City out of bottom three but are stunned by Hemel fight back

Hemel have, in recent years, made a habit of scoring late goals against the Saints but this one, at the start of four minutes of added time, hurt more than most and could yet condemn Ian Allinson’s side to life outside of the Football Conference.

Hemel, however, will not worry a jot that the late equaliser Adam Bailey-Dennis headed into the City net has dented the Saints survival hopes, as it also moved the Tudors a point clear of Maidenhead in the race to snatch the final promotion play-off place.

Rarely has a game between these two rivals had so much riding on it.

City were forced into making two changes from the side that won at Maidenhead on Saturday.

A groin strain ruled out striker Charlie MacDonald while a knee injury, that only flared up during the day, led to the omission of central defender Ben Martin.

Darren Locke stepped into the back four while James Kaloczi was brought into the midfield for his first game for the club since the final day of last season. Michael Thalassitis was moved forward to partner Louie Theophanous in attack and scored for the second time in four days.

Kaloczi won an important tackle on the edge of the City penalty area in the opening minutes and promptly sent Harry Anderson away on a promising run down the right.

It was the perfect for Kaloczi, who is currently with St Albans on a dual registration with Dunstable, and set him on the path to a good return to the City side.

Both sides displayed good attacking intent early on and City were close to going ahead on three minutes when Eddie Oshodi, with his back to goal, controlled a header from Tom Bender on his chest, before swivelling to crack a good half volley narrowly wide of the home goal.

Four minutes later Joe Welch made an excellent save from Jack Kelly, whose shot from 18 yards went through a cluster of players before reaching the City keeper.

Hemel played the resulting corner short before Ricky Wellard crossed to the back post where Ollie Thorne headed just over.

For a while the two sides cancelled each other out whenever the penalty area came into sight but on the half St Albans could well have moved into the lead.

Locke won a header deep in the City half and further headers by Sam Corcoran and Louie Theophanous eased the ball to Thalassitis on the halfway line.

With a clever twist the Cyprus U21 international clipped a pass on for Lee Chappell to latch onto and race clear. Butler was quick to spot the danger and darted to the edge of his penalty area where he spread himself well and used his legs to block Chappell’s shot.

The opening goal, on 39 minutes, was also built on a counter-attack.

A long punt into the City penalty area by Herd was punched away by Welch and helped on by Corcoran who laid the ball out to Anderson on the right.

Coming inside the on-loan Peterborough United winger pushed a delightful angled pass out to Thalassitis on the opposite flank.

Running at pace, Thalassitis knocked a good low cross towards the near post but before Theophanous could pounce Hemel skipper Connolly stabbed the ball into his own net from six yards out.

Opening the scoring when playing up the slope appeared to be a significant psychological blow in City’s favour but it took good work by Chappell to deny Morgan Ferrier from wiping out that lead just seconds later.

From one of their most innovative moves of the night St Albans went close to adding a second goal.

Thalassitis played the ball wide to Anderson who bided his time before playing it inside to Corcoran.

An excellent first touch by Corcoran sent Theophanous clear and his shot across the goal was destined to go inside the back post had Butler not pulled off a marvellous fingertip save for a corner.

Following a second successive corner Butler again came to Hemel’s rescue when diving to his right to beat out a powerful header from Thalassitis.

City went in search of second goal immediately after the restart and Butler needed two attempts to gather the ball as Locke looked to get on the end of a flick by Thalassitis to a Chappell throw.

Six minutes into the second half Hemel almost scrambled an equaliser following a Herd free kick deep into the City penalty area. Matt Mitchell-King headed the ball on and an effort by Bailey-Dennis was blocked on the goalline by the legs of Welch.

Hemel enjoyed a lot of possession as the game wore on while St Albans looked capable of scoring almost every time they launched a counter-attack, a point underlined on 59 minutes.

Kaloczi broke up a Hemel attack midway inside the City half and in an instant Theophanous rode a couple of tackles and played the ball wide to Corcoran who sent a cross beyond the back post.

Thalassitis rose superbly to head the ball back across the goal but Bailey-Dennis managed to just get the ball away to concede a corner before Anderson could head home.

