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17.09.2011 at 15:00 Clarence Park Attendance : 351
St Albans City
0 - 0
Berkhamsted
Referee : Sam Purkiss (Highbury) FA Cup First Round Qualifying match

Goalscorers
None. None
Opening squads
Nick Jupp
Jack Pattison
Barrie Matthews
Ryan Watts
Nathnael Ralph
Ryan Moran
Matt Cutchey
David Ijaha
Sean Shields
Sakho Bakare
Rob Haworth
Eddie Farmer
Jamie Gavin
Jordan Toomey
Lewis Rodrigoe
Simon Carmichael
Mark Welling
Matt Wardle
Russell Clark
Aaron Usmani
Joshua Chamberlain
Tony Burnett
Substitutes
Will Viner
Marvin Alebiosu
Danny Hart
Joackim Ehui
Nathan Haisley
James Bent
Ross Dedman
Ashley Harewood-Williams
Micky O'Farrell
Joseph Gallagher
Edward Gerrard
Freddie Hester
Adam Mead
Substitutions
James Bent -> Sakho Bakare (57)
Joackim Ehui -> Sean Shields (70)
Joseph Gallagher -> Joshua Chamberlain (65)
Ashley Harewood-Williams -> Russell Clark (75)
Yellow cards
James Bent (89)
None
Red cards
None. None
Match report
The passion, magic, and glory of the FA Cup were in short supply at Clarence Park on Saturday as St Albans City ground out a truly dreadful goalless 1st Round Qualifying draw with Spartan South Midlands League side Berkhamsted.

City were woeful, make no mistake about that, and had it not been for three good saves by keeper Nick Jupp then Berkhamsted would have claimed their biggest scalp since rising from the ashes of the defunct Berkhamsted Town in 2009.

For an hour Mick Vipond’s side were more than a match for David Howell’s off-colour Saints but even when the Comrades tired during final 30 minutes St Albans, as they had during first hour, still failed to register as much as one on target shot.

Little was seen of City’s strike-force of Rob Haworth and Sakho Bakare but with the eight outfield players behind them constantly giving possession away cheaply and sending a succession of crosses into the terraces there was precious little for either of them to feed off.

Howell’s fury was evident as his normal post-match interview was put on hold while the players filtered into his office one at a time to discuss the afternoon’s events.

To reach this stage of the competition Berkhamsted had already defeated Luton side Crawley Green and then Haringey Borough. Just for good measure they hammered London Lions 9-2 in midweek and were clearly not overawed as they strode out onto the Clarence Park turf.

Inside two minutes Berkhamsted made clear that they were not here just to enjoy their day as midfielder Mark Welling tried his luck from 30 yards and Saints custodian Jupp had to dive full length to his right to turn the ball around the post.

Jupp, though, rode his luck when he raced to the edge of his penalty area to clear but was beaten to the ball by Comrades striker Aaron Usmani who prodded it into the keeper’s chest. Fortune was on Jupp’s side as the ball then bounced off Berko striker Tony Burnett’s and back into the keeper’s arms.

As City struggled to string together a succession of passes Berkhamsted seldom came under serious pressure but had a scare when a slip by left-back Jordan Toomey allowed Sean Shields to break free.

Shields drove a low angled cross towards the back post but it sped away just before the lunging Ryan Watts could make contact.

St Albans next, and possibly clearest, chance again came courtesy of a defensive blunder as Comrades skipper Simon Carmichael thudded a clearance straight into team-mate Lewis Rodrigoe.

The ball broke to Bakare but the Frenchman, well-placed on the edge of the penalty area, shot wastefully wide.

A cross by Jamie Gavin almost found Tony Burnett at the back post only for Jack Pattison, son of former City defender Steve Pattison, to get in a vital headed clearance.

Jupp ensured the half finished goalless when pulling off a fine save to his left from Joshua Chamberlain after Saints skipper David Ijaha had conceded a free kick.

Howell resisted the temptation to make changes during the interval but a further 12 minutes of sheer tedium after the break finally convinced him that change was required with Bakare withdrawn and James Bent sent into the fray.

Berkhamsted visibly wilted as the game went on and City, at last, began to enjoy the lions share of the play. Even so, the threat on the Berkhamsted goal was minimal.

Midway through the half a swift counter-attack could, and maybe should, have led to the opening goal but the chance was lost when Burnett – the scorer of all of the Comrades goals in the competition so far this season – fired straight at a relieved Jupp.

Shields, like Bakare, recalled to the starting line up after a couple of good showings when used as a substitute, suffered the same fate on 70 minutes when he was replaced by another Frenchman, Joackim Ehui.

As pressure on the visitor’s penalty area mounted the Berkhamsted defence stood firm and goalkeeper Eddie Farmer’s only concern was in dealing with the few City crosses that stayed on the pitch. Direct shots on goal remained non-existent.

Berkhamsted’s dream of causing a cup upset against a side two divisions higher up the non-league pyramid almost came true on 76 minutes when Welling’s cross from the left found Gavin whose shot dipped just over the home goal.

Some welcome zest was introduced to the Saints play when Rob Haworth burst into the penalty area only to lose possession when faced by three defenders. Watts pounced on the loose ball but his powerful cross curled away from the goal.

Russell Clark was off target with a couple of late efforts for Berkhamsted before Watts teased Toomey and clipped a cross to the back post where Bent wildly slashed the ball high over the crossbar.

Bent was most fortunate to stay on the pitch in the 89th minute following a shocking two-footed lunge that, fortunately, missed Gavin but did earn the City striker a yellow card.

The replay will be at Berkhamsted’s Broadwater ground on Tuesday, 20 September, kick off 7.45pm.