The years rolled back at Clarence Park on Saturday as a bustling old-fashioned centre forward, Ian Dunn, in the mould of Steve Clark or Barry Butterfield, plundered a brace of goals on his debut to give St Albans City a much needed 2-1 Blue Square South victory over bottom side Weston-super-Mare.

The no-nonsense striker was a surprise inclusion in Steve Castle’s side but having impressed when scoring during a midweek trial match against AC Finchley the 28-year-old is determined to take his chance with the Saints.

The Northampton-born player, son of former Hartlepools United winger Brian Dunn, joins the Saints from Hereward United Counties League Premier Division side Bourne Town and is a close friend of Saints keeper Paul Bastock.

Dunn was just one of four changes Castle made to his side following an abject display against Bath City. An ankle injury ruled out Gary Cohen, knee problems saw James Quilter dropped to the bench, a hernia led to Adam Everitt being rested while there also no place for striker Chris Sullivan.

Paul Hakim partnered Dunn in attack, Solomon Shields returned into the centre of the midfield, while Mark Peters moved into the centre of the defence.

The City boss also made positional changes with Drew Roberts playing wide on the left of the midfield with James Fisher taking Quilter’s position at right back.

But with the game less than 20 minutes old fate took a hand when Ryan Frater sustained a rib injury and was replaced by Quilter.

Weston, by contrast, made just one change from the side beaten by Bath City in midweek with Josh Ford starting for the first time. The Somerset club, looking to avoid an eighth successive defeat, named just four substitutes, one of which was manager Andy Gurney.

The opening 45 minutes were evenly contested with City, mainly through Dunn’s endeavours, possessing the greater attacking threat. Indeed it was Dunn, with a shot on the turn that drifted away from the target, who registered the first goal attempt of a cold dank afternoon.

Weston, searching for their first away success in 16 Conference South matches, had the first on-target effort of the day but Ben Cleverley’s low strike barely troubled Bastock.

St Albans nearly conceded a freak goal on 14 minutes when Frater failed to control Peter Smith’s throw into the home penalty area, Josh Klein-Davies looked to capitalise only for Frater to slide in and get the ball back to Bastock.

Unfortunately for Frater he received an accidental kick whilst grounded and having initially ignored his injury fell to the ground three minutes later with a suspected cracked rib.

His departure meant that Quilter’s knee had only a short rest but any discomfort he suffered was not evident as he stood in well alongside Peters.

Midway through the half a promising spell for the Saints saw Fisher whip in a good cross from the right that Dunn met on the edge of the penalty with his header dipping just over the bar.

Smith, fresh from collecting his third successive Player of the Month award, went on a thrilling run down the left before being upended by Mike Green. Jake Beecroft, who made a useful contribution on the right of the City midfield and sent over several useful free kicks, lifted the dead ball into the goalmouth but just a tad too high for his incoming team-mates.

On the half hour a good build up saw Shields play the ball out to Roberts who placed a perfect low ball into the path of Hakim but the strikers first time shot from 18 yards was easily gathered by Seagulls keeper Kevin Sawyer.

Weston’s giant striker Jermaine Clarke may have failed to use his height to full advantage but displayed good control when bringing the ball down and sending a left-footed effort just wide of Bastock’s goal.

The growing threat of a blank first half was dispelled on 43 minutes after Shields conceded a free kick some 25 yards from goal.

Determined not to fall behind City pulled all eleven men back behind the ball but all they could was look on in awe as Cleverley’s sweetly struck left footed shot went over the wall, curled away from Bastock’s left and into the Hatfield Road goal.

To have gone in behind at the interval would have been tough on the Saints and in the first minute of added time they drew level.

An attack down the right led to the ball being slipped inside to Shields whose low shot appeared goal-bound until striking the hand of the falling Ford.

Much to City’s consternation a penalty was not forthcoming but while referee Colin Lymer tried to ignore the sustained appeals Roberts calmly crossed the ball towards the near post from the City left for the unattended Dunn to head home his first Blue Square South goal.

After the break chances were even scarcer than they had been earlier but City survived an anxious moment when Klein-Davies drove the ball into the goalmouth where Fisher did well to beat Clarke and get the ball back to Bastock.

City hit back with an attack that Green seemed to have thwarted with a tackle on Roberts, only for the ball to break to Smith whose angled drive zipped across the face of the goal before brushing against the foot of the woodwork.

City maintained the pressure following a Beecroft free kick with the ball breaking to Fisher who cracked a low drive into the goalmouth which Dunn inadvertently diverted it into the keeper’s hands.

Dean Grubb, on 61 minutes, chased a long ball towards the edge of the home penalty area that Bastock dashed out to block with Smith completing the clearance.

Within seconds the ball was at Hakim’s feet on the Saints right. After a short run last season’s leading marksman, who is yet to get off the mark this season, clipped a good diagonal ball between Tom Paranello and Richard Evans that also went beyond the two central defenders and nicely into the path of the marauding Dunn who bounced the ball, left-footed, back across Sawyer for his second goal of the day.

Hakim, his work done, trotted off to as a good an ovation as a sparse crowd of 279 can give, to be replaced by the lively Leyton Orient striker Jake Argent.

City were now intent on putting their recent on-pitch problems, and ongoing off-pitch undignified row between the directors and the Supporters Trust, behind them and go for the kill. Weston looked set to buckle but the Seagulls restricted City to precious few clear chances.

Godfrey Poku forced Sawyer into a spectacular tip over with a drive from 25 yards while Fisher cut in from the right to shoot just wide of the near post.

To their credit, the Seagulls tried to rescue a point but a low shot by substitute Jake Harris, that went straight into Bastock’s arms following Grubb’s pass, was the best they could muster.

The final word was left to Poku who tried his luck from distance for a second time but again Sawyer scampered across his goal to save just a split second before the final whistle sounded.

After the game Steve Castle revealed that Angus McLachlan and Justin Clayton have both left the club. It is also thought that Danny Johnson may have played his final game for the Saints and it is expected that further changes to the squad will be announced over the coming week.

St Albans City: P.Bastock, J.Fisher, P.Smith, G.Poku, M.Peters, R.Frater (J.Quilter 19), J.Beecroft, S.Shields, I.Dunn (J.Lindie 73), P.Hakim (J.Argent 62), D.Roberts, subs; R.Dedman, R.Magwood.

Weston-super-Mare: K.Sawyer, M.Green, T.Paranello, B.Cleverley, C.Rand, J.Ford, D.Grubb, D.Mullings, J.Clarke, J.Klein-Davies, R.Evans (J.Harris 75), subs; A.Gurney, C.Hart, R.Northmore.

Goals: 0-1 Cleverley 43, 1-1 Dunn 45, 2-1 Dunn 61.

Booked: Shields, Paranello.

Referee: Colin Lymer (Mayford).

Att: 279.