Sam Merson staked his claim to lead the St Albans City attack for the start of the new National League South season on 6 August with a quick-fire double that set the Saints on the path to a 5-2 victory over Arlesey Town at Hitchin Road on Tuesday.

Merson’s first came in just 37 seconds with his second following along 17 minutes later.

Three other players – Billy Gibson, Rhys Hoenes and Junior Morias - also demonstrated their prowess in front of goal with their first strikes of the summer; Hoenes and Morias’s effort were both quite special.

City have struggled for goals this summer, so getting a nap hand at Hitchin Road will do the Saints a power of good but, without wishing to take the shine off the performance, it would have been hard not to win this match emphatically.

Arlesey’s starting XI contained around seven trialists and it certainly appeared that most of the team had never played together previously.

Their defending was shockingly poor, the passing was woeful and up front they offered little to concern their guests until just before half time.

After half time, during which a number of much needed changes were required, Arlesey were a far more impressive and cohesive unit. Now they were able to spray the ball around the park to good effect and in attack they worried the City defence on several occasions.

City, on the other hand, wasted no time in settling down.

Merson, receiving the ball outside of the penalty area, slipped a pass into the path of Rhys Hoenes who went down appealing for a penalty None was forthcoming but the ball rolled back into the path of Merson who, with just 37 seconds played, drove the opening goal low into the net from just inside the penalty area.

Arlesey looked weak in all areas as City dominated early on and on ten minutes a good move ended with Ian Rees heading over.

One player catching the eye during City’s most dominant spell was Stephane Ngala with the home side unable to get the ball from him as he twisted and turned to his heart’s content.

And it was from a mazy run down the left by Ngala that City added a second goal on 17 minutes.

After weaving his way past three players Ngala laid the ball back for Merson to crack home his second goal, right-footed, from 14 yards.

Six minutes later and it was Billy Gibson’s turn to hammer the ball home from ten yards after Ben Herd had sliced his way through down the left side of the home defence.

A rout appeared to by taking shape on 35 minutes when Hoenes embarked on a sensational long diagonal run – maybe 35 yards – before clipping a precise finish across the diving keeper for his first goal of the summer and City’s fourth of the half.

St Albans had chances to further enhance their position and went close with Matt Whichelow shooting across the goal and narrowly wide while the home keeper did well to use his legs to deny Hoenes.

Two minutes from the interval and it was something of a surprise when the former Kettering Town and Bishop’s Stortford striker Lewis Wilson raced clear to shoot past James Russell to reduce the deficit.

Arlesey made sweeping changes for the second half and produced an impressive performance that threatened to made serious in-roads into City’s lead.

St Albans stuck with their same XI until after an hour and went close when a shot by Merson was fumbled by the keeper but rolled wide, and again when Ben Martin had an effort cleared from the goalline following a cross by Nunn.

An excellent build-up, aided by a slip in the City defence, paved the way for Wilson to add his and Arlesey’s second goal on 71minutes.

The Bedfordshire club were fully deserving of a second goal but were three goals in arrears again just two minutes.

Louie Theophanous touched a short bass inside to Junior Morias who sent a thunderbolt of a shot screaming into the roof of the net for the fifth goal. It was the former Boreham Wood player’s first goal of the summer and was one to savour.

The Saints have just one more summer friendly before the start of the new season and that is on Thursday, 28th July, when Ian Allinson’s side make the short journey to Dunstable Town.

Kick-off at Creasey Park is at 7.45pm.

Allinson is set to trim his squad following Thursday’s match. Two players not in consideration at present are Darren Locke and Jack Green.

Locke is currently progressing well following a hernia operation in May while Green is facing a longer lay-off after under-going a cartilage operation.

St Albans City: J.Russell, B.Herd, D.Green, S.Ngala (M.Ball 63), A.Iweduino, B.Martin, R.Hoenes (S.Lucien 63), I.Rees (L.Chappell 63), S.Merson (L.Theophanous 63), M.Whichelow (J.Morias 63), B.Gibson.