New club record but win eludes City (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

New club record but win eludes City

1:34am Wednesday 25th August 2010 in

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St Albans City’s record sequence of draws was extended to five Conference South matches at Wheatsheaf Lane on Tuesday as Staines Town followed in Thurrock’s footsteps of ten days earlier in snatching a point after seeing Steve Castle’s side build a two-goal lead.

At two goals to the good by the interval City appeared in little danger of surrendering their advantage, as they did on the opening day of the season. But just 13 seconds after the restart Staines reduced the deficit and a Swans attack that had been so superbly contained before the break suddenly found new life and threat.

When Steve Cordery’s side drew level with almost a quarter of the game remaining the omens did not look good for the Saints but ultimately the visitors were only denied victory by two outstanding saves from home keeper Louis Wells.

Castle made one change to his starting XI from the side that gained a fortuitous point against Braintree Town with Hassan Sulaiman returning to the right of the midfield. This allowed James Fisher, relieved of the captaincy duties that passed to Ben Martin, to move into a more central position as Rob Magwood had to be content with a place on the bench.

There were other changes amongst the substitutes with injury ruling out Glodi Kweme and Leon Simpson was away having trials with Luton Town. Chris Sullivan was also absent having been released by Castle at the weekend.

Called up to fill the bench was Aidy Chaves and one-time Rushden & Diamonds midfielder/forward Sean Shields, 18, who has also played for Potters Bar Town and Spartan South Midlands League side Cockfosters.

Although both sides looked positive from the start it was the home side that appeared the more menacing during the opening few minutes and maybe Marc Charles-Smith could have done better with a header following a well flighted free kick by Leroy Griffiths.

A swift City break saw home keeper Wells race outside his penalty area to head clear only to give the ball to Fisher some 35 yards from goal. Fisher tried his luck with a first time shot only to spoon the ball high out to the City right.

Staines brushed aside that left off and pushed forward with some conviction before being caught out on 16 minutes as Fisher got his bearings right.

Inih Effiong, midway inside the Staines half, slipped a short pass up to Fisher and from 25 yards the ball, not seemingly at any great pace, skidded away to the left of the diving Wells and just inside the upright to open the scoring.

Just as they had at Thurrock, City played with greater confidence once in front and suddenly the home defence was being tested quite seriously with Wells saving from Adam Martin following a Robbie Martin cross.

A Staines counter-attack, that began when Andre Scarlett dispossessed Ben Martin, ended with former Saint Richard Butler cutting the ball back to Charles-Smith who fired high over the top.

Butler looked to have a clear opportunity just before the half hour only for a solid and perfectly timed challenge by Peter Smith to block the effort and injury the Staines striker in the process.

City’s second goal on 29 minutes was an absolute peach. Sulaiman, absent on Saturday due to his coaching duties with the Chelsea Under 13s, won the ball in the middle of the Staines half and went on a powerful run towards the goalline.

With a cross of exquisite accuracy the former Arsenal youngster lifted the ball over a fully extended Wells for Effiong to leap at the back post and head home his second goal of the season.

St Albans maintained the pressure with Ben Martin winning a header from a free kick and setting up Sulaiman who dithered slightly over his shot and the opportunity was lost.

With the City defence continuing its fine work of the previous three games there appeared no way back for Staines but a good chance did go begging when Simon Jackson’s ball down the Town left saw Scarlett get goal-side of Adam Martin only to screw his shot across the target and wide.

As has been the pattern during these early weeks of the season City came out early for the second half and indulged in some entertaining dance style exercises before their opponents emerged from the dressing rooms.

But far from being ready from the off City were caught not so much cold as frozen as the Swans pulled a goal back inside 13 seconds.

Scarlett stormed down the City left and drove a dangerous low cross into the goalmouth that found its way into the net with Charles-Smith racing away claiming the goal. Paul Bastock, little more than a spectator before the break, later confessed that after a couple of ricochets he had pushed the ball against Peter Smith and from there it trickled into the goal.

