No goals were to be had in the blazing sunshine at Privett Park but St Albans City were content to pick up a point from the opening fixture of their National League South campaign against a highly rated Gosport Borough on Saturday.

City did get the ball into the home net just prior to the interval but the tightest of offside decisions denied Louie Theophanous a goal on his league debut for the Saints.

The match scaled no great heights but City held the balance of play for much of the game.

Manager Jimmy Gray put the loss of two extra points down to poor finishing, but he also launched a scathing attack on referee Sam Allison for failing to allow the game to flow.

Gosport just missed out on a play-off place last season and made several close season signings in an attempt to claim a position in the National League for the first time.

Boro manager Alex Pike included four of his new additions as he sought to stop St Albans winning at Privett Park for a third time in three visits.

City went one further and handed debuts to five players, with the contribution of the quintet being warmly applauded by their new manager.

Gray settled one debate regarding where to play James Comley by reverting the England C international to a midfield role after ending last season with a successful spell in the middle of the back four.

It was the tried and trusted duo of Ben Martin and Darren Locke that took the central defensive positions, flanked by Lee Chappell and John Kyriacou, and the foursome did a decent job in shutting out the potentially considerable threat posed by Justin Bennett and Jamie White.

St Albans threatened to breakthrough on eight minutes with a fine six-man move begun wide on the right by Simon Thomas.

After working the ball across the pitch it was laid square across the penalty area by Theophanous for Luke Allen to swivel and win a corner as Nathan Ashmore dived full length to his right to save.

From Sam Corcoran’s corner Martin directed a header just over the home goal.

The promising start was maintained as Simon Thomas powered his way through but shot wide of the target.

Boro took some time to find any rhythm and when Tom Dunford did create space for a shot Locke dived in to divert the ball away for a corner.

City were soon back on the attack with Ashmore coming to Gosport’s rescue with another excellent save low to his right following Comley’s powerful downward header from Chappell’s corner.

Comley blotted his copybook however, on 26 minutes, when picking up City’s first booking of the season for dissent.

Two minutes later Martin also went into the book for a foul on Tom Harding, but this looked a more than tad harsh decision.

Gosport appeared set to take the lead on 30 minutes following a lengthy run down the left by full-back Rory Williams.

Under pressure from Bennett, City keeper Joe Welch punched the ball away but only as far as White. From his snap-shot Welch again clawed the ball away from goal and then somehow, whilst on the ground, got a hand to Bennett’s follow up effort to force it over the crossbar.

The home side enjoyed an even more fortuitous escape in added time when Corcoran, receiving a short corner from Chappell, crossed into the penalty where Martin headed forward to Theophanous.

After bringing the ball down with his right foot the City striker, from barely three yards out, lashed the ball into the net with his left only to have his moment of joy curtailed by a marginal offside decision.

Neither side made any changes at the interval and an early misplaced pass by Williams allowed City to launch a counter-attack.

Comley seized on the loose ball and threaded it through to Allen who, after appearing to overrun the ball, stretched to shoot low with his left foot.

Ashmore spread himself well to block the effort. Corcoran was quickly onto the ball but after dancing wide of two defenders shot over the bar and into the adjoining cricket ground.

A good chance went begging for the home side when Williams sent White away with a delightful ball over the City defence. But the opportunity was wasted when White tried to beat Welch with a meek lob that the keeper plucked from above his head with ease.

The longer the game went on the likelihood of City returning home with all three points grew.

A good move down the right saw Kyriacou feed Comley and from his deep cross the incoming Chappell rose high and headed downwards only for the ball to rise sharply over the home goal.

For a game that, on the whole, was not enthralling entertainment it certainly contained its highpoints and next it was Gosport’s turn to be wasteful.

Williams burst down the left wing and cut the ball into the goalmouth where Welch pulled off a tremendous save from White with his left hand but looked resigned to conceding a goal as the ball ran towards Bennett.

But as Chappell lunged himself at the ball Bennett snatched at his shot from just a couple of yards out and hammered the ball against the crossbar. Substitute George Barker, on for his debut, returned the ball into the middle but the excellent Martin was on hand to clear for a corner.

Lewis Hilliard added some thrust to City attacks down the left when he replaced Theophanous and from one such run he slipped the ball inside to Billy Medlock whose rushed shot drifted comfortably wide.

Simon Thomas and Hilliard both fired off target as time slipped away.

While Ashmore had undoubtedly kept Gosport in the game earlier in the afternoon, it was Welch who secured a point for his side when leaping high to his right to palm away Lee Wort’s shot on the turn for a corner.

City open their home campaign on Monday evening (10 August), with the visit of Oxford City to Clarence Park. Kick off is at 7.45pm.

Gosport Borough: N.Ashmore, TJ Cuthberton, R.Williams, R.Scott (G.Barker 57), B.Poate, R.Woodford, B.Harding, A.Robinson, J.White (L.Wort 74), J.Bennett, T.Dunford, subs; M.Carter, N.Walker, P.Ryan.

Booked: Williams (59).

St Albans City: J.Welch, J.Kyriacou, L.Chappell, B.Martin, J.Comley, D.Locke, Sc.Thomas, S.Corcoran (J.Green 72), L.Theophanous (L.Hilliard 72), Si.Thomas, L.Allen (B.Medlock 79), unused sub; D.Longe-King.

Booked: Comley (24), Martin (26), Kyriacou (82).

Referee: Sam Allison (Trowbridge).

Att: 389.