Saints toast Ball after battling through the jam

After a troubled journey spanning some six hours the Saints had the game put to bed by half time courtesy of a brace of goals from Matt Ball and a third from Louie Theophanous.

City certainly deserved the points and did well to shrug off the discomfort of an extended coach ride but, without taking anything away from the excellent result, a Weston side tumbling down the table after a bright start to the campaign was unable to offer any significant resistance.

A series of accidents on the M5 led to the motorway being closed and City’s arrival at Winterstoke Road delayed until after the scheduled kick-off time, which was put back to 3.40pm.

City made a couple of changes from Saturday’s win over Whitehawk with George Casey being recalled and Matt Ball handed his first start.

Allinson opted for just three players at the back with the defensive trio of Josh Hill, Ryan Johnson and Tom Bender being supported by wing-backs Casey and Ben Herd.

The very much in-form Scott Thomas filled the defensive midfield role, while Lee Chappell held the central position with Ball just behind the front pairing of leading goalscorers Junior Morias and Theophanous.

Having been kept waiting for St Albans delayed arrival for the best part of an hour Weston started slowly and never recovered.

Inside the opening minute Morias flashed a free-kick over the home goal and the writing was already on the wall for Ryan Northmore’s side.

St Albans went straight back onto the attack with Ball winning possession from George Dowling in the middle of the Weston half and firing a left-footed effort just wide of Luke Purnell’s goal.

As the game settled following that frantic start Hill headed wide from a Chappell long throw, while Chappell then threw himself in front of a Dayle Grubb shot to send the ball looping high into the arms of James Russell.

A good break down the Seagulls left saw Jordan Williams send Shawn McCoulsky away but, after cutting inside, the on-loan Bristol City striker failed to add to his six goals so far this season due to James Russell spreading himself well to push the ball away out for a corner.

Following a quiet spell the game not only jumped back into life just after the hour but the outcome was put beyond doubt within seven frantic minutes.

City built from the back with Russell rolling the ball out to the simply irrepressible Johnson who played a short pass to Chappell.

The St Albans captain moved forward unchallenged until feeding Ball who was tripped by the unfortunate Darren Mullings who slipped as he shaped to tackle the former Wealdstone man.

On orders bellowed from the manager in the away dug-out Ball lined up to take the free-kick rather than Morias, and what an excellent instruction that proved to be.

From some 27 yards out Ball struck the ball head high between Mullings and Fortune in the four-man wall and looked on as it nestled just inside Purnell’s left-hand upright for his first goal in a St Albans shirt.

Ball had to wait just a further three minutes for an opportunity to double his tally, which he duly did with great aplomb.

Johnson challenged for a Chappell long throw on the City left but the ball appeared to clip Mullings, before being hammered into the roof of the net on the half-volley by Ball’s outstretched left foot.

In an effort to stem the tide that was engulfing them the Seagulls embarked on lengthy spells of possession football.

The theory was fine but it was meaningless possession as Weston monotonously played the ball to and fro’ across their backline with no threat to St Albans lead whatsoever.

Allinson was happy to witness his side see out the rest of the half defending a two-goal cushion but on 39 minutes the Saints showed how to add a cutting edge to possession football by ending a move of 11 passes with the third goal.

Russell threw the ball to Hill, from there the sphere was knocked around by Thomas, Hill, Johnson, Bender, Johnson and Hill, again, who this time moved forward and fed Theophanous.

The City striker darted between two players and played it inside to Ball who knocked a first time pass out to Casey on the right flank.

The former Stevenage player slid a perfect pass low towards the near post to where Theophanous had continued his run and after taking one touch to control the ball the ace marksman swept his shot under Purnell for his third goal of the extended weekend.

Thirty-nine minutes gone and game over, and it pretty much was game over as St Albans saw out a dull second half with precious few scares.

That said, both sides did have chances but it was a half best remembered for the sight of traffic that had been gridlocked in Winterstoke Road at last starting to move.

Theophanous had City’s first chance after the restart but saw his shot from a tight angle beaten down by Purnell.

Johnson almost scored his first goal on away soil but his point blank effort from a Morias cross thudded into Fortune and flew away from the goal.

Dipo Akinyemi was denied by an excellent save after Sam Merson had leapt high to head on a long kick by Russell, but the effort would have been ruled out anyway due to a dubious offside decision.

Weston played the second half looking like a side that did not believe that it could save the game but had Herd not cleared an Elliot Richards shot from the goal line early in the half then the outcome may have been different.

The Seagulls followed this with a long shot by Dowling that was easily gathered by Russell, a second effort from Dowling forced the City keeper to stretch high to collect the ball.

Those efforts aside, a free-kick fired well over by Grubb and a low shot narrowly wide by Dowling, were the sum total of Weston’s threat to the Saints goal as the visitors clinched a fourth victory at the Woodspring Stadium.

City’s win is their fourth National League South success in a row, their 12th in the past 17 league games and, more importantly, keeps them in third place in the table.

The return journey from Weston, although far smoother than the outward leg, was not without its problems, but the side returned in plenty of time to prepare for the visit of second in the table Hampton & Richmond Borough to Clarence Park this coming Saturday (3rd September).

Kick-off is at 3pm.

St Albans will be without central defender Ryan Johnson who is away on international duty with the Northern Ireland Under-21 squad.

Ben Martin returned from America over the weekend and is likely to replace Johnson while a new addition to the squad, David Noble, is in line to make his debut.

The 34-year-old midfielder brings with him a wealth of experience with the former Arsenal youngster having played for Watford, West Ham United, Boston United, Bristol City, Yeovil Town, Rotherham United, Cheltenham Town, Oldham Athletic and, most recently, Exeter City.

Weston-super-Mare: L.Purnell, S.Simpson, J.Williams, D.Mullings, J.Pope, C.Fortune, T.Meecham (A.Kington 71), E.Richards (J.McClennon 71), S.McCoulsky, D.Grubb, G.Dowling, subs not used; O.Barnes, D.Wring, L.Powell.

St Albans City: J.Russell, B.Herd, T.Bender, L.Chappell, J.Hill, R.Johnson, G.Casey, Sc.Thomas, L.Theophanous (D.Akinyemi 83), J.Morias (S.Merson 74), M.Ball (I.Rees 69), subs not used: R.Hoenes, S.Lucien.

Booked: Ball.

Goals: 32 0-1 Ball, 35 0-2 Ball, 39 0-3 Theophanous.

Referee: Colin Lymer (Mayford).

Att: 447.