The pressure was maintained with City needing two defenders to block a surging run by Charles-Smith.

David Deeney, once again catching the eye, whipped a fine cross towards the edge of the six yard box that Effiong tried to convert with an elaborate back flick only to completely miss the ball.

A frustrated Castle swung his right leg with a clear indication that he just wants his highly rated teenage striker to hammer the ball into the net rather than finish the move off more in the manner of Johann Cruyff.

Just before the hour the City wall held firm to charge down a long delayed Griffiths free kick with Charles-Smith’s follow up being blocked for a corner.

Staines, now playing with the urgency and conviction lacking in their first half performance, went close again with Richard Orlu heading wide from a Warren Harris free kick.

Although under pressure the City defence, which has been outstanding during the early weeks of the season, again looked capable of holding out with the ever dependable Adam Everitt doing well to clear for a corner when under pressure from two Staines players.

But City’s defences were breached for a second time when, on 69 minutes, Griffiths powered home a point blank back post header following Darty Brown’s inviting cross that eluded the stretching Bastock.

To their credit City refused to shut up shop hoping to escape with a point and opted to attack whenever possible, it was a tactic that was so nearly rewarded on 73 minutes.

Drew Roberts played the ball wide to Sulaiman whose low cross found its way to Effiong. The big striker laid the ball into the path of Fisher whose low drive from 22 yards clipped the boot of Gareth Risborough and appeared to be heading just under the crossbar when Wells pulled off a wonderful instinctive save to palm the ball over the crossbar.

City made their first change on 75 minutes when Magwood replaced the seemingly tiring Adam Martin and two minutes later the injured Smith made way for Ryan Frater’s first appearance of the season. Frater renewed his partnership alongside Ben Martin as Everitt moved out to left-back.

Seven minutes from time Mark Peters was thrown into the attack as Robbie Martin was called off. Peters style may not be a thing of great beauty but its effectiveness cannot be denied and he certainly gave the home defence a few anxious moments during the closing stages.

St Albans looked to have won the game when Fisher clipped a free kick into the home penalty area that Ben Martin met some 14 yards from goal and arrowed a header towards the top left hand corner only for Wells to claw the ball away with a breathtaking one-handed save.

From Fisher’s corner Wells, for once, did not gather the ball and four players all tumbled to the ground with Peters and Everitt trying, unsuccessfully, to force in the winning goal. From the ensuing breakaway Bastock had to dart from his goal to clear.

In the second minute of added time Jackson’s deep free kick was headed over by Danny Gordon while Charles-Smith just failed to connect with a cross by Scarlett, and Bastock had to be watchful in catching a cross by Rene Steer that threatened to sneak in under the crossbar.

The result set a new club record of consecutive league draws, five, that had stood for 62 years, but just how good or indifferent the run of draws is will not be fully appreciated until the sequence is broken by either a win or a defeat.

City Reserves were also in action on Tuesday night and slithered to a third successive Spartan South Midlands League defeat when going down 2-1 to Hoddesdon Town at Clarence Park.

Staines Town: L.Wells, S.Jackson, R.Steer, D.Gordon, R.Orlu, G.Risbridger (A.Chaaban 80), A.Scarlett, D.Brown, L.Griffiths, M.Charles-Smith, R.Butler (W.Harris 30), subs; J.King, M.Kamara, S.Taylor.

Bookings: Steer.

St Albans City: P.Bastock, D.Deeney, P.Smith (R.Frater 77), A.Martin (R.Magwood 75), B.Martin, A.Everitt, H.Sulaiman, J.Fisher, I.Effiong, D.Roberts, R.Martin (M.Peters 83), subs; S.Shields, A.Chaves.

Goals: 16 0-1 Fisher, 29 0-2 Effiong, 46 1-2 Smith (own goal), 69 2-2 Griffiths.

Referee: Ben Knight (Waterlooville).

Att: 307.