Jimmy Gray believes that his St Albans City side are on the road to recovery after the Saints secured a rare away National League South point with a 1-1 draw at West Leigh Park with fellow strugglers Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday.

Gray was pleased with the number of openings City created but the goal-shy Saints remain as the lowest scorers in the Division and face a tough winter if the back of the net is not found on a more regular basis.

With one eye on next week’s FA Cup tie at Grimsby Town City rested leading marksman Louie Theophanous.

Harry Crawford was given an opportunity to stake his claim for a starting place in the Cup side and the former Boreham Wood striker fired the Saints into a first half lead only to squandered two good chances after the interval.

In the only other change to the side that defeated Weston-super-Mare the previous week the fit again Sam Corcoran replaced Gus Sow in midfield.

Havant, knocked out of the FA Cup in a midweek replay away to National League high-flyers Cheltenham Town, started the game in dominant form and looked set to use the slight slope of the excellent playing surface to their advantage.

An early chance for the Hawks went begging when Ben Swallow blazed over from Adrian Clifton’s cushioned volley across the penalty area.

Havant continued to press forward with Matt Paterson, from the right, whipping a ball towards the near post that James Hayter crashed into Joe Welch’s left hand upright with the diving Clifton heading the rebound wide at the back post.

City eased the pressure with Billy Gibson winning the first corner of the day, but the Hampshire side quickly returned to the other end where Dan Strugnell illegally climbed on the back of team-mate Clifton to head a Scott Donnelly corner back across the goal for Paterson to head wide from close range.

Welch pulled off his first decent save of the sunny afternoon to tip over a dipping Harry Medway header from a Donnelly free kick, and the midfielder then set up Paterson with an excellent long diagonal cross that the striker headed gently through to Welch.

Gibson continued his improved form of late and caused problems for the home side with a couple of runs from deep down the City right but, even so, it was still against the run of play when St Albans took the lead on 28 minutes.

Gibson, Corcoran and Scott Thomas exchanged passes in the City half before Corcoran fed the impressive Kevin Krans ten yards inside the Havant half.

Krans slid a superb ball through the middle of the Hawks defence for Crawford to race clear and strike a perfectly placed left-footed shot wide of the diving Ryan Young from 25 yards for his first goal of the season.

City saw out the remainder of the half in far more comfort than how they began it with shots by Gibson and Krans keeping Young busy, while Corcoran curled an effort wide.

But Havant were not completely without chances and Welch stretched well to flick over the top a well-placed Donnelly free kick.

Four minutes into added time City’s good work was undone when Darren Locke missed a long punt by Young and Hayter was able to break free and send a right-footed shot low to Welch’s right from 18 yards for his fourth goal of the season.

Locke, who formed a good partnership with the again outstanding James Comley, later admitted that he should have attacked the ball with his left foot rather than dangle his right leg in the general direction of the ball.

The second half was pretty much a continuation of the opening 45 minutes with both sides very open and producing an entertaining encounter.

After going close with an angled drive from outside the penalty area Crawford had two excellent opportunities to restore City’s advantage early in the second half but was found wanting on both occasions.

A spell of City dominance ended with Krans clipping a teasing ball across the face of the home goal that the incoming Crawford ought to have stuck away but somehow scooped over the bar from point blank range.

Soon after Crawford beat the offside trap when latching onto Corcoran’s through ball but again his shot along the ground drifted wide of Young’s goal.

Graeme Montgomery was next to go close with a cracking half volley after a Comley free kick had been only partially headed away.

Just after the hour Havant reminded the crowd that they could be equally wasteful in front of goal when Paterson regained his footing quickly after slipping with Locke, only to shoot across Welch and wide of the keeper’s far, right hand, post.

City survived another anxious moment when a Swallow cross from the right was headed just over by Clifton.

The final quarter of the game was marked by a number of bookings while the open nature of the play suggested that a winning goal was in the offing for either side.

City had a let-off when Welch came out his area to clear but, under pressure from Paterson, clearly handled the ball when attempting to control it on his thigh.

Referee Savvas Yianni, who had a particularly good game, ignored Havant appeals for handball that, if given, would have seen Welch dismissed.

Young was also involved in a tense incident outside his penalty area when riding three challenges before finally clearing his lines.

Both sides had chances late in the day with Hawks substitute Marvin Morgan turning swiftly inside the penalty area only to shoot straight at Welch.

At the opposite end of the pitch a wonderful long ball by Locke sent Theophanous away but his well-struck shot beat not only Young but also the far post by the narrowest of margins.

City’s fifth away point of the season lifts them above Basingstoke Town but they remain just one place off the foot of the table after Weston-super-Mare rose two places with a shock win at Whitehawk.

St Albans City are next in action on Saturday 7th November with an FA Cup 1st Round tie away to National League side Grimsby Town, kick off at Blundell Park in Cleethorpes is at 3pm.

A number of players returning from injury, along with Ben Martin at the end of completing his recent three-match ban, are expected to be given a run out on Tuesday in a Reserve team fixture at Clarence Park.

Havant & Waterlooville: R.Young, H.Medway, D.Blanchett, B.Stock, D.Strugnell (J.Thomson 42), B.Dutton, B.Swallow, S.Donnelly, M.Paterson, J.Hayter (M.Morgan 77), A.Clifton (W.Cummings 77), unused subs; S.Mullins, M.Monthe.

Booked: Medway (18), Dutton (57), Cummings (90).

St Albans City: J.Welch, B.Nunn, L.Chappell, Sc Thomas, J.Comley, D.Locke, B.Gibson (L.Allen 73), S.Corcoran (G.Sow 67), H.Crawford, K.Krans, G.Montgomery (L.Theophanous 67), unused subs; J.Kyriacou, D.Longe-King.

Booked: Locke (45), Sow (70), Chappell (72), Nunn (83).

Goals: 28 0-1 Crawford, 45+4 1-1 Hayter.

Referee: Savvas Yianni (Weston-super-Mare).

Att: 556.