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17.01.2004 at 15:00 Gander Green Lane Attendance : 514
Sutton United
4 - 2
St Albans City
Referee : Robert Barnard-Smith Ryman Premier League

Goalscorers
De Souza (O.G. 39)
Nick Bailey (41)
Jon Nurse (44, 47)
Derek Brown (18)
Roger Willis (47)
Opening squads
Andy Iga
Matt Gray
Eddie Akuamoah
Ryan Palmer
Toby Jinadu
Nick Bailey
Tony Quinton
Paul Honey
Matt Fowler
Matt Hanlan
Jon Nurse
George Clark
Richard Thomas
Corey Campbell
Derek Brown
Miguel De Souza
Chris Zoricich
Gary Wraight
Roger Willis
Ben Cogger
Lee Clarke
Chris Seeby
Substitutes
Lewis Gonsalves
Graham Tydeman
Glenn Boosey
Wesley Jackman
Scott Oakes
Matt Jones
Will Davies
Jake Attwood
Substitutions
Lewis Gonsalves -> Matt Fowler Scott Oakes -> Ben Cogger (67)
Matt Jones -> Richard Thomas (75)
Yellow cards
None Chris Zoricich (19)
Red cards
None None.
Match report
St Albans City found justice hard to come by at a muddy Gander Green Lane on Saturday as Steve Castle’s side gave their best performance since he picked up the reins four months ago only to be scuppered by a deadly combination of bad luck, bad finishing, slack defending and, quite crucially, diabolical refereeing.

For forty minutes against an average Sutton United side City were in control and contemplated holding at least a single goal advantage during the interval, instead an astonishing chain of events turned the afternoon on its head and ended St Albans hopes of a second successive Ryman League double over the Surrey club.

Even when a blistering Roger Willis header reduced the deficit immediately after the restart luck deserted City once more as a highly controversial fourth Sutton goal effectively ended the game as a contest.

City showed six changes to the XI that started in the debacle at Hitchin with 36-year-old Willis and 20-year-old Lee Clarke both making their debut while 34-year-old Chris Zoricich returned after ten years away and Ben Cogger was in the starting line up for the first time. All four can feel pleased with their contribution in a team performance that suggested better days may be on the way for the Saints.

Despite not having won away since September the visitors started strongly although it was Sutton who came closest to an early goal when a Toby Jinadu header from a Matt Gray corner struck the crossbar. United keeper Andy Iga had already struggled with a couple of Gary Wraight corners when, on 18 minutes, the custodian completely misjudged an in swinging Wraight corner from the Saints left that Clarke and Brown bundled into the goal with the City captain being credited with the final touch.

For the next 20 minutes Sutton rode their luck as Cogger, Clarke and Wraight all went close while a series of very debatable decisions in dangerous areas curiously went against the Saints. A shot by Cogger was fumbled at the near post by Iga but City claims that the ball had crossed the line were brushed aside while a Wraight block on Ryan Palmer’s attempted clearance pulled a tremendous finger tip save from the otherwise comical Iga.

But City’s world began to fall apart on 39 minutes when Miguel De Souza diverted a Nick Bailey cross beyond George Clark to concede City’s fourth own goal of the season. Two minutes later Bailey switched the play out to the Sutton right to Gray and then continued his run into the penalty area to sweep home the return ball as Clarke stood static on his goalline.

City rallied on 44 minutes but when Wraight sent a corner way beyond the back of the penalty area Sutton were able to break with Paul Honey sending the offside looking Jon Nurse away, with an electric burst of pace he left Corey Campbell in his wake before clipping home the Us third goal.

Having been so much in control for so long and then suddenly two goals in arrears should have finished off the Saints but just two minutes into the second half Willis, who held the ball up and used it well during the first half, thundered a header past Iga from another Wraight corner to haul City back into contention.

Just ten minutes later though and City’s fire was finally extinguished in bitter circumstances. Jinadu played a free kick deep in the Sutton half, the ball was worked down the Sutton right before being crossed for Nurse to score his sixth goal in five games. A linesman’s flag had been raised from when the free kick was taken to alert the referee that it had been taken from the wrong position but after a lengthy discussion between the two officials the goal, unsurprisingly, was allowed to stand.

As a spectacle the game died a bit thereafter but City squandered two excellent chances with Cogger shooting tamely through to Iga and De Souza blazing well over after a Campbell shot had ricocheted to him. Sutton also became wasteful in the tiring conditions with both Nurse and Gray failing to convert good chances.

Report by Dave Tavener