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28.08.2006 at 15:00 Clarence Park

Attendance : 1184

St Albans City

1 - 0

Tamworth

Referee : S Beck (Essex)

Nationwide Conference

Goalscorers

Paul Hakim (32)

None

Opening squads

Paul Bastock
Tom Davis
Gary Elphick
Matt Hann
Paul Hakim
Lee Clarke
Adam Wilde
Lee Flynn
David Theobald
Josh Sozzo
Chris Seeby

Sean Bowles
Adie Smith
Graham Ward
Jon Stevenson
Bradley Thomas
Tom Kemp
Simon Weaver
John McGrath
Taiwo Atieno
Graeme Law
Gavin McCallum

Substitutes

Dean Cracknell
Ben Lewis
Simon Martin
Dane Harper
Rob Norris

Kyle Storer
Dale Belford
Alan Neilson
Lee Moore
Matthew Williams

Substitutions

Simon Martin -> Josh Sozzo (69)

Matthew Williams -> Jon Stevenson (18)
Lee Moore -> Graham Ward (72)
Alan Neilson -> John McGrath (76)

Yellow cards

Lee Clarke (34)
Tom Davis (90)

Adie Smith (39)
Bradley Thomas (48)

Red cards

None.

None

Match report

Matt Hann tries to find a way through a crowded Tamworth Defense.

David Tavener reports from Clarence Park
In registering the clubs first ever victory at Clarence Park over Nationwide Conference opposition on Monday, St Albans City showed flashes of the scintillating football that carried Colin Lippiatt’s side to promotion last May.
Looking sharper than during Saturday’s defeat at Altrincham, the Saints seldom appeared like handing an unspectacular Tamworth side their first away points of the season and as confidence seeped through the team a decent Bank Holiday crowd was treated to some excellent passing moves.
The game was as tight as the scoreline suggests but in terms of creativity Lippiatt’s boys were comfortable victors over Mark Cooper’s rapidly changing Tamworth side. Four straight defeats forced Cooper to give several of his Lambs the chop and bring in new faces in a bid to avoid a repeat of last seasons desperate battle against relegation.
Following Saturday’s defeat at Altrincham, City brought Josh Sozzo into the attack with skipper Lee Clarke dropping into the midfield in place of Dean Cracknell, a hamstring injury forced Ram Marwa to rest.
Tamworth had the ball in the net after just seven minutes only for Graham Ward’s header to be deemed offside. With neither side settling into a passing game that the next chance came from a dead ball was of little surprise as Paul Bastock comfortably caught John McGrath’s free kick.
After Lee Flynn, who had an excellent match, wasted a free kick for City, Tamworth hit back with a surging run down the right by Taiwo Atieno that ultimately came to nothing. Just as the play became increasingly scrappy City, on 32 minutes, struck the decisive blow.
A Tamworth throw down the visitors right was returned by the head of Flynn, as the ball bounced amongst a cluster of players Clarke – who left the ground with a heavily bandaged head –clipped a perfect high pass between two Lamb defenders for Paul Hakim to break clear and almost nonchalantly slide his second goal of the season past Sean Bowles and into the Hatfield Road goal.
Within seconds a loose ball from Matt Hann let in Atieno for a shot that went well wide while Matthew Williams fired low but straight at the faultless Paul Bastock.
For the opening ten minutes of the second half St Albans went for the kill and Tamworth were fully stretched as City attacked down both flanks. Adam Wilde, belatedly, got into the game and caused no end of problems for the visitors. From one of his crosses Chris Seeby, a real threat when moving forward from right back, tested Bowles with a scissor-kick while a Wilde corner was parried by Bowles with the keeper doing well to block Josh Sozzo’s follow up effort.
With a brilliant run through the middle Hakim looked on for a second goal until Bradley Thomas slid in with perfect timing to end the run. To their credit, Tamworth hit back strongly but the City defence was as resolute as it had been when Cambridge United left the Park goalless two weeks previous with Bastock given outstanding protection.
Other than for a McGrath free kick that evaded not only a cluster of bodies close to goal but also the far post clear chances were scarce for the Lambs although a swift counter-attack saw Williams burst through the middle only for Bastock to block and then smother the strikers shot.
The better chances continued to come in front of the home fans with Simon Martin and Hann firing just wide, Bowles saving from Tom Davis and, late in the day, Elphick heading against an upright from a Wilde corner.