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24.01.2004 at 15:00 Clarence Park

Attendance : 422

St Albans City

1 - 3

Bedford Town

Referee : David Margetts Ryman Premier League

Goalscorers
Roger Willis (53)
Drew Roberts (20)
Liam Folds (45)
Drew Roberts (85 pen)
Opening squads
George Clark
Corey Campbell
Derek Brown
Chris Zoricich
Miguel De Souza
Gary Wraight
Steve Castle
Roger Willis
Scott Oakes
Lee Clarke
Chris Seeby
Ian Brown
Eddie Lawley
James Taylor
Steve Jackman
Darren Sarll
Liam Folds
Niki Stewart
Craig Rydeheard
Daniel French
Drew Roberts
Chris Dillon
Substitutes
Wesley Jackman
Richard Thomas
Ben Cogger
Jake Attwood
Will Davies
Gavin Jaggard
Neil Lazarus
Daniel Purzycki
Steve Everett
Andre Juraszek
Substitutions
Ben Cogger -> Gary Wraight (57)
Richard Thomas -> Steve Castle (73)
Gavin Jaggard -> Chris Dillon (78)
Yellow cards
Miguel De Souza (71)
Lee Clarke (83)
None
Red cards
None. None
Match report
At a time when St Albans City had been expected to come out with all guns blazing they actually slipped quietly into the bottom four of the Premier Division on Saturday as Bedford Town finally slowed their own free-fall of one win in 18 Ryman League games by completing a second successive double over their crestfallen and derided hosts.

Quite where City boss Steve Castle goes from here is hard to imagine. Having brought in veterans, blooded youngsters, and even thrown himself into the firing line as seen at the weekend, just where he turns next to halt the Saints slide into oblivion is anyone’s guess. Saturday’s defeat was City’s seventh in nine games, or tenth in 16 if you prefer, and the goals against from those 16 matches is a frightening 41 with 12 having come in the past week.

Since winning at Billericay the week after defeating St Albans in September, the Eagles had not won an away Ryman League fixture yet from the off at Clarence Park they appeared the more determined and confident side. After seeing Bedford dominate the early stages without giving City keeper George Clark too much to worry about the Saints went close on 19 minutes when a Scott Oakes free kick was stabbed wide by a combination of Derek Brown and Roger Willis.

A minute later though and City were on their way to a seventh home league defeat of the season courtesy of an excellent goal. Niki Stewart pushed a low free kick towards the edge of the Saints penalty area where Chris Dillon intelligently dummied it to allow Drew Roberts to run through and score off the diving Clark.

Was there to be a steely City fight back, far from it as the Eagles continued to hold sway looking to swoop for a second time. Straight from the kick off City conceded possession and only the greed of Daniel French as he tried his luck from 40 yards denied Bedford a good goalscoring opportunity.

St Albans best chance came on 27 minutes when Gary Wraight played the ball to Chris Zoricich whose cross was not dealt with by Eagles keeper Ian Brown but he breathed a sigh of relief as Chris Seeby failed to get any power into his shot as the ball ran loose.

A well struck rising first-time effort by French needed two attempts by Clark to keep it out and two minutes into first half stoppage time French saw his low shot diverted away off an outstretched leg. Craig Rydeheard swung over the resultant corner from the Eagles right to Liam Folds who scored with a looping header into the middle of the Hatfield Road goal.

City improved after the interval – it would have been nigh on impossible not to – and for a while made Bedford look the struggling side they have been of late. Just eight second half minutes had elapsed when an Oakes free kick from the right was smartly headed back across goal by Willis before it nestled inside Brown’s left hand post for the strikers second goal in as many games. Sadly that goal was pretty much Willis’s contribution for the day as he and fellow recent signing Lee Clarke both endured anonymous afternoons.

Just before the hour Brown made a truly wonderful save to his left as Oakes looked certain to score from a well struck 22 yard free kick which clipped Folds on its way towards goal. With that City’s attacking aspirations began to fade and Bedford looked to have scored a third time when Darren Sarll forced home a corner only for the whistle to blow due to a dubious infringement on Clark.

With Roberts causing City all manner of problems the Saints were now very much in retreat. Derek Brown staved off the inevitable when he did well to deflect wide a Roberts shot but five minutes from time Roberts went down in the penalty area following an attempted tackle by Zoricich and the Eagles leading scorer duly despatched the penalty to the keeper’s right as he moved to his left to clinch Bedford’s deserved victory.

Report by Dave Tavener
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