ST ALBANS City’s bid for Blue Square South salvation suffered a desperately cruel blow just three minutes from time on Saturday as Bath City boosted their play off aspirations with a frantically scrambled Darren Edwards goal clinching 2-1 victory for the Romans that sent the sorry Saints plunging to the foot of the table.
With fellow strugglers Dorchester Town and Sutton United drawing with each other City’s position becomes increasingly weak, frustratingly so after a match which was surprisingly open with the outcome in doubt right up until Edwards late strike.
Saints boss Steve Castle again left leading scorer Lee Clarke out of the starting XI as Wasiu Akanni Sunday was given his first start alongside Paul Hakim in attack while Simon Martin was also placed on the bench. Personal problems for Hasim Deen allowed Ben Martin to step into the back four but the injury prone defender suffered more misfortune as a pull on a hamstring led to his premature exit from the game.
The pace was lively from the start, as both sides needed the three points for vastly differing reasons. Bath, making their first visit to Clarence Park, almost scored a freak goal on seven minutes when Martin’s clearance from the edge of the penalty area thudded into Dave Gilroy’s outstretched leg before looping over Nick Eyre and wide of the right hand upright for the relieved keeper to collect.
The Romans then enjoyed their first period of dominance but could not get a clear shot at goal as the Saints defended stoutly and on the break Hakim caused some concern for the visitors with a fine half volley from 30 yards that went just over the target.
City went ahead on 21 minutes with Hakim’s first goal since his return to Clarence Park from Stevenage Borough last month. Ryan Frater intercepted a Bath clearance and knocked the ball long over the Romans defence. Bath defender Chris Holland misjudged its flight allowing Hakim to seize possession and race clear.
With keeper Paul Evans exposed Hakim fired crisply into the centre of the York Road goal as visions of a second home win this season for the Saints flashed before their eyes.
The goal was just reward for Hakim for a particularly lively first half performance and he received good support from Sunday who sadly tired later on.
City looked to build upon Hakim’s 23rd goal for the club when James Quilter won a free kick close to the Bath penalty area but keeper Evans kept a close eye on Paul Bruce’s curling dead ball kick and saved just under the crossbar.
Although behind, Bath had the lions share of the play but still struggled to really test Eyre, that said Holland did get the ball into the home goal only for an earlier flag for offside to come to the Saints rescue.
Martin made a crucial clearance for a corner after Lewis Hogg broke free down the right and Eyre dived full stretch to his left to fingertip away Scott Rogers well struck long range effort from a short Luke Prince free kick. From the ensuing corner Frater volleyed perilously close to his own goal.
Saints received a blow on 32 minutes when Martin finally had to admit defeat to the hamstring strain picked up earlier in the half. To cover for the towering defender City pulled back Quilter and sent substitute Dean Cracknell into the midfield.
Sunday had a shot blocked in a crowded penalty area on 38 minutes but quickly laid the rebound off to Hakim whose effort was deflected over the visitors’ goal. At the opposite end Eyre saw the half out in comfort as he safely caught Scott Rogers header from a Prince corner.
Playing down the slope in the second period St Albans fancied their chances of a rare home success but just 48 seconds after the restart Bath were level. After meekly conceding possession City were left exposed as Rogers helped the ball onto the unmarked Gilroy on the edge of the Saints penalty area. With time aplenty the Romans leading marksman scooped the ball over Eyre and into the vacant net.
Just one win from their previous five games had slowed Bath’s promotion push but now they went looking to complete the double over their hosts. To their credit though, City gave as good as they got in the time remaining but indifferent finishing proved costly.
From a Quilter free kick, Luke Thurlbourne headed the ball square to Hakim who, off balance, stabbed a shot well wide of Jones’ goal. Hakim missed out again when Hassan Sulaiman gamely fought off a couple of challenges only to over-hit his attempted pass into the free Hakim.
Just after the hour Hakim smartly controlled a long kick to out the left by Eyre. Darting inside Hakim worked an opening and unleashed a good low drive that Jones parried but the City striker was then cautioned for diving as Jones smothered the loose ball at his feet.
A relative quiet spell ended when Bath found their touch again and for a while attacked with genuine menace. Shouts for a penalty were waved away when Quilter, in trying to shut out Gilroy, appeared to use a hand to stop the ball while a good run by Gilroy caused mayhem with Eyre and his defenders getting into a familiar tangle. The reliable James Fisher moved across to clear the danger.
Cracknell, moments after having a shot charged down, chipped a good ball into the box that Sunday gave chase to. The presence of the Nigerian caused Jones to miss the ball but the keeper was saved by the covering Sekani Simpson who chested the ball way inside the six yard box before clearing his lines.
Ten minutes from time Castle, knowing a point is of scant value to his side, sent on another striker with the highly promising Bradley Gray replacing Sulaiman. Gay was unable to repeat his midweek trick of scoring within five minutes of coming on, indeed in the 87th minute it as the Saints who lined up to take another kick off as Bath claimed the winning goal.
Castle understandably, was seething at the goal as a succession of errors contributed to the Saints downfall. From Bath’s perspective it was a goal won by sheer grit and determination with all three of the Romans substitutes playing their part.
Jason Wood swung in a corner from the cricket pitch side of the ground that was met at the back post by Gethin Jones. His header back into the goalmouth looked likely to produce a goal but in a frantic scramble Quilter twice blocked the ball before Edwards pounced to add to the goal he notched in the earlier meeting at Twerton Park.
During an extended spell of added time St Albans almost restored parity when Gray, wide on the right and close to the goalline, took a return pass from Hakim and cracked an excellent ground level drive into the goalmouth that Jones did well to dive forward to and push away as Sunday waited to pounce.
With three defeats in a week, two at home, and just one win in 13 games St Albans are showing precious few signs of being able to avoid a second successive relegation and being 13 points worse off than they were from the same number of games last season does not bode well for the closing weeks of the season.
Report by Dave Tavener |