Effiong double boosts spirits despite defeat for City (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Effiong double boosts spirits despite defeat for City

1:04am Thursday 22nd July 2010 in

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St Albans City’s quest to find a strike partner for Drew Roberts moved a step closer to fruition at Brackley Town’s St James’ Park ground on Wednesday evening when Inih Effiong struck two fine goals during the Saints 4-2 defeat to Jon Brady’s highly rated Southern League Premier Division outfit.

Effiong, having first appeared in the City First team two seasons ago, spent last season with Boreham Wood and the 19-year-old is now a far stronger player both physically and mentally, and on the evidence of this form looks ready to stake a claim to start the new season alongside the more experienced Roberts.

City manager Steve Castle gave a run out to just one new trialist during the Saints first away friendly of the summer with former Chelsea and Watford youngster Curtly Brooks being brought into the centre of the midfield.

Brooks certainly looks as though he will be a useful acquisition although the City midfield could be short on both height and experience come the start of the season.

On a beautifully lush though sluggish pitch on which the ball seemed to glide surprisingly slowly, the match took quite a while to come to life with Brackley starting the better of the two sides without seriously threatening the visitors goal.

All that changed on 18 minutes when Paul Bastock did well to push a Tom Winters shot against the woodwork, Jason Bradley tucked home the rebound but was called back for offside.

Brackley went ahead on 34 minutes when Owen Storey went wide of City left back Adam Everitt and sent a low cross towards the edge of the six yard box where the retreating City skipper Ryan Frater inadvertently sliced the ball past a sprawling Bastock.

Three minutes Brackley doubled their advantage when a ball over the top of the visitors defence sent Green clear. Bastock did well to parry the shot with his legs but the covering Frater was just unable to clear before the ball trickled over the line.

City had done little to worry the home goal until the 43 minute when an angled cross from the left by Everitt was flicked on by the towering Leon Simpson for Effiong to bring down and hammer past home keeper Ashley Peyton-Bruhl.

The well-travelled Simpson, who has seen service with Farnborough and St Neots Town amongst others, showed several useful touches and his immense height is certain to give any defence problems. Subtle approach play with the ball on the deck is unlikely to bring the same rewards as an aerial approach should he lead the City attack.

As with practically all friendly matches these days the second half was punctuated by a succession of changes that did little to help the flow of the game. Both sides got through 18 players with Castle giving a full 90 minutes to just three of his players, ‘keeper Bastock, 19-year-old right back Joe Clemo and midfielder Brooks.

For a period after the interval City played with an attacking confidence not seen during the early stages of the game and looked more than capable of drawing level.

On 56 minutes Clemo and James Fisher worked the ball up to Effiong who, although forced slightly wide, sent an enticing effort across the face of the goal and just a minute later City did equalise.

Fisher won a corner on the City left that he took himself and clipped towards the near post where Effiong powered the ball home with a cracking volley.

Brackley regained the upper hand on 68 minutes when substitute Jamie Gould, formerly of Stevenage and Boston United, sent a pass down the Town left that Winters latched onto and cut inside before firing right-footed high inside Bastock’s right hand post for the third Brackley goal.

St Albans experimented during the latter stages when Frater went off and midfielder Shane Hill was tried at centre half alongside former Northampton Town teenager Josh Urquhart.

Ten minutes from time Brackley scored an excellent fourth goal. Winters collected a good ball played down the Town left and whipped over a perfect cross for the unchallenged Bradley to head powerfully to Bastock’s right to ensure victory for the Northants side.

City had one reasonable effort on goal during the remaining minutes when Tegana James tried his luck with a left-footed drive from 25 yards that went safely though to the substitute keeper.

St Albans City: P.Bastock, J.Clemo, A.Everitt (A.Chaves 46), C.Brooks, M.Peters (J.Urquhart 46), R.Frater (R.Magwood 77), J.Fisher (D.Johnson 60), R.Magwood (S.Hill 60), L.Simpson (R.Baronet 71), I.Effiong (T.James 71), G.Kweme (T.Ahmed 60).