Lucien salvages point as nine-man Saints hold Maidenhead

City manager Ian Allinson’s ire was raised late in the game when five yellow cards – two of which resulted in sending offs – were flashed at his players during an astonishing 11 minute period.

Martin was first to leave early when picking up a second yellow card for a rash challenge on Christian Smith on 83 minutes.

But Martin was unfortunate to have been walking a tightrope at that point, as the third of three infringements in the first half that led to him being booked for persistent fouling, was possibly unjust as Sean Marks tumbled to the ground in dramatic fashion with barely a finger laid on him.

The dismissal of the distraught Morias five minutes later was a truly baffling decision.

Morias had been in a thorn in United’s side throughout the wet afternoon and the City striker made light of two crude challenges made on him by Smith and Alan Massey inside the opening ten minutes.

But, having been booked along with Rene Steer for a spot of shoving just prior to the interval, he was despatched when doing no more than running into Dean Inman, whilst having his gaze firmly fixed on Scott Thomas’s lofted pass.

Inman, who had an excellent match, went down as if steamrolled by a herd of buffalo and somehow both Yianni and his linesman, who was just a couple of yards from the incident, deemed it worthy of a second yellow card.

Sam Merson was next into the book when having done no more than run across Carl Pentney as the goalkeeper cleared a back pass.

Pentney clipped Merson when following through after making the clearance and again went down in some style.

With the game now moving deep into added time Matt Ball was booked for his first offence, one that was no worse than others that had not received a card earlier in the game, and Ben Herd was justly cautioned for a foul on Harry Pritchard.

Sadly, the extraordinary finale left an unsatisfactory taste at the end of a game that had fluctuated throughout.

St Albans had started positively against Alan Devonshire’s table-topping side, but the Magpies came back strongly and deservedly took the lead just after the hour.

Once ahead though United seemed to settle for that and were happy for City to come at them.

Some positive attack minded substitutions by Allinson also added to the Saints firepower and following Shaun Lucien’s excellent equaliser on 80 minutes there looked only one possible winner.

That outlook changed with the flurry of cards that the man in middle began to flourish and a referee who had flashed his yellow card 13 times at City players in the seven previous matches of theirs under his control suddenly waved it as if it were a lottery winning ticket.

Allinson opted for a 3-5-2 formation used to great effect at Weston-super-Mare, this led to a recall for George Casey club captain Lee Chappell, with Ball and Lucien relegated to the bench.

Tom Bender, Josh Hill and Martin played a three defenders with Herd and Casey used as wing-backs.

United had not conceded a goal in their opening four home National League South games this season but that record was put under pressure early on as St Albans enjoyed a positive start.

However, it was Maidenhead who found the net inside eight minutes when Sean Marks scooped the ball home but the effort was disallowed for a foul by James Mulley following Steer’s cross into the City goalmouth.

City’s first attempt on goal saw Chappell send a tame shot through to Pentney following slick approach play by Herd and Theophanous.

The clearest goalscoring opportunity of the opening 20 minutes fell to Dave Tarpey but the Magpies 12-goal striker failed to add to his tally due to the outstretched leg of Hill taking the sting out of the shot.

City had a let-off when ‘keeper James Russell appeared to fumble a Pritchard free kick and Marks forced the ball out to Tarpey whose powerfully driven cross was knocked over the top for a corner by Martin.

Morias went close after receiving a short free kick from David Noble and Theophanous, following a pass by Casey, had a soft shot saved easily but as half time drew closer it was Maidenhead who were gaining the upper hand.

James Hammond, sent clear by Mulley’s excellent pass, slide a low cross towards the back post that Pritchard was poised to tuck away only for Casey to step in and clear.

The woodwork came to City’s rescue when United finally won the ball inside the penalty area only for Smith’s header from Pritchard’s corner to strike the top of the crossbar.

The Magpies, now playing up the slope, gained the initiative right from the start of the second half and looked to have taken the lead on 47 minutes.

