly generous, but Comley has found a new lease of life since appearing in two World Cup qualifying ties for Montserrat and being switched into a back four berth.

Eastbourne arrived at the Park needing to win all of their remaining four games to have any hope of snatching a play-off position.

The dire display they gave belied the fact that they had won their previous five Conference South matches, all without conceding as much as a single goal.

The early exchanges on a sunny though nippy Bank Holiday afternoon were even which, after Saturday’s game at Bishop’s Stortford, was grounds for encouragement in the home camp.

But it was Eastbourne who had the first clear opportunity of the day when a Jack Evans cross was met with a clean header by Nathan Pinney, Joe Welch produced an excellent tip over the crossbar, only for Pinney to be ruled offside.

Prior to the kick off voting took place for the supporters to choose the Goal of the Year, after 21minutes many must have contemplated asking for the forms back as Wales scored an absolute gem.

Danny Green won the ball in the middle of the City half and from there it went out to Kyriacou via Comley.

Kyriacou looked to pick out Simon Thomas with a long ball but Boro defender Kiran Kinda-John headed away.

Unfortunately for the Eastbourne defender the ball went straight to Wales, and with a spectacular right footed half volley from 25 yards the former England C international lashed the ball to the left of the diving Lewis Carey.

City were almost celebrating again a few minutes later when a deep cross by Lee Chappell was miscued high towards the centre of the penalty area where an attempted volley by Malcolm bounced through to a relieved Carey.

St Albans were now sweeping forward with some confidence and on 25 minutes Jack Green headed a pass put to Wales, now on the left, and, after sailing past Chris Sessegnon, clipped a perfect cross to Thomas whose header was quite superbly saved by Carey’s outstretched right arm.

Eastbourne launched an almost lethal counter-attack that saw the somewhat vocal Gavin McCallum break free and lift the ball over the advancing Welch but onto the crossbar.

Clear chances were harder to come by later in the half but Corcoran had Carey scampering across towards his right hand upright to palm away a dipping effort from 30 yards.

On 38 minutes City found a path through the Boro defence with some route-one style football.

Welch kicked to just over the halfway line where Thomas glanced the ball on and Jack Green chipped a clever pass over Kinda-John for the just onside Malcolm to burst through, but have his low shot blocked by the legs of Carey.

The Saints second goal on 41 minutes owed as much to a sleepy Eastbourne defence as it did good approach play by the home side.

When a Corcoran shot was charged down City rebuilt a move through Comley, Chappell, Jack Green and Chappell again.

Given ample space the City captain swung over a left-footed cross that caught Boro flat-footed and allowed Thomas to stroke the ball into the York Road net for his first goal at the Park.

Eastbourne needed to raise their game substantially to put the outcome into doubt but their second half showing showed little improvement and the Saints strolled in some comfort to their third three-goal league win of the season.

A sweeping move involving Corcoran, Thomas, Malcolm, Jack Green and clever step-over by Thomas allowed Chappell to get in a shot that Carey smothered low down.

After a spell of scrappy play City opened up the visitors when a long punt by Jack Green sent Thomas away, but after shrugging off Kinda-John the striker lifted his shot over the target.

On 66 minutes City completely washed away the Eastbourne challenge with their 99th home league goal under Golds and Gray.

A throw from the left by Chappell was put out for another throw and this time the left-back aimed for Jack Green.

The teenager jumped with two defenders about ten yards out and the ball appeared to strike Boro midfielder Adam Watts before bouncing to the right of the diving Carey for the first own goal of the season in City’s favour.

Two minutes after that goal Frendo replaced Thomas and was soon testing Carey with a firm drive.

Eastbourne had one golden opportunity to salvage something from the game when McCallum glanced the ball through to the advancing Richard Paquette but the Boro substitute prodded his shot wide of the goal.

Welch was able to watch that effort roll by the goalpost but the City keeper was soon leaping high to his right to tip over the top in some style a superbly struck and placed free kick by Evans.

Welch may not have had many direct shots with which to worry about but his handling and punching in the face of some decent crosses by the visitors was virtually perfection.

City were not lacking either in getting good crosses into the box and this led to less of a reliance on Chappell’s long throws to put pressure on the Eastbourne defence.

St Albans climb to 14th on the back of this win and face another south coast club on Saturday with the visit to Gosport Borough, kick off at Privett Park is at 3pm.

Before the kick off on Monday a minute’s silence was held in memory of Barrie King who passed away in Adelaide on 29 March.

During the 1962-63 season King played five times for the Amateur England side, as he became the fifth and final St Albans City player to be selected for England.

St Albans City: J.Welch, J.Kyriacou, L.Chappell, D.Green, D.Locke, J.Comley, J.Green, S.Corcoran (M.Taylor 77), S.Thomas (J.Frendo 68), M.Malcolm (J.N’Guessan 73), S.Wales, unused subs; H.Hall, J.Kaloczi.

Booked: J.Green (59), Comley (90).

Eastbourne Borough: L.Carey, C.Sessegnon (C.Pring 70), S.Beale, A.Watts, I.Simpemba, K.Kinda-John, K.Haysman (R.Worrall 61), G.McCallum, N.Pinney (R.Paquette 46), J.Evans, D.Lok, unused subs: J.Botting, M.Aldred.

Booked: Simpemba (12).

Goals: 21 1-0 Wales, 41 2-0 Thomas, 66 3-0 Own goal.

Referee: John O’Brien (London).

Att: 431.

St Albans City have confirmed that their goal at Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday has been credited to Darren Locke rather than Simon Thomas.