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26.12.2004 at 13:00 Milton Road

Attendance : 737

Cambridge City

0 - 2

St Albans City

Referee : Ian Searle Conference South

Goalscorers
None Ranbir Marwa (40)
Lee Clarke (45)
Opening squads
Duncan Roberts
Steve Dell
Lee Summerscales
Glenn Fuff
Matt Langston
Alex Fiddes
Rob Miller
Carl Williams
Robbie Simpson
Dave Sadler
Dale Binns
Paul Bastock
Dean Hooper
Tom Davis
Ben Martin
Gary Elphick
Ranbir Marwa
Lee Clarke
Thomas Beech
Ben Walshe
Nick Roddis
Chris Seeby
Substitutes
Jon Stephenson
Matt Robinson
Josh Simpson
Lee O'Neill
Alan Carlton
John Armand
Matt Hann
Lee Charles
Substitutions
Jon Stephenson -> Lee Summerscales (46)
Matt Robinson -> Robbie Simpson (64)
Lee O'Neill -> Dale Binns (83)
Lee Charles -> Thomas Beech (85)
Yellow cards
Alex Fiddes (57)
Jon Stephenson (77)
Ranbir Marwa (47)
Dean Hooper (73)
Tom Davis (74)
Red cards
None None.
Match report

Ram Marwa scores City's 1st goal
The resurgence of St Albans City under Colin Lippiatt gathered pace at Milton Road on Boxing Day as the Saints second successive away victory lifted them off the foot of the Nationwide South table for the first time in two months and extended their unbeaten run to a third match.
The Saints were fully deserving of the three points as Cambridge City, in stretching their poor home league record to just one win from the past six outings, made little headway throughout as the Saints defence gave its most solid performance of the season.
Central defenders Gary Elphick, who surely cannot maintain his current form for much longer without being recalled by Brighton & Hove Albion, and Ben Martin totally blunted the Cambridge attack. Chris Seeby was switched to left back to cover for the suspended Scott Cousins, something that he did to good effect, which allowed Nick Roddis to return to the centre of midfield.
Aside from the defence others to shine were Ram Marwa, scorer of the first goal and Lee Clarke who capped another tireless display with his eighth goal in nine game and his 27th in just 51 games overall for the Saints.
Playing in front of the highest Nationwide South attendance seen at Milton Road this season the home side, playing up the slope during the first half, were keen to impress but even from early on there was little to suggest that Paul Bastock and his defence were going to be denied their first away clean sheet in this league.
Cambridge, managed by the former St Albans striker and manager Gary Roberts, should have taken the lead on nine minutes when Carl Williams crossed to the unmarked Rob Miller who wastefully headed tamely downwards with Bastock easily grabbing the rising ball. Six minutes later Alex Fiddes fed leading Cambridge scorer Dave Sadler but Bastock was down swiftly to block the close range shot for a corner. Williams near post corner was missed by a cluster of players and drifted untouched across the face of the Saints goal.
Although pretty much holding their own St Albans were not troubling their former keeper Duncan Roberts and on the half hour Cambridge squandered a good chance when Miller robbed Roddis and spread the play out to Dale Binns who found Fiddes whose driven cross-shot just eluded Sadler at the back post.
St Albans countered with Marwa playing the ball out to Tom Davis and racing to the byline before cutting the return pass into the goalmouth. Roberts dived at the ball but despite making a complete hash of dealing with the situation did just enough to keep it off the toes of the incoming Tom Beech.
Clearly growing in confidence Lippiatt’s side began to exert some pressure and just four minutes from the break Cambridge cracked. Davis, down the Saints right, played the ball into Clarke who burst into the penalty area but as he, under pressure from Matt Langston, lost control Marwa nipped in and with a miscued left-footed shot from eight yards sent the ball trickling inside Roberts left hand post.
This being the season of goodwill Cambridge kindly handed City a second goal at the start of first half added time. Roberts threw the ball out to Lee Summerscales, somewhat carelessly the left back attempted a square pass that Clarke intercepted and from 18 yards fired powerfully into the net to Roberts left as the keeper moved to his right.
Needing a swift response Cambridge brought on striker Jon Stephenson for the second period but even when the home side enjoyed a couple of purple patches there was no way past Martin and more stylish Elphick who were both dominant in the air and on the ground
At times the second half was fractious with five players going into the book but what good football there was to be seen came from the Saints who, in between the occasional swift long ball to clear their lines, tried to impose a passing game on proceedings something that they did to good effect late in the day as Cambridge desperately tried to get back into contention.
With Bastock saving well from Miller and several other efforts going way off target it was, ultimately, a relatively comfortable win for the Saints and on 85 minutes they maybe should have added a third when Seeby, looking more than a touch offside, broke free down the left only to see his low cross missed by Beech but almost turned in by defender Glenn Fuff.

