Goals from Danny Johnson, Inih Effiong and Glodi Kweme clinched a first win of the summer for St Albans City on Tuesday as Steve Castle’s side saw off Isthmian Leaguers Waltham Abbey 3-1 at Sewardstone Road.

City rested some of their more distant players such as Paul Bastock and Drew Roberts but did take a look three new faces and welcomed back one other from last season who has been absent thus far during pre-season.

Chris Sullivan is the ‘old boy’ returning to the fold. The 22-year-old wide midfielder made 15 appearances for City last season and during the summer has had trials with Woking having played two games and scored one goal for the Cards.

Only the legs of the diving home keeper stopped Sullivan from marking his return to the Saints with a goal.

In goal for St Albans was 21-year-old David Hogan who is currently on the books of John Still’s Dagenham & Redbridge. A former youngster with MK Dons he has had loan spells with Thurrock, Harlow Town, Folkestone Invicta and Eastbourne Borough.

Hogan generally had a quiet evening at Waltham Abbey but did make three decent saves. He was helpless though when Mark Peters placed a back pass too far wide of him on 27 minutes and the duo could only look on as the ball rolled gently into the back of the net.

New to the side at right back was 23-year-old Zimbabwe-born David Deeney, a former Youth team player at Luton Town who made one first team appearance prior to being released in March 2006. Since then he has had a number of clubs including Hitchin Town, Hemel Hempstead Town, Enfield (loan) and Corby Town with whom he enjoyed a decent run in the FA Trophy last season.

He was a member of the Hemel side that defeated a City XI 10-0 in the Herts Charity Cup two seasons ago.

Deeney started at right back against the Abbey but was moved into a midfield position after the interval and made a fine impression on his first run out for the Saints.

Playing on the right of the midfield and often in a more advanced position was Javon Molley who has been having trials with AFC Wimbledon and earlier this month scored in a friendly against Charlton Athletic.

City opened the scoring on 10 minutes when Johnson won the ball on the edge of the penalty area before calmly placing the ball low to the left of the diving keeper.

Five minutes from the break Effiong was denied by a fine save after cutting in from the City right and when the ball was only half cleared James Fisher flashed an effort from 25 yards narrowly wide.

City had to wait just another four minutes before regaining the lead with the best goal of the evening.

The ball was worked across the pitch by Peters and Molley before Deeney slipped a pass towards the edge of the penalty area that Effiong neatly latched onto and skipped wide of the advancing keeper before shooting low into the goal.

City’s third goal, on 67 minutes, was somewhat less beautifully executed. Fisher, wide on the City right, played a short pass to Joe Clemo who sent a fine cross towards the edge of the six box. The lurking Glodi Kweme looped the ball a tad fortuitously over the keeper via his thigh.

Castle was without several members of his probable First team squad due to various injuries.

Long term absentee James Quilter, who is due to undergo surgery on 3 August on his badly damaged left knee, was obviously missing, while club captain Ryan Frater (hamstring), Adam Everitt (knee), Ross Dedman (hamstring) and Leon Simpson (calf muscle) were also sidelined.

Frater and Simpson look set to return for Saturday’s home friendly with Crawley Town but Everitt and Dedman face a struggle to be fit for the start of the Conference South season on 14 August.

St Albans City: D.Hogan, D.Deeney, P.Smith (A.Chaves 70), R.Magwood (R.Logan 65), J.Urquhart, M.Peters (A.Lewis 75), D.Johnson (J.Clemo 56), J.Fisher, I.Effiong (G.Kweme 63), J.Molley (S.Sinclair 56), C.Sullivan (T.James 70).