St Albans City failed to score for the seventh time in 20 games on Saturday as they went down 2-0 to Bromley in a dull Blue Square South encounter at Hayes Lane.

Despite enjoying an equal share of the play City can have no complaints about the outcome, their first reversal at Bromley for 13 years, as the threat on the home goal was completely inept.

The Lilywhites scaled no great heights in finding the back of the net for the first time in five games but Mark Goldberg’s Kent side did at least possess the days most impressive performers in striker Gareth A Williams and midfielder Mark Corneille.

Saints manager Steve Castle kept faith with teenage goalkeeper Michael Emery following the six-goal hammering at Woking but did give striker Lamine Sagna his first start as Gary Cohen’s return of just one goal in 25 games finally cost him a place in the starting XI.

Bromley, also defeated in the FA Trophy the previous week, made three changes with right back Arron Fray, midfielder Nicky Greene and one-time City striker Warren McBean all recalled.

The match, on a dark, cold and eventually wet day, got off to a quiet start with both defences comfortably on top. Bromley though, did threaten to make an early breakthrough when Williams attempted to send McBean through the middle but Emery was out quickly to clear his lines.

City’s first attack of note saw Justin Clayton head way over the top from a Drew Roberts free kick. Attacking the car park end of the Hayes Lane ground Williams went on a good run to the goalline before cutting the ball back to McBean whose scuffed shot went harmlessly across the face of the goal.

Moments later the duo again almost found a path through the City defence only for Clayton’s timely intervention to cut out the through ball.

Jonathan O’Donnell, experiencing his quietest day so far with the Saints, won City’s the first corner on 26 minutes. From the set-piece the ball went beyond the far post where it was retrieved by James Quilter whose lob back into the goalmouth sailed over keeper Gareth I Williams and clipped the top of the crossbar.

After a scramble the ball was knocked out of the penalty area but seized upon by Godfrey Poku whose shot sailed off in the general direction of the town centre.

Bromley opened the scoring on 33 minutes with a possibly fortuitous goal when a handball in the build up went undetected by referee Charles Breakspear.

McBean burst into the penalty area but when challenged lost his footing with the ball, clearly without any intent, striking an arm as he fell. The Lilywhites leading scorer was quickly back on his feet and laid a pass square for Williams to guide the ball right footed low to the right of the diving Emery.

Four minutes later Ashley Carew sent Harrison Dunk down the Bromley left flank, the ball was laid back to Corneille whose crisp drive took a slight deflection as it went just beyond Emery’s left hand upright.

And Corneille tested the young keeper again just prior to the interval with a shot from 30 yards that bounced in front of Emery but was cleanly held by the City custodian.

The quality of the game barely improved after the break but referee Breakspear livened up the affair with five, not always justified, cautions while both sides made three substitutions of varying success. Attempts on goal continued to be as accurate as Tiger Woods driving skills.

Three minutes after the restart City looked to have a golden opportunity to restore parity when Williams fumbled the ball from a James Fisher free kick but the chance was lost when Ryan Frater was penalised for a foul on the keeper.

Frater, whose no nonsense approach at the back may have lacked style but was highly effective, was also the instigator of City’s best chance early in the second half.

The City captain launched a long high ball deep into the Bromley half that home skipper Rob Gillman hammered into the chest of Sagna. The ball rebounded goalwards towards the edge of the penalty area with Roberts and the home duo of Dunk and Gillman giving chase.

Roberts did well to win the ball back but in limited space, with Dunk diving in and Williams throwing himself at the ball, the City striker, leaning back, lifted the ball forwards only to it graze the top of the crossbar and go behind.

Bromley substitute Marcus Cassius brightened up proceedings with his close skills and willingness to run at defenders and an excellent through ball of his almost freed Williams only for Frater to make a crucial intervention.

City responded with their most free flowing move of the afternoon. Fisher, Quilter and Poku all combined to work the ball up to Roberts with Poku storming forward to take a return pass on the inside-right position and send a low shot through to Williams.

An altercation off the ball between Fisher and the impressive Luke I’Anson led to the pair of midfielders being booked and Fisher relieved his growing frustration with a thunderous effort from close to the touchline that almost beat Williams at his near post but struck the rear part of the outside of the post.

The match moved completely out of City’s grasp on 76 minutes when the Saints again did not receive the rub of the green.

Frater was penalised for what a appeared to be a nonexistent foul and from the ensuing free kick from 28 yards, Williams drove the ball into the penalty area where it deflected out to Corneille who calmly placed the ball into a narrow gap between Emery and his near left hand post for his fourth goal in 148 games for the club.

With their four match unbeaten league run now all but over City sent on 17-year-old defender Ross Dedman for his debut, in place of Quilter. And but for a wonderful last ditch tackle on Cassius by Clayton City’s first away league defeat since 5 September could have been even more emphatic.

In the dying moments of the game City finally suggested they knew where the goal was when Cohen, on early in the second half for O’Donnell, forced Williams to save low down with a decent shot from 18 yards while Poku fired narrowly wide from a similar range.

After the game Steve Castle confirmed that Alex Bailey has left the club due to budgetary constraints.

Bromley: G I Williams, A.Fray, H.Dunk, M.Corneille, T.Henriques, R.Gillman, N.Greene (S.Ibrahima 67), L.I’Anson, W.McBean (M.Cassius 61), G A Williams (D.O’Sullivan 83), A.Carew, subs, R.Dolby, A.Stone.

St Albans City: M.Emery, J.Quilter (R.Dedman 83), P.Smith, G.Poku, J.Clayton, R.Frater, J.Fisher, S.Shields (C.Mortimer 77), L.Sagna, D.Roberts, J.O’Donnell (G.Cohen 57), subs; R.Magwood, D.Johnson.

Goals: 1-0 GA Williams 33, 2-0 Corneille 76.

Booked: Henriques, I’Ason, Ibrahima, Carew, Fisher.

Referee: Charles Breakspear (Walton-on-Thames).

Att: 307.