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17.11.2007 at 15:00 The Camrose Attendance : 478
Basingstoke Town
3 - 1
St Albans City
Referee : Gary Jerden (Orsett) Blue Square South

Goalscorers
Rob Watkins (12)
Michael Charles (15)
Steve Laidler (81)
Lee Clarke (79)
Opening squads
Nick Hamann
Jamie Whisken
Rob Watkins
Jason Bristow
Joe Dolan
Steve Laidler
Ben Wells
Tyron Smith
Michael Charles
James Taylor
Matthew Warner
Nick Eyre
Scott Cousins
Gary Elphick
Craig Vargas
Jon Stevenson
Paul Bruce
Richard Butler
Lee Clarke
Paul Armstrong
Jomo Faal-Thomas
Hasim Deen
Substitutes
Scott Fitzgerald
David Tarpey
Connor Hamilton
Ben Towensend
Jonty Venter
Marcel McKie
Paul Semakula
Stephane Seanla
Hamsa Twomey
Reiss Noel
Substitutions
David Tarpey -> Ben Wells (82) Marcel McKie -> Scott Cousins (76)
Stephane Seanla -> Paul Armstrong (87)
Yellow cards
Steve Laidler (31)
Jason Bristow (87)
James Taylor (89)
Hasim Deen (18)
Red cards
None None.
Match report
St Albans City stay deeply rooted in Blue Square South relegation trouble following Saturday’s defeat to a patchy Basingstoke Town at a cold and wet Camrose but manager Dave Anderson was encouraged by his sides improved performance as he put the reversal down to ‘five minutes of madness’ and two stupendous goals by Francis Vines side.
Anderson made one change to the team that drew at Fisher the previous weekend with Paul Armstrong coming into the right of the midfield in place of Stephane Seanla. With Craig O’Connor having departed the club, Richard Butler again started along Lee Clarke in attack and the duo, if given the right service, look capable of building a useful partnership.
City, looking to end a dismal record of just three wins in 34 matches, started confidently enough enjoying the early possession but with two quick goals Basingstoke soon moved into a commanding position. Striker James Taylor squandered a clear chance to put Town ahead on ten minutes but two minutes later City were punished when failing to accept two opportunities to clear a Matt Warner corner before Rob Watkins stroked home the opening goal.
The Saints leaky defence was plundered again on 15 minutes when Taylor headed the ball over the middle of the visitors defence for Michael Charles to race clear and beat Nick Eyre with a glorious drive to the keepers right. Tyrone Smith nearly added to City’s problems with an almost perfect free kick that struck the inside of Eyre’s left hand post before flying across the face of the goal.
Already City’s chances of gaining vital points looked slim but with Town’s defence looking suspect chances came the way of the Saints. Butler twice went close, once agonisingly so as the ball bobbled just wide, and Jon Stevenson, with a fine effort from 25 yards, forced Nick Hamann to tip the ball over the crossbar before also saving low down from the City midfielder.
The half closed with Eyre doing well to push aside a high bounce to a Warner free kick, and soon after save at the feet of the same player, while at the opposite end Scott Cousins’ free kick thudded into the frame of Hamann’s goal and like Laidler’s effort, ricocheted untouched across the goalmouth.
Little was seen of Basingstoke as an attacking force after the interval as City seized the initiative. Clarke, receiving a pass from Butler, clipped a good effort just over the home goal while Paul Bruce, enjoying his best performance of the season, tested Hamann high up, and Butler just failed to get a firm connection to an inswinging Bruce free kick.
With City’s defence coping a great deal more comfortably than they did prior to the break Basingstoke chances were limited although Eyre had to be alert to save on the goalline when Smith, out on the right and receiving the ball back from a corner, drilled a fine shot towards the heart of the visitors goal.
City’s luck seemed to be right out when another Cousins free kick just evaded Hamann’s left hand upright but on 79 minutes Stoke were undone by an excellent goal. Marcel McKie, on for Cousins, attacked down the left before dragging the ball back to Craig Vargas. Butler did well to bring down Vargas’s chipped pass on the corner of the penalty area before twisting away from Jason Bristow towards the goalline and cutting the ball into the goalmouth where Clarke scored his fifth goal in his last three games against the Hampshire club.
Having been ahead and yet lost their two previous games Basingstoke were fretting but their fears were erased on 81 minutes when Laidler latched onto Taylor’s chested pass before unleashing a scorching shot from 30 yards that flew beyond Eyre’s full length dive to his right.

Report by David Tavener