Report by Dave Tavener




Two first half goals, and a rock solid defensive display earned The Saints three desperately needed points away from home on Boxing Day at the expense of fourth placed Cambridge City now managed by former City boss Gary Roberts.

This was City's second successive victory on the road, their second clean sheet in a row and took their unbeaten run to three games, achieved in front of 737 spectators, the largest attendance at any Saints' match for over two seasons. It's too early to refer to a rich vein of form, but new manager Colin Lippiatt will be delighted with the performances that he has achieved with his small squad.

Scott Cousins was suspended for this game and Chris Seeby filled the breech at left back to good effect, allowing a return to midfield of player-coach Nick Roddis. On the bench was new signing from Weymouth, former England semi-pro international, Lee Charles. But the stars of this Christmas show were the back four and in particular, the centre-back pairing of Gary Elphick and Ben Martin who blunted the home side's attack throughout.

A bright opening start to the match by both teams saw early half-chances fall to the home side. On 9 minutes, a cross from Carl Williams found the unmarked Rob Miller but his tame header was comfortably taken by the solid Paul Bastock in the City goal. Minutes later, the Saints' custodian was sharply down to block an effort from Cambridge leading scorer Dave Saddler and the resulting corner whipped across the goal eluding defence and attack alike.

From then on, the Saints' back line took control of their third of the pitch denying the home side time or space to create any threat to the visitor's goal. In attack, St Albans threatened from midfield with Ram Marwa, Tom Davis and the heavily strapped Ben Walshe working hard but the final ball into the area could not be found to trouble former Clarence Park keeper Duncan Roberts in the home goal. Roberts was required to deny Tom Beech on 37 minutes, diving to deflect a low cross from Davis away from the towering youngsters feet.

Pressure was mounting however, and the seemingly inevitable goal came on 41 minutes. Another Davis cross from the right found Lee Clarke who lost possession to Matt Langston, only for Marwa to gather the loose ball and mis-hit a snap shot from 8 yards that completely fooled the hapless Roberts, trickling over the line just inside the left hand post.

A defensive howler into time added on at the end of the first half extended the visitor's lead. Taking a thrown ball from Roberts, full-back Lee Summerscales attempted a square pass that was intercepted by Clarke who unleashed a fierce shot from 18 yards which gave the keeper no chance. This was the tireless Northern Ireland U21 striker's eighth goal in nine games, and his 17th of the season to date.

Cambridge, well placed towards the top of the league despite poor home form in the last 6 weeks, started the second half with determination, bringing on third striker Jon Stephenson, but the centre back partnership of Elphick and Martin were dominant both on the ground and in the air. The home side enjoyed periods of pressure but The Saints continued to play their passing game and, certainly, the better football on the day.

Several niggly confrontations resulted in 5 yellow cards and goal chances were rare as the game progressed. Bastock saved well from Adam Miller on 85 minutes and City had a good chance to extend their lead just before the end when the home centre-back Glenn Fuff deflected a Seeby cross just outside of his own post.

Report by Tom Lewis
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