Goalkeeper Michael Emery celebrated his 19th birthday on Saturday with a starring role for 10-man St Albans City as the Saints battled with great determination to take a Blue Square South point off Basingstoke Town with a 1-1 draw at a cold Camrose stadium.

Emery, expecting to be no more than a spectator from the bench, was thrown into the lions den on 33 minutes when Paul Bastock, who was also his chauffeur for the day, was dismissed when referee Anthony Serrano deemed the City keeper to have brought down Robbie Rice.

The decision looked possibly harsh with Rice seemingly no longer in possession of the ball when he collided with the grounded City keeper.

As Bastock headed for the dressing room Saints manager Steve Castle replaced unfortunate midfielder Alex Bailey with Emery but the first task for the birthday boy was to pick the ball out of the net after Matt Warner had sent the teenager the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Basingstoke had started the afternoon most impressively, forcing two corners inside the opening few minutes and generally looking determined to put behind them successive defeats at Bromley and Newport County.

City also had to contend with a dangerously positioned free kick just outside the penalty area. James Fisher was booked for encroaching at Warner’s first attempt to take the kick and the solid City wall also blocked Warner’s second effort.

The pressure was maintained with Fraser Franks virtually heading the ball out of Bastock’s hands wide of the keepers left hand post and then, with his back to the goal, lifting the ball just over the target.

City had hardly got the ball over the halfway line during the early exchanges but went ahead on 22 minutes with a goal that was entirely down to Gary Cohen’s staggering work rate.

Fisher’s pass down the City right looked to be running out for a goal kick and Ashley Mitchell ran alongside the ball to see it out. Cohen saw an opportunity to slide in, whip his right leg in front of the startled Mitchell and hook the ball into the goalmouth for Drew Roberts to score the simplest of headers.

Once City went down to ten men Basingstoke reverted from their 3-5-2 formation to a more familiar 4-4-2 but had great difficulty breaking down what was predominantly two banks of four by the Saints with Cohen working relentless up front.

Cohen, though, received excellent support from 18-year-old Jonathan O’Donnell who, in addition to supplying Cohen with a number of good passes, took every opportunity he could to join City’s lone striker in attacking positions.

Basingstoke did manage to get into a couple of good positions before the interval but Jide Ogunbote was thwarted by James Quilter’s superbly timed tackle and leading scorer David Pratt headed wide after being set up by Warner’s perfect cross.

In between those two incidents Emery caused a touch of concern for the visitors when he fumbled Ogunbote’s long range shot and had to hurriedly retrieve the ball from behind him. But it was to be his only blip and after the interval he played a leading part in City’s impressive rearguard action.

Five minutes after the restart Emery saved with ease another Pratt header and Ryan Frater got in good block when Pratt attempted to cross from the goalline.

City had just one genuine chance during the second half and even that was no more than a half chance. A ball down the City left by Fraser was miscued by a ‘Stoke defender and seized upon by Roberts.

Once inside the penalty area City’s leading marksman attempted a shot that was blocked, the ball ran towards O’Donnell and the left-sided midfielder curled a right-footed shot just inches wide of Ross Kitteridge’s left hand upright.

Just after the hour Emery had his busiest time of the day starting with a fine full stretch push round the post low to his left following Warner’s shot from the edge of the box.

Moments later the Boston-based keeper punched the ball away whilst under pressure from Pratt and reacted quickly to beat away Ogunbote’s powerful follow up.

City counterattacked with O’Donnell sending Cohen charging down the City left but his brilliant 50-yard run came to nothing when his low ball into the goalmouth was intercepted before it could reach the incoming Roberts.

Long before the end it seemed as though Basingstoke had accepted that they were not going to breakthrough again and a soft header wide by Pratt and another shot off target by substitute Ryan Stephens confirmed this suspicion.

Overall, there was little for the neutral to enthuse about as clear chances were scarce but City’s defensive display was certainly to be admired.

Mark Peters, in for the unavailable Justin Clayton, formed a powerful partnership with Frater that, on the whole, did well to damped the threat of Pratt and the talented Jahson Downes.

Quilter, still nursing a sore shoulder sustained at Lewes, was equally resolute while at left back 17-year-old Connor Baker played with a composure that belied the fact that he was making his First team debut. Good in the air and thoughtful on the ground Baker marked himself as a player with an extremely bright future.

In midfield, Bailey was given little opportunity to shine as he was sacrificed to allow Emery to come on when Bastock was sent off but fellow midfielder Godfrey Poku was outstanding and has moved swiftly to fill, most impressively, the void left by Luke Thurlbourne’s departure from the club.

Bastock’ second red card of the season, and City’s seventh overall, is likely to see him handed a two-match ban taking in the FA Trophy tie at Woking and the Blue Square South meeting with Bromley at Hayes Lane.

Saints manager Steve Castle will be forced into further changes to his side for Tuesday’s trip to Woking as James Fisher begins a two-match ban on Monday. The loss of Fisher, however, is likely to be offset by the return of Solomon Shields from injury.

Basingstoke Town: R.Kitteridge, R.Rice, M.Warner, F.Franks, A.Mitchell (G.Frewin 40), L.Christon, J.Ogunbote (R.Stephens 76), I.Jones, D.Pratt, J.Downes, S.Laidler, subs; M.Finlay, P.Ruggles, C.Atkinson.

St Albans City: P.Bastock, J.Quilter, C.Baker, G.Poku, M.Peters, R.Frater, A.Bailey (M.Emery 33), J.Fisher, G.Cohen, D.Roberts, J.O’Donnell (R.Magwood 90), subs; D.Johnson, T.James, L.Sagna.

Goals: 0-1 Roberts 22, 1-1 Warner 34p.

Booked: Fisher, Frater, Ogunbote.

Dismissed: Bastock.

Referee: Anthony Serrano (Hemel Hempstead).

Att: 424.