A clinical strike by midfielder James Fisher secured a first win of the summer for St Albans City on Tuesday night as manager Steve Castle cast his eye over 18 players during the Saints 1-0 victory at the St James’ Park home of Southern League side Brackley Town.

The two sides took the opportunity to look at a number of trialists with Castle giving 21-year-old Jason Mitchell a run alongside Ryan Frater in the heart of the defence. After a nervous start the former Maldon Town player, who spent two weeks with Luton Town during the summer, made a favourable impression on the City boss.

The only other trialist in the starting XI was the experienced Daniel Chillingworth who showed some fine touches before limping off after 32 minutes.

Amongst the seven substitutes used there were two news faces for the handful of City supporters in the ground to view.

Left-sided midfielder Jonathan O’Donnell may have looked a frail figure but oozed confidence on the ball and demonstrated an array of skills that will surely have secured the 17-year-old another run out.

The teenager has already spent seven years with Watford, and two years with Milton Keynes Dons before seeing out last season with Hemel Hempstead Town.

Twenty-year-old Ricky Miller has previously played for the City Youth during a career that started with Charlton Athletic and has taken in stops at Boston United, Corby Town, Spalding United and Hitchin Town.

The match got off to a lively start with Jon Brady’s side, also nicknamed the Saints, calling the tune early on. City hit back with Chillingworth having two goals in as many minutes rubbed out due to offside.

The second decision looked particularly harsh as the former Cambridge United striker neatly tucked away Jamie Lee O’Donoghe’s excellent raking diagonal ball from the City right.

Despite having several spells of sustained possession Brackley failed to seriously test Paul Bastock. A cracking drive from 25 yards by Tom Winters that drifted just wide of the target summing up Town’s night.

The deciding goal came on 31 minutes when the outstanding Solomon Shields won the ball well from a Jamie Thurlbourne corner and fed Chillingworth whose lay off was smartly swept home by Fisher from the edge of the penalty area.

Two minutes after switching ends the well-travelled Mark Rawle sent a diving header wide following a Winters cross and a minute later Fisher sent a powerful header over the home goal from a Jamie Thurlbourne corner.

Rawle did get the ball into the City net following a delightful touch by Elliot Sandy to a cross by one-time City player Dwayne Clarke but again an offside flag cut short the celebrations.

Just prior to the hour Winters sent another excellent effort from distance just wide of the mark.

As substitutions occurred with increasing regularity the play became more disjointed but even so the City defence still performed far better than at Harlow the previous week. And the midfield, which began the night as a threesome as opposed to Castle’s preferred option of four, generally held up well.

Both sides almost snatched a goal in the closing stages. For City, Craig Mortimer had a crisply struck free kick punched behind for a corner by home keeper Richard Morris while a Brackley free kick rebounded off the City wall to Richard Groves whose blistering drive fizzed just wide of Bastock’s goal.

Brackley Town: R.Morris, L.Nicell, M.Duckett, J.Green, D.Spencer, E.Sandy, D.Clarke, J.Brady, M.Rawle, B.Machey. T.Winters, subs; R.Groves, J.Longford, W.Blossom, R.Oulton, J.Gould, L.Carnell, J.Goode.

St Albans City: P.Bastock, A.Bailey, J.Thurlbourne, L.Thurlbourne, R.Frater, J.Mitchell, S.Shields, J.Fisher, G.Cohen, J.O’Donoghue, D.Chillingworth, subs used: D.Roberts, J.O’Donnell, C.Baker, J.Knock, R.Miller, C.Mortimer, M.Peters.

Referee: Chris Miller (Isham).

Att: 178.