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14.04.2012 at 15:00 Corinium Stadium Attendance : 101
Cirencester Town
0 - 2
St Albans City
Referee : Adam Ricketts (Bristol) Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division

Goalscorers
None Chris Henry (25)
Chris Henry (34)
Opening squads
Charles Steward
Aidan Bennett
Ellis Dunton
Jamie Reid
Nathan Davies
Jamie Dunn
Wayne Turk
James Mortimer-Jones
Zak Westlake
Scott Griffin
Jon Else
Nick Jupp
Ryan Watts
James Gray
Matt Cutchey
Micah Hyde
Sean Shields
David Ijaha
Simon Martin
Chris Henry
Cedric Ngakam
Howard Newton
Substitutes
Jody Bevan
Joshua Russell
Oliver Pitt
Moussa Diarra
Paul Furlong
Sakho Bakare
Narada Bernard
Danny McGonigle
Substitutions
Jody Bevan -> Scott Griffin (77)
Joshua Russell -> Jon Else (77)
Oliver Pitt -> Nathan Davies (83)
Paul Furlong -> Simon Martin (46)
Moussa Diarra -> Cedric Ngakam (53)
Sakho Bakare -> Sean Shields (72)
Yellow cards
None None.
Red cards
None None.
Match report
Two first half goals for striker Chris Henry extended St Albans City’s unbeaten Southern League run to a dozen matches on Saturday as Cirencester Town, already relegated from the Premier Division, slithered to a 2-0 defeat at a sun-kissed but chilly Corinium Stadium.

City were more than happy to complete their fourth league double of the season on this their first visit to the club on the Fosse Way but this was pretty much 90 minutes of dross on the Fosse.

St Albans were competent before the break but disjointed after it and but for a fine display by keeper Nick Jupp could have returned to Hertfordshire with their unbeaten run in tatters.

Cirencester may be down and without the services of injured regular goalkeeper Mike Hedges but Brian Hughes’s side battled gamely, though unsuccessfully, to stave off their 24th defeat of the season.

Local keeper Charles Steward stood in for Hedges and in attack veteran Jody Bevan was replaced by Jon Else from the side that won at Evesham United on Easter Monday.

City also made two changes with Micah Hyde reclaiming his centre midfield position in place of James Comley, to protect his suspect hamstrings, while Sean Shields took to the left flank. This enabled Henry to join Simon Martin in attack as Paul Furlong returned to the bench.

After a quiet opening spell in which Ciren, playing down the slope at the ten-year old Corinium Stadium and with a wind to their backs, who made the most promising inroads.

But it was City who came closest to forging ahead when Henry sent Shields bursting into the box only for his low shot past Steward to be whacked to safety by Ellis Dunton.

A minute later Dunton hooked a good ball towards the edge of the City penalty area. Jupp darted from his goal to clear with the ball going to Else only for a poor first touch to send the ball back to the grateful City keeper.

Midway through the half Saints captain James Gray drove a free kick wide for Shields to retrieve and send a cross into Martin who tested Steward with a left-footed effort that was saved comfortably.

City took the lead on 25 minutes when David Ijaha slipped an excellent ball inside left-back Zak Westlake for Howard Newton to race clear and as Steward moved out to narrow the angle the Guyana international squared the ball to Henry who calmly stroked it into an empty net.

Jupp protected the lead a minute later when tipping over a header from Ciren skipper James Mortimer-Jones while Nathan Davies looped a header over the bar before Henry struck for a second time on 34 minutes.

A Saints attack looked to have broken down until Martin blocked a clearance with the ball falling nicely to Henry who expertly slid his third goal for the club past the diving Steward.

Although lacking in quality Cirencester refused to yield but failed to turn their dominance of corners into genuine goal attempts with the best chance falling to Aidan Bennett who slashed a volley high over the goal following Mortimer-Jones’s flick on from a Wayne Turk cross.

Martin made way for Furlong after the interval but City were hit by a bout of complacency during the second half and Cirencester took the opportunity to move forward with some conviction but little cutting edge – a point highlighted by their leading scorer having only three league goals this season.

Jupp was soon called into action to save from Dunton after Davies had headed on a free kick.

Struggling to make an impact City went close when Furlong won a bouncing ball and fed Hyde whose controlled effort from 25 yards was cleanly held by Steward.

After Mortimer-Jones had battled hard to win the ball from Ryan Watts Else sent a deft effort drifting away from the City goal and out for a goalkick.

Jupp’s crowning moment was to backpedal and tip over in spectacular fashion a goal-bound cross by Else, and ten minutes from time Jupp was extended again to flick over a grand solo effort by Westlake.

A rare City attack with any purpose saw Watts cut the ball back to Hyde whose precise chip into the penalty area was brought down by the chest of Henry whose low shot was only denied by the outstretched leg of the Town keeper.

The attendance was given as 101 and City chairman Ian Ridley was quick to offer the opinion that the match should have been despatched to Room 101.