St Albans City advanced to the Third Qualifying round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Cambridge City on Monday night.

Ian Allinson’s side needed a replay to get over the line after allowing a two-goal lead slip in a 3-3 draw at Clarence Park on Saturday.

City were the better side across both matches and made their advantage show in the 33rd minute when Zane Banton fired them into the lead.

They continued to press in the build up to half-time and made their dominance show when Charlie Walker doubled the advantage three minutes before the interval.

With a 2-0 lead to protect, City were able to sit back in the second half and kept hold of their advantage for a straightforward win.

The Saints could have made life far easier for themselves had they done the same on Saturday, but failed to produce the same disciplined performance.

The hosts powered into a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Rhys Murrell-Williamson and Sam Merson, with both strikes coming in the first 20 minutes.

From there they kept the pressure up and could easily have extended their lead before the break had it not been for some wasteful finishing.

Instead of being further ahead at the break, they were pegged back to 2-1when some poor marking at a set piece allowed Ryan Sharman to score.

The timing of the goal gave City renewed belief and they were the better side throughout the second half.

Their improved display yielded a leveller un the 66th minute when Lewis Wilson struck.

City were now firmly on the backfoot, but it was they who scored next to move back into the lead.

Merson was the man to grab the go-ahead goal, but once again City were unable to hold onto their lead.

They were pegged back with eight minutes to play when Tom Knowles set up Ross Paterson for the visitors third.

Victory on Monday night ensured City will face either Bridport or Cadbury Heath in the next round of the competition.

The pair will face off in a replay tonight after playing out a 2-2 draw when they met on Saturday.

The third qualifying round tie takes place on the weekend of Saturday, September 30 and City have been afforded the luxury of a home draw.

it will provide a chance to earn a valuable cash injection as the winners take home a prize fund of £7,500.

Before then their focus turns back to National League South commitments starting with an away day against Whitehawk on Saturday.

City will have every confidence of taking all three points from a side sat bottom of the table after failing to win any of their first 11 league games.

The Saints, meanwhile, will be looking to continue a promising start to the campaign, which sees them level on 22 points with league leaders Dartford.

They follow that game with another away day when they take on East Thurrock on Tuesday.

That promises to be a testing match against a side which is unbeaten this season and head into the weekend’s fixtures third.