Russell punched away Pritchard’s fierce angled drive but the ball went straight to Smith whose first time shot though a crowded penalty area was glanced in by Marks who, much to City’s relief, was standing in an offside position.

Maidenhead pressed forward again with a cross by Steer being headed away by Bender but only as far as Mulley whose half-volley from 18 yards was superbly pushed wide by Russell high to his left.

St Albans eased the pressure with a good spell of their own.

Casey crossed from the right towards the near post where Chappell’s attempted shot went across the goal and just ahead of the lunging Herd.

Moments later a long throw by Chappell skimmed the head of Smith and was controlled by Theophanous who was only denied a goal by Inman’s desperate, and excellent, lunge that successfully blocked the shot.

It was City’s turn to have a goal disallowed on 57 minutes when Theophanous, possibly harshly, was penalised for a push on Inman following another trademark Chappell throw just moments before a Morias volley flew into the goal from 15 yards.

United’s second crowd in excess of 700 this season – the average last season was 482 – got what it came for on 61 minutes when the Magpies took the lead.

An attack looked to be breaking down when Pritchard seized on a loose pass by Hill on the halfway line and laid a good ball out Tarpey on the left.

Pritchard continued his run to take a return pass inside the penalty area and calmly shifted the ball onto his left before shooting across the falling Russell for his second goal of the season.

St Albans’ response was excellent with plenty of good chances created.

Following a swift turn Theophanous had a shot blocked and deflected high by Hammond that dropped onto the top of the bar.

From the resulting corner Martin headed over, four minutes later sustained City pressure eased when the central defender scooped an effort high and wide.

Morias was soon back in the thick of the action but was thwarted by a wonderful tackle by Inman after bursting through.

Allinson made an effective double substitution on 76 minutes with Casey and Noble – highly praised by the manager – making way for Merson and Lucien.

Lucien made an immediate impact with a lofted pass down the middle that saw Morias cleverly lift the ball over Massey only to have his volley spectacularly pushed over by Pentney.

City’s pressure was rewarded on 80 minutes when they ended United’s run of 440 minutes without conceding a goal at York Road.

Massey was booked for bringing down Morias just outside the penalty area and from the set-piece Lucien sent a right-footed shot high to Pentney’s right for the equaliser from 23 yards.

St Albans were now in full flight and Lucien somehow wriggled his way between Steer and former Saint James Comley by the corner flag and sent a fine cross into the goalmouth that Morias was just unable to divert on target.

Lucien then fired over but a minute later the game turned again as Martin received his marching orders and was speedily followed into the book by a succession of City players.

United tried to use the growing numerical advantage to their benefit but a Pritchard free kick flicked on by Massey and superbly pushed aside by the diving Russell, was the closest that they came to denying City a deserved point.

The draw leaves Maidenhead at the top of the table and City in third place.

St Albans return to Clarence Park on Tuesday, 13 September, for the visit of neighbours Hemel Hempstead Town. The Tudors gained their first away win of the season when overturning a two-goal deficit at Welling United on Saturday.

Amongst the Hemel scorers was former City captain Sam Corcoran.

Supporters are advised that there will be segregation at Clarence Park, full details can be found on the St Albans City club website, kick off is at 7.45pm.

Maidenhead United: C.Pentney, J.Hammond, R.Steer, C.Smith, A.Massey, D.Inman, D.Tarpey (K.Forbes 76), J.Comley, S.Marks, J.Mulley, H.Pritchard, subs not used: C.Wassmer, R.Peters, R.Wiltshire, I.Olorunfemi.

Booked: Smith, Massey.

St Albans City: J.Russell, B.Herd, T.Bender, L.Chappell, B.Martin, J.Hill, G.Casey (S.Lucien 76), Sc.Thomas, L.Theophanous (M.Ball 84), J.Morias, D.Noble (S.Merson 76), subs not used: D.Akinyemi, R.Hoenes.

Booked: Merson, Ball, Herd.

Dismissed: Martin. Morias.

Goals: 61 1-0 Pritchard, 80 1-1 Lucien.

Referee: Savvas Yianni (Weston-super-Mare).

Att: 719.