Suffering City beaten by King pair

City’s latest reversal is hardly the ideal way to prepare for Saturday’s potentially crucial meeting with Lewes when defeat for Steve Castle’s side at the Dripping Pan will see the Sussex club rise out of the bottom three at the expense of the Saints.

Farnborough deserved their victory on Tuesday if only because their finishing was more clinical than that of their hosts, otherwise there was not a great deal to choose between the sides during a fully committed though colourless encounter.

Whereas City can take heart from giving a performance which, at least in terms of effort and organisation, was an improvement upon the fiasco witnessed at Welling at the weekend, they are faced with facts that make for gruesome reading.

They have won just once in 23 league games, they are without a win in the past 11 home league games, the current run of five consecutive home league defeats is the worst for 20 years, the side has failed to score in four of its eight home league games this season and the attendance against Farnborough was, unsurprisingly, the lowest seen at the Park so far this season.

Somehow Castle has to find a formula that stems the flow of setbacks and top of his list of priorities remains a seasoned goal scorer to lead the attack.

Farnborough went with the same starting XI that gained a creditable draw at Bromley at the weekend while City made four changes. Out went Rob Magwood, Adam Everitt (injured), Robbie Martin (released) and Inih Effiong.

Ben Martin returned to the starting line-up for the first time in 11 games having struggled with knee and hamstring problems. Spanish striker Pelayo Gomez was also recalled after missing four games through injury while 17-year-old Ross Dedman was given his first start of the season.

Also back in City colours after a prolonged absence lasting more than a season was Hector Mackie following spells with Weymouth and Bath City.

Castle was forced to watch his latest line-up from the mainstand at the start of a two-match touchline ban following a difference of opinions with referee Colin Lymer during City’s draw at Bromley in September.

Farnborough, playing in a most unusual purple kit, settled the better of the two sides and attacked the Hatfield Road goal with confidence early on. Midfielder Daryl McMahon and forward Bradley Bubb looked likely to give City a torrid evening.

Inside the opening seconds City left back Peter Smith sent Bubb crashing to the ground with a hefty challenge and the Saints looked none too convincing as they struggled to clear McMahon’s well placed free kick.

Former Saint Kezie Ibe sent Bubb clear with a delightful flick but Boro’s leading marksman slashed his effort high and wide of the home goal.

Farnborough continued to call the tune during the early exchanges and it took a superbly timed tackle by City captain Ryan Frater to deny Bubb another clear sight of goal.

Although on the back foot early on, it was evident that City were at least competing in a manner not seen at Welling. Boro were allowed precious little time to pick their passes and gradually it was clear that City were gaining in confidence.

A series of short passes ended with James Fisher trying an ambitious and accurate shot from close on 30 yards that visiting keeper Michael Jordan caught above his head.

Just prior to the half hour City displayed great patience when passing the ball to and fro’ across the pitch before eventually teeing Gomez up for shot that again required saving by Jordan.

It was a move of some ten passes or more and showed what can be achieved by keeping possession rather than just blindly hoofing the ball long and high, something that, regrettably, has been St Albans standard approach for much of the season.

A number of Farnborough’s attacks floundered due to crosses being over-hit while a very useful weapon was the speed of Craig Braham-Barrett. The left-back looked to have found a way through on 34 minutes until Dedman, who enjoyed a positive return to the side, slid in and won a goal-kick.

City had a scare just before the interval when Paul Bastock failed to reach a McMahon corner but Bubb, under pressure from Dedman, was unable to turn the ball in and Bastock moved across to collect.

The opening exchanges of the second half mirrored the latter part of the first 45 minutes with plenty of effort from both sides but little created close to goal.

But Farnborough did almost find a way through following a drop-ball some 28 yards from the City goal. Boro won possession with King sending a good ball down the right to Ibe who cut the ball back from goalline only for Bubb to again prove wasteful by shooting high over the York Road goal.

On 61 minutes Dom Petrucci, leading scorer for the City Reserves this season, came on for his debut in place of Jean-Michel Sigere and within six minutes had made a promising run at the visitors defence, been ludicrously booked for a marginal offence and then picked up an injury.

A mistimed challenge by Farnborough’s Jay Conroy put Pete Smith out of the game, but it did at least allow Hutton to make his entrance and almost immediately win a corner. With Hutton now on the left of the midfield Mackie switched to left-back.

Fisher, experiencing what was probably his best 90 minutes of the season so far, went on a penetrating run through the middle of the pitch before trying to play in Harry Beautyman who was thwarted by an excellently timed tackle by James Smith.

The opening goal, on 69 minutes, was somewhat unexpected but was a finish of stunning simplicity and quality. Frater was booked for a wild challenge on Bubb and Farnborough exacted full punishment from the ensuing free kick.

McMahon whipped the free kick in from the Boro left and with a delightful, almost nonchalant, flick of the outside of his right boot, King sent the ball high to Bastock’s right for his fifth goal of the season.

City were desperate to hit back quickly and Gomez, taking a firm pass from Fisher on his chest, almost created space for a shot only for James Smith to move in swiftly and get the ball back to his keeper.

With just nine minutes remaining City gambled by going for three players up front as Mark Peters joined Gomez and Petrucci in attack while Mackie was rested. City now had just three players at the back with Dedman moving across to the left alongside Martin and Frater.

The changes almost reaped reward when Hutton, in a confined space, sent over a perfect cross from the left that Peters, inadvertently, headed back across goal instead of forwards and allowed Farnborough to break away.

Six minutes from time Petrucci and Fisher exchanged passes and set up Gomez for a shot that Jordan saved with little fuss.

Any hope the Saints held of stopping Farnborough from extending their unbeaten run against their hosts into a 22 year evaporated on 88 minutes when a good deep cross from the left by Braham-Barrett found King on the edge of the penalty area.

After taking one touch to bring the ball down King hammered a powerful left-footed drive to Bastock’s left to secure victory for Steve King’s side and sixth place in Conference South.

City, through Gomez, forced Jordan into one final save while in added time Dedman cleared for a corner after Bubb failed to convert a cross by McMahon who then almost scored a stunning solo goal when weaving his way along the goal line before Frater, from virtually in the goal, whacked the ball to safety.

St Albans remain one place above the relegation zone courtesy of Lewes’s 1-0 defeat at Bishop’s Stortford.

St Albans City: P.Bastock, R.Dedman, P.Smith (D.Petrucci 63), D.Deeney, B.Martin, R.Frater, H.Beautyman, J.Fisher, P.Gomez, JM Sigere (D.Hutton 63), H.Mackie (M.Peters 81), subs; R.Magwood, A.Martin.

Booked: Dedman, Petrucci, Frater, Fisher.

Farnborough: M.Jordan, J.Conroy, C.Braham-Barrett, J.Stevens (D.Binns 49), S.Robinson, J.Smith, D.McMahon, G.Holloway, K.Ibe (P.Booth 72), B.Bubb, J.King, subs; O.Price, N.Ciardini, D.McDonald.

Booked: Smith.

Goals: 69 0-1 King, 88 0-2 King.

Referee: Mike Blackledge (Peterborough).

Att: 232.