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10.11.2007 at 15:00

Attendance : 233

Fisher Athletic

0 - 0

St Albans City

Referee : Warren Atkin Blue Square South

Goalscorers
None None.
Opening squads
Simon Overland
Simon Jackson
Gilbert Nuako
Lewis Tozer
Gavyn Dayes
Gavin Heeroo
Shaun Batt
Luke Hickie �
Wesley Thomas
Gavin Tomlin
Andre McCollin
Nick Eyre
Scott Cousins
Gary Elphick
Stephane Seanla
Craig Vargas
Jon Stevenson
Paul Bruce
Richard Butler
Lee Clarke
Jomo Faal-Thomas
Hasim Deen
Substitutes
Nicholas Plumain
Kieran Murtagh
Kenny Beaney
Tom Pepper
Jeff Goulding
Marcel McKie
Paul Semakula
Craig O'Connor
Paul Armstrong
Reiss Noel
Substitutions
Nicholas Plumain -> Gilbert Nuako (73)
Kenny Beaney -> Gavin Heeroo (9)
Jeff Goulding -> Shaun Batt (60)
Paul Armstrong -> Stephane Seanla (59)
Craig O'Connor -> Richard Butler (75)
Yellow cards
Gavyn Dayes (29)
Andre McCollin (90)
Lee Clarke (45)
Red cards
None None.
Match report
St Albans City manager Dave Anderson was understandably heartened by the battling performance his side gave in collecting a Blue Square South point from Fisher Athletic at Champion Hill on Saturday but a match of precious little skill provided gruesome viewing for a small crowd.
Close to the site of the original Champion Hill stadium, where the Saints and Dulwich Hamlet once shared 15 goals in a famous FA Cup tie, City and Fisher mustered barely half a dozen on target efforts before settling for a justified point apiece.
The draw gives City the rare luxury of two successive matches without defeat while Fisher boss Wayne Burnett admitted it was the first time in his managerial career that a side of his had ground out consecutive goalless draws, the result also leaves the Fish without a home win since August.
Anderson welcomed back Paul Bruce and skipper Lee Clarke after suspension and handed debuts to on loan Barnet midfield Stephane Seanla and former AFC Wimbledon striker Richard Butler. Although forced to feed off scraps from City’s long ball tactics rather than flowing football through the midfield, Butler gave a good account of himself and for the first time in some considerable time the Saints do appear to have genuine competition for places in attack.
Jomo Faal-Thomas was pulled back from midfield to right back, and looked all the better for the move, while Paul Semakula, Craig O’Connor and the now departed Damian Batt and Danny Morgan were missing from the previous match.
Fisher had a strong wind and blinding sunlight to their backs early on but made little good use of these benefits although they did appear the side most likely to make a breakthrough prior to the interval. Wayne Burnett’s side did suffer an early blow though when Gavin Heeroo, ironically after making a late challenge on the again impressive Hasim Deen, had to be replaced after suffering a calf injury.
Home keeper Simon Overland was forced into making a fingertip save as a Scott Cousins shot into the ground threatened to bounce inside the keepers left hand post. City had several free kicks around the edge of the home penalty area but Seanla’s 30th minute dead ball kick straight into the wall set the tone for the afternoon.
A rare flash of inspiration saw Wesley Thomas pounce onto a loose ball, after it thudded into Deen’s chest, and advance before setting up Andre McCollin for a fine first time shot that went just over Eyre’s goal. Seconds later a well struck inswinging Luke Hickie free kick just evaded everyone when the merest touch would have caused serious problems for Eyre.
Fisher finished the half strongly with former Saint Gavin Tomlin having a shot blocked by Deen, Eyre moved swiftly to thwart another one time City striker in Shaun Batt while St Albans responded with a cross by Cousins being miscued by Seanla and only half cleared to Jon Stevenson who shot tamely wide.
The second half saw more urgency introduced into the game but clear openings, and even decent passes to players in the same coloured shirts, remained as collectors items. Butler, however, showed a nice touch on 50 minutes after receiving a pass from Cousins as he clipped the ball over a defender and, from inside the penalty area, worked the ball across to Clarke whose header at goal lacked sufficient power to worry Overland. Clarke then latched onto to lax defending only to have his shot blocked for a corner.
Eyre had to move swiftly to save at the feet of Thomas while Seanla fired meekly wide after Bruce miscued in front of goal following a Cousins corner. The commitment remained high and the quality low, so it was something of a nice surprise when Clarke laid a good ball out to the right to Paul Armstrong and met the return with a clean volley from 18 yards that went narrowly wide of the home goal.
City were not disappointed to see the exit of the lively Batt on the hour but the introduction of striker Jeff Goulding, after three weeks out through injury, added greater potency to the home attack. A scintillating run by Hickie saw him evade ugly lunges from Bruce, Stevenson and Vargas before the ball was worked wide to Thomas whose dangerous cross was flicked away by Eyre.
After surviving a spell of City possession Fisher hit back with McCollin shooting against a stanchion and Eyre making a tremendous save, at the expense of a corner, low to his right after Goulding took a return pas from Hickie. Goulding was, however, fortunate to still be on the pitch for the closing minutes as his wild kick on Bruce led to a mass scrum that referee Warren Atkin, who until that point had been fussy in the extreme, saw fit to ignore.

Report by David Tavener
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