Castle fumes as Magpies terrorise City (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Castle fumes as Magpies terrorise City

9:34pm Monday 30th August 2010 in

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St Albans City manager Steve Castle blasted his side following a 2-1 defeat to Maidenhead United at York Road on Bank Holiday Monday – the Saints first Conference South reversal of the season.

The City boss was seething about a lack of quality close to the opposition goal and hinted that changes may be on the way. Leon Simpson is the first player to be culled with the towering striker released within minutes of the final whistle, and Castle warned more changes could be imminent.

St Albans can have no complaints in sliding to defeat and that it took 38-year-old assistant manager Mark Peters, a central defender throughout his career but now acting as a make-shift forward, to give the attack a cutting edge only added Castle’s obvious frustration.

Peters scored a late consolation goal and the debut making Chris Benjamin, a 17-year-old on loan from Leyton Orient, almost snatched a last ditch equaliser. But a seventh successive draw would only have papered over what appear to be growing cracks in the City squad.

City showed two changes to Saturday’s starting line up with Peter Smith returning at left back as Adam Everitt moved inside to partner Ryan Frater, as a slight hamstring strain ruled Ben Martin out. Benjamin joined Inih Effiong in attack as Drew Roberts, goalless since scoring on the opening day of the season, was placed on the bench.

United made one change from the side that recorded a fine 2-0 win at Woking on Saturday with impressive attack-minded left back Jamal Fyfield returning from suspension in place of Bobby Behzadi.

The opening 45 minutes were evenly contested but the threat to either goal was minimal. Attacking down the slope the Magpies tested City early on, mainly through the trickery and precise crossing of the excellent Ashley Smith, and twice Frater was called upon to make decisive interventions.

After Kieran Knight and Alex Wall fired well off target for the home side City moved forward to win their first corner of the day. The attack broke down and only a wonderful leap by the diminutive Peter Smith stopped the much taller Wall from racing clear.

Midway through the half Paul Bastock comfortably saved a soft header from Fagan, following a Smith free kick, while City’s attacking problems were plain to see when twice in a matter of minutes Hassan Sulaiman sent crosses behind the home goal – and he was not the only St Albans player to be so wasteful.

Benjamin sent an exquisite ball into the path of Effiong on 28 minutes but after doing well to shrug off Mark Nisbet the City striker saw his shot charged down by the advancing and diving United ‘keeper Steve Williams.

Four minutes from the break Sulaiman did get his angles right when crossing from the City right but as Adam Martin moved towards the ball United defender Jack Bradshaw dived in to head away for a corner.

Sulaiman failed to reappear for the second half, due to injury, and Roberts was given a quick reprieve but played wide on the left of the midfield rather than in his more familiar attacking position.

Injury also ruled out Wall for the second half and his replacement, Lee Barney, enjoyed a particularly impressive 45 minutes.

Maidenhead required just five second half minutes before becoming the first opposition side to take the lead against St Albans this season. Fyfield and Barney cut City open down the United left before Fyfield was sent crashing to the ground by Robbie Martin who followed James Fisher into referee Brett Huxtable’s notebook.

Ashley Smith clipped the resulting free kick towards the near post where it appeared to elude the lunging Knight but was forced home close to goal by central defender Fagan.

Five minutes later Barney cracked the ball home from the edge of the penalty area but the goal was rubbed out when Knight was ruled to have run across Bastock’s view whilst in an offside position.

Fifteen minutes from time Maidenhead did finally notch a second goal and for once City’s normally reliable backline was badly exposed.

Fyfield and Kieron St Aimie engineered a fine move down the Magpies left flank and after receiving a return pass Fyfield slid a low ball across the face of the goal that went untouched between Bastock and Everitt for Ashley Smith to apply a simple finish at the back post.

Maidenhead went looking for more and a promising move was curtailed when David Deeney headed a St Amie cross out for a corner. From Smith’s corner Fagan headed into the goalmouth where Bastock saved at point blank range from St Aimie.

Ten minutes from time St Albans had loud appeals for a penalty rejected when Fagan appeared to pull at Benjamin as he cut into the penalty area.

On 89 minutes Deeney charged at the home penalty area before being sent flying by St Aimie. Peter Smith, having his best game so far this season, saw his free kick deflected wide for a corner by Knight.

Robbie Martin curled the corner in from the City left to Peters at the back post. Peters’ headed the ball back across goal where it bounced just inside the post for his first goal since February.

Somewhat belatedly City finally attacked with some conviction and won another free kick just outside the penalty area following a foul on Frater by Fagan. But the pressure was eased on the Maidenhead defence as Robbie Martin shot high over the goal.

The Magpies almost put the result beyond doubt when Barney cut inside in the penalty area only to see his low shot deflected away by Bastock’s outstretched leg.

As the game moved into a fourth minute of added time Benjamin tried a ludicrous back-heel but was offered a second opportunity as the ball bounced back to him, this time his snap shot went straight at the relieved Williams.

Still United were not safe and even Bastock strolled into the home penalty area for the last corner of the game. Robbie Martin’s dead ball cross sailed beyond the far side of the penalty area and as Bastock wandered back to more familiar territory Roberts crossed the ball back into the box where Benjamin headed over at the back post.

Maidenhead United: S.Williams, J.Bradshaw, J.Fyfield, A.Nicholls, M.Nisbet, A.Fagan, A.Wall (L.Barney 46), B.Quamina, K.Knight, K.St Aimie, A.Smith, subs; D.Brown, J.Munday, M.Powell, W.Carter.

St Albans City: P.Bastock, D.Deeney, P.Smith, A.Martin (R.Magwood 69), R.Frater, A.Everitt, H.Sulaiman (D.Roberts 46), J.Fisher, I.Effiong (M.Peters 67), C.Benjamin, R.Martin, subs; L.Simpson, R.Dedman.

Booked: Fisher, R.Martin.

Goals: 50 1-0 Fagan, 75 2-0 A.Smith, 89 2-1 Peters.

Referee: Brett Huxtable (Devon).

Att: 307.