But Hemel’s relief was short lived as Chappell swung the resulting set piece into a crowded six-yard box for Thalassitis to once more get his head on the ball but this time down and into the net.

Hemel’s hopes of extending their run of seven unbeaten league games against their neighbours looked to be over and the large City following revelled in the position they found themselves in, as they sang their hearts out.

With an hour gone Tudors boss Dean Brennan looked to have played all of his cards with all three substitutes already thrown into the fray.

There looked to be no way back for the home side and City went close to adding a third when Anderson sent Theophanous away and the sprawling Butler just did enough to turn the striker’s shot around the post.

At the opposite end of the pitch Locke came to the fore with an excellent headed clearance and a classic sliding tackle on the damp surface.

Butler thwarted City once more when Thalassitis’ deflected shot looked to be looping towards Anderson at the back post but the Hemel keeper dived full length to punch the ball away at the last second.

Butler’s intervention was to prove crucial to the outcome as seconds later, in the 69th minute, Hemel were back in the game.

A Tudors attack looked to be breaking down when Corcoran intercepted the ball just outside of the penalty area but the City captain had his otherwise faultless performance blotted as he turned and had the ball taken away from him by Daniel Pappoe.

The Town substitute exchanged passes with Harry Hickford before sliding a ball into the penalty area for former Crystal Palace striker Ibra Sekajja to beat Welch with a blistering angled drive for his first goal on home turf.

Now the home side pushed forward with greater determination and St Albans helped their hosts cause with too many wasted rushed clearances as their composure waned.

Chappell picked up the only booking of a game superbly refereed by Colin Lymer when bringing down former Saint Graeme Montgomery.

With the game drifting into the final of the normal 90 minutes the points looked to be heading along the A4147 to St Albans as the excellent Scott Thomas took the ball off the toe of Ferrier at the cost of a corner.

Butler, who had spent most of the game a good 30 yards or more from his goal, decided it was time to aid the Tudors attack and after circling round the edge of the penalty area made a run into the box as Herd lifted the ball in from the Town left.

Pappoe met the ball at the back post and headed it back across the face of Welch’s goal for Bailey-Dennis to head in from just a couple of yards out.

Silence behind Welch’s goal, delirium at the opposite end of the stadium for the Hemel supporters who wasted no time in reminding St Albans that they had made a mess of things from two-nil up.

Matters could have got worse for City as Sekajja had two shots charged down in the same attack by ex-Tudor Oshodi, but as the ball broke to Corcoran City had one last chance to seal victory.

Corcoran sprayed the ball out to Anderson, coming in from the right the 19-year-old had his shot blocked but the ball rolled perfectly into the path of Gibson.

Speaking after the game the former Watford player said that he puts these sort of chances away in training nine times out of ten – this was the tenth. The ball sailed agonisingly close but, critically, wide. Victory was lost.

St Albans may yet come to rue the two points dropped at Vauxhall Road but four points gained from two sides in play-off positions over the past four days is no mean achievement.

The draw takes City out of the relegation zone for the first time since mid-September – save for four days in December – and on Saturday the side St Albans climbed above, Havant & Waterlooville, are the visitors to Clarence Park.

Whichever side loses that encounter could well be heading to the Southern League come August.

Kick off on Saturday (16th April) is at 3pm.

Hemel Hempstead Town: J.Butler, B.Herd, J.Kelly (G.Montgomery 51), M.Mitchell-King, K.Connolly, M.Spring (D.Pappoe 60), R.Wellard, O.Thorne (H.Hickford 60), I.Sekajja, M.Ferrier, A.Bailey-Dennis, unused subs: M.Richens, X.Comas-Leon.

St Albans City: J.Welch, Sc Thomas, T.Bender, J.Kaloczi, E.Oshodi, D.Locke, H.Anderson, S.Corcoran, L.Theophanous, M.Thalassitis (B.Gibson 82), L.Chappell, subs not used: E.Udoji, D.Green, A.Iwediuno, L.Allinson Booked: Chappell.

Goals: 39 0-1 Own Goal (Connolly), 55 0-2 Thalassitis, 69 1-2 Sekajja, 90 2-2 Bailey-Dennis.

Referee: Colin Lymer (Mayford).

Att: 972.