St Albans City F.C. History & Archives - Fixtures & Results | St Albans City F.C. History & Archives

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25.03.2006 at 15:00 Clarence Park

Attendance : 835

St Albans City

4 - 0

Maidenhead United

Referee :

Conference South

Goalscorers

Matt Hann (7)
Paul Hakim (30)
Ranbir Marwa (58)
Lee Clarke (77)

None

Opening squads

Paul Bastock
Dean Cracknell
Gary Elphick
Ben Lewis
Matt Hann
Ranbir Marwa
Paul Hakim
Lee Clarke
Ben Walshe
Lee Flynn
Chris Seeby

Scott Tarr
Steve Dell
Ryan Parsons
Nathan Bunce
Chris Wild
Dominic White
Craig Lewington
Ryan ashe
Steve Hughes
Neville Roach
Mark Graham

Substitutes

Mark Burgess
Andrew Ross
Amos Foweya
Nick Roddis
Patrick Ada

Dean Bradshaw
Yashwa Romeo
Nana Badu
Marc Whiteman
Carl Stevenson

Substitutions

Patrick Ada -> Ben Lewis (74)
Andrew Ross -> Ranbir Marwa (82)
Amos Foweya -> Paul Hakim (82)

Dean Bradshaw -> Steve Dell (34)
Nana Badu -> Mark Graham(78)
Yashwa Romeo -> Ryan Parsons (78)

Yellow cards

None.

None

Red cards

None.

None

Match report

The St Albans City goal-machine steamrollered its way to the summit of the Conference South on Saturday with a comprehensive destruction of bottom side Maidenhead United, so with just six games remaining the Saints destiny is now in their hands.
If Saturday’s performance in front of the highest Clarence Park attendance for a league match for over three years is anything to go by then both the destiny of the club and the championship are in safe hands. Facing a relegation-threatened Maidenhead side containing four former Saints, City were, at times, quite devastating.
On the first warm, though wet, day of the year Colin Lippiatt’s entertainers were ahead inside seven minutes with a well worked routine. Matt Hann won a corner off Ryan Parsons that Ben Walshe, for once, opted to play to Dean Cracknell on the edge of the penalty area. Although not powerfully struck Cracknell’s shot ran through a crowd of players for Hann to scoop home his 17th goal of the season from close range.
Maidenhead, beaten 4-0 in this seasons other meeting in Berkshire, should have been level a minute later when Nathan Bunce rose well but headed wide from a Mark Graham corner. The Magpies only other serious attempt on goal was a fine turn and shot by Neville Roach that went a yard over Paul Bastock’s goal. As news filtered through that leaders Weymouth had fallen behind at Welling, City turned on the style with some scintillating football.
The Magpies ponderous back line was constantly exposed by the pace of Paul Hakim and Hann while Lee Clarke again got through a phenomenal amount of work. In midfield, Dean Cracknell, in the starting line up for the first time sine early January, and Ram Marwa were excellent in both winning the ball and creativity.
But as chances went begging for Clarke, Cracknell, Marwa and Hakim the visitors remained in contention until the 30th minute when the Saints struck for a second time.
Hakim chased a long ball down the City left that Steve Dell attempted to nudge back to keeper Scott Tarr only for the City striker to intervene, Tarr blocked Hakim’s first effort but moments later the ball was in the Hatfield Road goal after Hakim won the chase for the loose ball.
Seven minutes later Marwa whipped in an excellent cross when seemingly penned in but Clarke, diving in front of the keeper, failed to apply the killer touch. Having spent the first half virtually encamped in the Maidenhead half City began the second period with even greater pressure on the visitors overworked defence.
After Clarke headed over from a Walshe corner the Saints, on 58 minutes, notched their 50th home league goal of the season. Hann, running into the centre of the Maidenhead half from out on the right, played in Lee Flynn – another to give an excellent performance – and from his low cross Marwa, with the aid of a deflection, got the ball into the York Road net from the tightest of angles
St Albans now threatened to run riot with Maidenhead simply overrun but the visitors got lucky when a first time shot by Hakim struck the surprised Tarr after Hann had again opened up the Magpies left flank. Great skill by Cracknell sent Clarke away but his effort to slip the ball wide of the amply framed Tarr was blocked by the keeper who did likewise to thwart Walshe a minute later.
A long overdue fourth goal, remarkably City’s 88th in 36 league games, came on 77 minutes. Clarke lost possession with a loose ball to Ryan Ashe who generously returned it to the City skipper. Sensing his luck was in, Clarke drove in an audacious effort from wide on the left that deflected off Dominic White and bent across Tarr into the far corner of the net