Everitt's brave face clinches City win (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Everitt's brave face clinches City win

1:31am Wednesday 10th February 2010

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Stand-in captain Adam Everitt headed his first goal of the season on Tuesday as St Albans City overcame the physical resistance of Maidenhead United to complete their third Blue Square South double of the season with a 1-0 victory at Clarence Park.

Everitt’s 75th minute winner, which he later confessed went into the Hatfield Road goal off his face, was fully justified on a night in which the football struggled to flow but of what decent passing there was, most of it came from Steve Castle’s side.

The City boss was forced into making two changes from the side that defeated Weston-super-Mare at the weekend as bruised ribs ruled out skipper Ryan Frater, and illness accounted for Saturday’s two-hero debut-making hero Ian Dunn.

Everitt, despite having hernia problems of his own, stepped in to replace Frater most successfully while James Lindie, recovering from six months out with a broken ankle, was given his first start.

Maidenhead boss Johnson Hippolyte made three changes to the side that started in the 4-0 weekend win over Bishop’s Stortford with Kieron St Aimie the most notable absentee through injury.

Attacking the York Road goal, on one more cold night in front of the lowest know attendance for a league match between the two sides at Clarence Park, City made a lively start.

Inside the opening minute a ball into the visitors penalty area by Fisher, looking so much more comfortable since being moved to right back, was challenged for by Lindie and United skipper Mark Nesbit. A clash of heads led to both players requiring attention with Lindie clearly coming off second best.

Solomon Shields is another player returning to form and on 11 minutes his surging run won a free kick on the edge of the United penalty area. Paul Hakim, appearing in two consecutive games for the first time this season, clipped the free kick over the wall but the ball was easily collected by Magpies keeper Chris Tardiff.

The impressive Tardiff was tested again soon after when Fisher, moving forward confidently down the right, struck a rising effort from 25 yards that the former Northern Ireland youth international stretched to catch.

Just before the half hour though and Tardiff almost blotted his copybook when sending a goal kick straight into the chest of Hakim who quickly skipped away from the Maidenhead defence. Tardiff did well to block Hakim’s powerful shot while Godfrey Poku’s follow up was deflected just wide of the post for the only corner of the opening half.

United, looking to get the ball forward early whenever possible, appeared likely to break through several times but with full backs Peter Smith and Fisher giving good support to the central duo of Everitt and Mark Peters, the visitors were granted few clear chances on goal.

Alex Wall, fresh from scoring twice at the weekend, superbly turned inside Everitt on one foray into the home penalty area only to shoot straight at a relieved Bastock.

City finished the half strongly and Castle could be heard uttering from the technical area that his side could do without half time coming.

But, it did indeed arrive shortly after his words had been made but not before a Fisher cross had eluded Lindie and fallen to Drew Roberts whose goal bound drive was charged down.

City did not let the interval disrupt the momentum that had been building just prior to the break and within 40 seconds of the restart Nesbit did well to lift the ball over his own crossbar from virtually on the goalline following a low cross from the rejuvenated Fisher.

United responded with Bradley Quamina winning the ball, possibly illegally, from Poku and sending Wall down the Maidenhead left. Wall’s low cross picked out Sam Collins who should have done better than miscue a spinning effort away to the left of Bastock’s goal.

Although it was hardly thrill-a-minute entertainment City continued to hold the upper hand and Tardiff was called upon to keep the visitors in contention.

A cross from the right by Jake Beecroft came to Roberts at the back post whose shot was blocked but fell nicely to Lindie who missed a great chance to open his account when Tardiff saved from little more than four yards.

From the ensuing partially cleared corner Poku collected the ball in the middle of the Maidenhead half and skipped around one defender before sliding a tremendous ball into the path of Fisher whose low shot was again taken by the Guernsey-born Tardiff.

United survived a concerted appeal for a penalty when a cross by Fisher quite clearly struck Nesbit on the elbow and before the ball could be cleared Beecroft seized possession only for his shot to tipped around the post, this time quite legitimately by Tardiff.

City looked to be on the verge of breaking through when Poku raced clear down the left side of the United penalty area. Sensing the imminent danger, Jamal Fyfield pulled Poku back and was fortunate to escape without a caution.

Left-back Smith switched flanks to curl the free kick from in front of the board room to the back post where Everitt pounced to claim the decisive goal.

There had been a growing tension on the pitch throughout the game and it did seem that the closing stages could now become very heated.

But other than for a few niggly skirmishes and Mark Peters (foul) and Chris Sullivan (kicking the ball away) joining Bobby Behzadi and Kieran Knight in referee Paul Forrester’s notebook , a potentially lively situation did not erupt fully.

Three minutes after Everitt’s second goal for the Saints in 40 games United had their clearest chance to restore parity only for Ivaylo Dimitrou’s free header from Fyfield’s enticing free kick to go straight into Bastock’s safe hands.

In the limited time remaining City had two good chances to make the victory more emphatic.

Smith played the ball to Poku who had of acres of space to attack before cutting into the penalty area and, quite amazingly, sending a shot across the front of the goal but far too far ahead of colleagues Lindie and Sullivan and out for a throw in.

Three minutes into added time a fine move involving substitute James Quilter, Fisher and Beecroft ended with the latter’s cross being headed over by Lindie from around six yards out.

St Albans City: P.Bastock, J.Fisher, P.Smith, G.Poku, M.Peters, A.Everitt, J.Beecroft, S.Shields (J.Quilter 85), J.Lindie, P.Hakim (C.Sullivan 73), D.Roberts (G.Cohen 61), subs; R.Magwood, R.Dedman.

Maidenhead United: C.Tardiff, M.Rose (J.Bradshaw 83), J.Fyfield, B.Behzadi, M.Nisbet, N.Saroya, A.Smith (I.Dimitrou 68), B.Quamina, A.Wall, K.Knight (D.Brown 68), S.Collins, subs; L.Ochoa, W.Carter.

Goal: 1-0 Everitt 75.

Booked: Peters, Sullivan, Behzadi, Knight. Referee: Paul Forrester (Luton).

Att: 194.

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