David Howell fielded a mix of youth, trialists and hopefuls as St Albans City went down 3-2 to Isthmian League Premier Division new-boys Enfield Town at a wet Queen Elizabeth Stadium in Donkey Lane on Tuesday evening.

The City manager will be pleased with the manner in which his side finished the game but for an hour St Albans were well off the pace with misplaced passes and loose control allowing Enfield to dictate proceedings.

Following early pressure from the home side City responded with a couple of good chances only for David Parkinson to wildly slash one shot out for a throw-in from the edge of the six-yard area while Jonathan Constant forced a fine tip over out of former City keeper Noel Imber.

Enfield took a deserved lead on 32 minute courtesy of some comical defending by the Saints .

Imber launched a long free kick deep into the City half that enticed Nick Hardy to race towards the edge of his penalty area.

City defender Wayne Walters attempted to head the ball back to his keeper but looked on in dismay as it looped over his advancing colleague to present Liam Hope with a simple tap in.

Five minutes after the restart substitute E’s keeper Alex Rossi palmed over a powerful drive by David Parkinson and the custodian followed that with a fine save low to his left from Constant after Gio Lee-Baptiste had threaded the ball into the penalty area.

But it was Enfield who struck a second goal on 61 minutes when Hope left Hardy without any as he unleashed a glorious free kick from 28 yards into the top right-hand corner of the City goal.

St Albans’ somewhat muted strike-force took on greater potency with the introduction of Joe Zazzera who turned 18 on Sunday.

Running at the home backline Zazzera caused problems with two crosses from the City right and with his third, on 75 minutes following a pass from Lee-Baptiste, Layne Eadie – another former City Youth player - slid in to reduce the deficit.

Fortunate favoured the Saints when one-time City player Gary Burrell hammered a shot against the crossbar but barely two minutes after conceding Enfield restored their two-goal advantage when Leon Osei, who actually works in St Albans, chipped up a low pass from the E’s right and beat Hardy with a stunning left-footed volley from 18 yards.

City were handed a route back into the game on 83 minutes when a careless back-heel by Mark Kirby allowed Parkinson to nip in and round Rossi before scoring his first goal for the club since netting for the Reserves in the Capital League in August 2004.

St Albans pressed hard for an equaliser with Solomon Shields, after Rossi had unconvincingly punched away a Zazzera cross, volleyed narrowly wide and Eadie did likewise after a clever pass by trialist Juan Nieva.

Most suitably the final word almost went to Hope but this time Hardy pulled off a fine save when diving to his left.

Enfield: N.Imber, J.Lockie, J.Siva, C.McKay, M.Kirby, G.Burrell, A.Wallace, J.O’Brien, L.Hope, B.Hammatt, T.Campbell, subs used; A.Rossi, D.Kendall, M.Ewang, M.Bardle, M.Hann, L.Osei.

St Albans City: N.Hardy, A.Blackwood, N.Bernard (J.Phillippe 75), H.Mackie (J.Zazzera 69), W.Walters, M.Diarra, T.Charles (J.Nieva 55), M.Hyde, D.Parkinson, G.Lee-Baptiste (So.Shields 55), J.Constant (L.Eadie 55).

Referee: Rob Hodges.

Att: approx 90.