City equal league record but yearn for a win (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

City equal league record but yearn for a win

8:36pm Saturday 28th August 2010 in

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Unbeaten during 2010-11 or without a win? The jury remains out on St Albans City’s start to the season following a fortuitous 1-1 draw at Clarence Park on Saturday with Alan Devonshire’s Hampton & Richmond Borough.

City have yet to savour either victory or defeat this season as they equalled the Football Conference record of six – five this season – successive league draws.

After a goalless first half Adam Martin headed in the Saints first home goal of the season but Steve Castle’s side were unable to press home their advantage and following James Simmonds 66th minute equaliser the Beavers forced the Saints to defend in numbers to salvage a point.

City made one change to the starting XI from the midweek draw at Staines Town with club captain Ryan Frater restored to the side and Peter Smith, withdrawn through injury at Staines, restricted to a place on the bench.

Smith’s absence proved to be short with Ben Martin struck down by a slight hamstring strain before half time. Adam Everitt, having started at left-back, moved across to cover for the departing Ben Martin while Smith reclaimed his left-back spot.

The opening 45 minutes were a particularly tepid affair with the two sides mustering just a single on-target shot between them.

Although there were passages when the ball was pushed around on the deck all too often the ball was hit long with neither attack able to keep possession.

Hampton, searching for their first away win of the season, had an early opportunity when Hassan Sulaiman was caught in possession but City escaped when Barrie Matthews fired wide from just outside the penalty area.

A clearer opportunity came Charlie Moone’s way on 13 minutes but when clear on the edge of the 18-yard line he drilled the ball straight at a grateful Paul Bastock.

City’s first threat came three minutes later when David Deeney fed Drew Roberts down the St Albans right. Roberts cleverly spun away from Dean Inman but keeper Matt Lovett moved swiftly to smother the ball.

Much of the remainder of the half was a turgid midfield struggle with little to suggest that Clarence Park would at last see a goal this season.

But on 36 minutes Hampton had a let off when Roberts again twisted skilfully away from his marker only to be sent crashing to the ground by Inman. Somehow referee Dave Bushell, who gave several curious decisions, decided against booking the Hampton defender.

Robbie Martin, one of the most creative performers on view, took the resulting free kick which was safely headed away by the Beavers defence.

St Albans were forced into reshuffling their backline just prior to the interval due to Ben Martin’s injury while quick thinking by Bastock in sprinting from his goal to clear as Dave Tarpey looked to break through ensured the sides went in level at the break.

The second half contained far more excitement in terms of goalmouth activity but, unfortunately for the home supporters, it was the St Albans goal that was in the firing line.

Hampton made a confident start to the second period and had the first effort on goal with Moone laying the ball off to Nathan Collier whose shot drifted wide.

But just five minutes after the break City ended a wait of 330 minutes since last scoring at the Park with a neatly constructed goal.

Roberts held the ball up to the City left midway inside the Hampton half before playing a short pass to Robbie Martin. With a delightful in-swinging right-footed cross the former Braintree player clipped the ball towards the near post where it appeared to glance off a combination of Adam Martin’s head and shoulder before coming to rest just inside the back post.

The goal was just reward for Adam Martin who was possibly City’s most impressive outfield performer before the break although he did seem to falter after the goal before being replaced by Rob Magwood.

For a while City looked as though they believed they could finally do something other than draw by pushing forward for a second goal, but just four minutes later a warning was given when Moone set up Matthews whose shot went a couple of yards to the right of Bastock’s goal.

Smith collected his first booking of the season when catching Matthews with his trailing foot having won the ball cleanly with his left foot. A brief fracas threatened to explode into the kind of mass brawl seen in the two most recent games at the Park involving these two sides but fortunately calm was hastily restored.

As the Hampton began to impose themselves on the game Bastock had to be alert to save by the foot of his left hand upright after Beavers substitute Ian Hodges laid a Dean Wells free kick off into the path of Tarpey.

Just on the hour Inih Effiong, City’s leading scoring this season but unable to unsettle the Hampton defence, made way for Leon Simpson who similarly failed to trouble the visitors backline and was given a lesson in the art of winning the ball in the air by Hodges.

The introduction of Hodges for Moone was an astute move by Devonshire as the striker unsettled the home defence and twice out-jumped Frater to set up good goal scoring opportunities.

Adam Everitt, in excellent form so far this season, did well to block a drive by Tarpey while Deeney stretched to put the ball behind for a corner following Danny Allen-Page’s firm low drive into the home goalmouth. City looked to be living on borrowed time and on 66 minutes Hampton’s persistence was rewarded with an equalising goal.

Wells, under pressure from James Fisher, cleverly controlled the ball wide of the six yard box and shot low towards the far post where Everitt cleared from the goalline. Simmonds pounced on the loose ball and lashed it into the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Now Hampton moved forward with even greater vigour and the attack gained more of a cutting edge when substitute Lawrence Yaku was sent into action on 69 minutes. Almost immediately a desperate lunge and block by Frater in front of goal denied Yaku from setting up another clear chance.

A rare City attack saw Adam Martin have an ambitious shot charged down and in a swift counter-attack Yaku fed Simmonds whose low effort was taken by Bastock.

Ten minutes from time the Hodges and Yaku combination troubled City again. Hodges beat Frater to a header and helped the ball onto Yaku. After bring the ball down Yaku shot to Bastock’s right but with an instinctively outstretched hand the City keeper saved for a corner.

Yaku, intercepting a poor clearance by Everitt, tried to beat Bastock with an audacious effort from 35 yards but his shot went comfortably wide of the goal.

City found some fresh legs in the closing minutes with a Robbie Martin cross winning a corner that he took himself with Frater heading wide at the far post.

But it was Hampton who had the last word with Hodges again heading the ball onto Yaku whose deft flick went wide of Bastock but also narrowly wide of the goal.

The draw sees St Albans slip down to 16th place in Conference South some ten places, but just four points, behind Maidenhead United whom they visit on Monday, kick off 3pm.

St Albans City Reserves picked up their first Spartan South Midlands League Division One win of the season on Saturday with a 1-0 victory away to Cranfield United.

St Albans City: P.Bastock, D.Deeney, R.Frater, A.Martin (R.Magwood 74), B.Martin (P.Smith 44), A.Everitt, H.Sulaiman, J.Fisher, I.Effiong (L.Simpson 59), D.Roberts, R.Martin, subs; M.Peters, G.Kweme.

Bookings: Sulaiman, Smith, Everitt.

Hampton & Richmond Borough: M.Lovett, D.Allen-Page, C.Tanner, D.Inman, D.Stevens, D.Wells, N.Collier, J.Simmonds, C.Moone (I.Hodges 62), D.Tarpey (L.Yaku 69), B.Matthews, subs; R.Adams, S.Lucien, C.Robinson.

Goals: 50 1-0 A.Martin, 66 1-1 Simmonds.

Referee: Dave Bushell (London).

Att: 307.