St Albans City manager Ian Allinson praised his side’s creative quality after they thrashed Hungerford Town 5-0 in the National League South on Saturday.

Goals from Lee Chappell, Junior Morias, Louie Theophanous, Dipo Akinyemi and Shuan Lucien were the difference at Clarence Park as Hungerford struggled to compete after Scott Rees’ sending off.

The Saints took some time to get going, with four of their goals coming in the second half, but Allinson says City’s firepower meant he was confident they would create chances.

“The way we play we are going to create chances. We are certainly not trying to play a defensive game. I don’t want to play that way and don’t think we have the players to,” he said.

“We have a changing room with lots of experience and some young lads and have got a fantastic energy and team spirit.

“As I say, it is about us now keeping on doing what we are doing. We take one game as it comes.”

There was an element of fortune about a number of the hosts goals, not least when Chappell bundled home the opener when competing for a high ball with the Town keeper.

A last man challenge from Rees allowed Morias to double the advantage from the spot just after the restart and reduced to visitors to 10-men.

Theophanous was then the benefactor of a bizarre third as he beat the Hungerford keeper to a through ball and unsuspectingly deflected into an empty net.

Allinson made it clear that the manner of the City goals mattered little and highlighted the importance of being able to score in multiple ways.

“I have said all along, football is a little bit about luck here and there,” Allinson said.

“If players don’t take the opportunity, go and close people down and attack the ball in the area when the goalkeeper is there, then you don’t get that luck.

“We can’t score glorious goals every single week, so it is good to score a couple of scrappy goals because it gives you an opportunity to go out and do what we did in the end.”

Saturday’s victory took City’s unbeaten league run to four games and kept them second in the National League South table.

They are seven points adrift of leaders Maidenhead United, who beat Bath City 2-1 on Saturday, having played a game fewer than their title rivals.

Allinson’s side will look to close that gap when they travel to Rookery Hill to take on eighth place East Thurrock United on Saturday.

Thurrock are unbeaten in nine league games.

With Maidenhead facing a tough task against third place Ebbsfleet United, the weekend’s fixtures could provide City with a platform to cement second position.