Three games into their programme of summer friendlies and St Albans City are still searching for their first goal with the latest blank being fired during an intriguing goalless draw with National League new boys Boreham Wood at Meadow Park on Saturday.

City did actually get the ball into the home net when Michael Malcolm latched onto a perfect through ball by Sam Corcoran and went wide of keeper James Russell before firing high into the goal only to be hauled back due to being offside.

Corcoran, receiving a short pass from the lively Steve Wales, made a delightful shimmy to create space to thread the ball through the Wood defence but overall it was tough afternoon for the City midfielder.

Booked 14 times last season, Corcoran was substituted when shown a yellow card for a foul on Junior Morias on 78 minutes. The 24-year-old had pushed his luck once too often having been spoken to twice previously by referee Anthony Serrano.

City’s disallowed goal came during the Saints best attacking spell of the game.

Ian Allinson’s side generally had the better of things and with some superb either lofted or low balls over and through the middle of the St Albans backline created several good openings only to be let down by indifferent finishing.

Judging just how St Albans are shaping up is tricky judge at present as they got through 20 players against both Wood and Dagenham, and 19 against Watford. But with still eight more friendlies to trawl through there is ample time to draw conclusions.

Tamos Horvath became City’s third goalkeeper of the summer but survived for just 26 minutes before twisting an ankle when collecting a cross.

To make matters worse a Boreham Wood player, accidentally, trod on the same foot as he landed. Horvath sat out the rest of the game in the main stand with heavy strapping and an ice pack on the damaged ankle – he also pondered how he was going to drive back to Dagenham after the game.

The Hungarian’s place in the City goal was taken by Wood’s substitute keeper Ben McNamara, who did a more than decent job for his temporary new team mates.

Generally it was a satisfactory City performance but a pattern of opposition sides finding space in midfield to thread balls through the heart of the defence has been a striking feature of all three games played.

The game was played at a competitive pace but chances were rare early on and the finishing, at best, rusty.

Wood striker Matt Whichelow highlighted that this was their first game of the summer when blasting high over the top and then failing to get a clean contact close to goal following good work on the left by Graeme Montgomery.

Wood keeper James Russell made his first save on 37 minutes following a crisp strike from distance by former Stevenage player Michael Richens, after a Lee Chappell corner had been only partially cleared.

The half ended with frayed tempers in the warm sunshine as James Comley and Ricky Shakes exchanged needless petulance on the excellent playing surface.

The visitors made eight changes for the start of the second half while Wood settled on a more modest three, with three more, including former City captain Ben Martin, coming on later in the half.

Greg Ngoyi and Billy Medlock were replaced in attack by Michael Malcolm and Kieran Bishop while the pacy Rod Young, who made several promising breaks from deep, made way for Lewis Hilliard.

Luke Allen also stepped into the midfield, along with Wales, while David Longe-King, John Kyriacou and Howard Hall joined Comley in the backline.

Chances continued to be squandered as Morias blasted over for the Wood and, shortly before Malcolm’s goal was rubbed out, Hilliard was just off target for City.

City forced two corners in quick succession, from the first of which, taken by Wales, central defender Darren Locke had a header knocked off the goal-line by Harry Crawford.

Sam Merson squandered two good openings when sent clear, while Kayode Bola, having trials with City for a second successive year, sent a free header wide from a Wales corner.

Wood pushed for a later winner with Montgomery testing McNamara with a blistering drive before Crawford clipped a cross-shot onto the roof of the net and then curled a dipping free kick tamely through to McNamara.

For what it’s worth, City have failed to score in their opening three summer friendlies for the first time in their history, the lacking in significance of this will have been lost long before the proper games get underway in just under a months’ time.

In charge of the team on Saturday were coaches Harry Wheeler and Mark Boyce, as Graham Golds and Jimmy Gray were attending a wedding.

Boreham Wood: J.Russell, B.Nunn, D.Woodard, S.Cox, J.Hill (D.McKain 46), C.Reynolds (B.Martin 62), R.Shakes (H.Crawford 46), S.Thomas (H.Crawford 46), J.Morias (S,Merson 68), M.Whichelow (E.Brown 62), G.Montgomery.

St Albans City 1st half: T.Horvath (B.McNamara 26), M.Richens, L.Chappell, D.Green, J.Comley, D.Locke, O.Beckles, S.Corcoran, R.Young, G.Ngoyi, B.Medlock.

St Albans City 2ndhalf: B.McNamara, H.Hall, J.Kyriacou, D.Locke, D.Longe-King, S.Corcoran (K.Bola 68), S.Wales, L.Allen, L.Hilliard, M.Malcolm, K.Bishop.

Booked: Corcoran 68.

Referee: Anthony Serrano (Hemel Hempstead).