Sam Merson’s first half goal at the Runnymede Stadium was just enough to see off a gallant second half fightback by Southern League Central Division side Egham Town on Saturday and see St Albans City move through to the FA Cup Proper for the third time in four seasons.

In a match that the Saints should have had wrapped up by the interval, Gary Meakins quaintly nicknamed Sarnies can feel rightly miffed not to have won a second shot at Ian Allinson’s slightly off-colour side.

Apart from their finishing City played well prior to the break, but were below their best when Egham raised their game and so nearly salvaged a replay in front of Greg Clarke, the recently appointed Football Association chairman.

City welcomed back Ben Martin who missed the previous weekend’s win over Gosport after sustaining a bizarre injury during the pre-match warm up.

Egham, for whom this was a fifth successive cup tie, started with three former Saints in their side and added a fourth when Chris Henry came off the bench late in the day. Being on the bench was nothing new for Henry, as he was a used substitute in 67 of his 112 games for St Albans.

At left-back for the Sarnies was Scott Cousins, a veteran of 151 games for St Albans. Cousins has recently left Hendon where he was coach and made clear that this was just a one-off appearance to help his former Hendon colleague Meakins.

It may have been over three years since Cousins last played but he made an excellent contribution to the Egham cause, particularly during the second half.

On the opposite flank Egham fielded Hasan Sulaiman who wore St Albans colours 85 times, while in the middle of the back four was Reece Yorke who has filled out somewhat since playing eight times for the Saints five years ago.

St Albans were quickly into their stride and sliced the Sarnies open with Matt Ball’s clinical pass sending Merson through the middle. Town ‘keeper Jamie Norris rushed out to block the in-form striker but the loose ball ran back to Ball whose low goal-bound shot was kicked away by the stretching Yorke.

Norris soon raced from his goal again to head away a long kick by Josh Hill. This time the ball went to Shaun Lucien whose attempt to lob the retreating keeper lacked power and Norris gathered in comfort.

Barely ten minutes had elapsed when Merson latched onto Louie Theophanous’s through ball but again Norris did well to deflect the shot out for a corner.

Chances continued to come City’s way with Ball firing well over before experienced Egham striker Chris Moore sent a clever over-head kick across the face of the goal and just wide following good work down the left by Bajram Pashaj.

Yorke came to Egham’s rescue for a second time midway through the half when a miskick by Lee Grant gave Merson a sight of goal but with a wonderfully timed lunge Yorke blocked the shot out for a corner.

As long as the game remained goalless an upset was still possible and wild shots well off target by Scott Thomas and Theophanous kept Egham in the hunt, but on 29 minutes Merson struck the decisive blow.

City’s only previous visit to this corner of Surrey, on 29 November 1983, came a time when Paul Mayles was in a run that eventually saw him set a club of scoring in 11 consecutive matches.

Merson may fall short of that record but it was an excellent strike with which he settled this match and took his total to five in three games.

City captain Lee Chappell charged down a clearance by Yorke, the ball ran straight to Ball who sent a delightful curling pass between Yorke and Grant that Merson, coming in from the right, drilled emphatically to Norris’ left and high into the roof of the net.

Merson had two other chances, both created by Theophanous, to add to his impressive recent tally prior to the interval.

His first effort flew over the target while the second, when he latched onto a slip by Grant, saw Norris stretch well to grab an attempted chipped shot.

Egham had one late attempt to pull level before the break but as Moore waited to pounce on Callum Webb’s cut-back George Casey moved across to clear.

Billed as the biggest cup game in Egham’s history, the Sarnies came out for the second half in a far more positive fashion and St Albans passage through to the competition Proper was anything but smooth.

A minute after the restart Lucien picked up his second booking of the season for diving – he was later joined in the book by Pashaj for the same offence – and it was quickly evident that Egham could cause City some embarrassment.

St Albans were not short of chances themselves during the second half but it was the home side that were left to rue being ignored by Lady Luck.

Pashaj flashed a half-volley just over the crossbar before City keeper James Russell punched away a Wes Daly free kick, and then pulled off an astonishing save by the foot of his right-hand upright following Yorke’s well placed header from Webb’s cross.

Either side of these efforts Merson and Theophanous headed over for St Albans.

Just before the hour Moore cleverly scooped a Cousins corner towards the goal only for Ben Herd to head clear right on the goalline.

Egham maintained the pressure with Ben Martin heading away a Romaine Walker cross as far as Cousins.

The former City defender slipped a perfect pass back into the path of Walker whose cross was headed high, but into the goalmouth, by Chappell.

Russell was comprehensively, and fairly, beaten to the dropping ball by Brendan Matthew whose header was hooked away by Thomas but only to Elliott Carey.

A first time shot along the ground by Carey was, somehow, deflected onto the crossbar and over by Matthew who was just a couple of yards from the goal.

Having survived that period of intense pressure City responded in kind with Ball shooting wide, Lucien having a free kick superbly saved by Norris, and Merson, after good work down the left by Rhys Hoenes, firing just over.

Egham had half-chances during the closing stages with the best opening fell to Grant but as the ball bounced off his chest close to goal Chappell swooped to clear for a throw-in.

As the surprisingly warm sunshine of earlier in the day was replaced by storm clouds and rain St Albans held out to progress to the competition Proper for the 11th time in their 108-year history.

Defeat was, of course, a bitter disappointment for the home side but having already made it through four rounds to reach this stage – their joint best run since being formed in 1877 as Runnymede Rovers – it is still an achievement for the Sarnies to be proud of.

Set in an attractive housing estate not far from the picturesque setting of the signing of the Magna Carta on the banks of the River Thames, this seemed about as remote a venue as one could find for two sides battling for a place in the most famous club cup competition in the world.

But an at times innocuous affair did cram in sufficient moments of high drama that will have Egham’s followers wistfully mulling over what might have been for years to come.

For St Albans there is the reality of another excellent run in the FA Cup and the prospect of national exposure to go along with the £25,000 already pocketed from the FA Prize Fund.

The draw for the First Round Proper is at 7pm on BBC2 this coming Monday (17 October).

Egham Town: J.Norris, H.Sulaiman (R.Walker 63), S.Cousins (C.Henry 84), R.Yorke, L.Grant, W.Daly, C.Webb, E.Carey (A.Berry 88), C.Moore, B.Matthew, B.Pashaj, subs not used: R.Parsons, Z.Joseph, M.Gurretidge, J.Reading.

Booked: Pashaj.

St Albans City: J.Russell, G.Casey, B.Herd, L.Chappell, J.Hill, B.Martin, S.Lucien (D.Akinyemi 84), Sc.Thomas, L.Theophanous, S.Merson, M.Ball (R.Hoenes 76), subs not used: D.Noble, A.Iwediuno, A.Komodikis, K.Pope, G.Nolan.

Booked: Lucien.

Goal: 29 0-1 Merson.

Referee: Lloyd Wood (Romford).

Att: 327.