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02.12.2014 at 19:45 Grosvenor Vale

Attendance : 324

Wealdstone

3 - 0

St Albans City

Referee : Ashvin Degnarian (Islington) FA Trophy / 3rd Round Qualifying Replay

Goalscorers
Shaun Lucien (17)
Daniel Brown (33)
Scott McGleish (75)
None.
Opening squads
Jonathan North
James Hammond
Ryan Watts
Wes Parker
Tom Hamblin
Elliott Godfrey
Shaun Lucien
Daniel Brown
Scott McGleish
Jonny Wright
Joe Turner
Joe Welch
Ben Martin
Sam Corcoran
Elliott Bailey
John Kyriacou
Ian Gayle
Nathan Green
Steve Wales
Charlie Gorman
James Comley
John Frendo
Substitutes
Richard Jolly
Tom Hickey
Matt Ball
Carl Martin
Luke ONien
Tom Coulton
David Longe-King
Jack Green
Alex Yearwood
Joel Nouble
Substitutions
Richard Jolly -> Jonny Wright (73)
Tom Hickey -> Elliott Godfrey (80)
Luke ONien -> Scott McGleish (86)
Joel Nouble -> Charlie Gorman (46)
Alex Yearwood -> John Frendo (78)
Jack Green -> Sam Corcoran (78)
Yellow cards
James Hammond (64) Ben Martin (16)
James Comley (90)
Red cards
None Steve Wales (69)
Match report


A cold and windy night in Ruislip was not to St Albans City’s liking on Tuesday, as the Saints bowed out of the FA Trophy with barely a whimper and Wealdstone cruised through to the competition proper with a far from flattering 3-0 victory at Grosvenor Vale.

Injuries, cup-tied players and suspensions left joint-manager’s Graham Golds and Jimmy Gray with a threadbare squad from which to choose, but that did not save those that were on the pitch from a lived Gray at the final whistle.

Those excused from the verbal slaughter were youngsters Alex Yearwood, making his debut, and Jack Green. Both of whom were sent on with City already three-down, down to ten-men following the dismissal of Steve Wales, and seemingly heading for an even more substantial reversal.


Elliott Bailey was recalled from London Colney after scoring twice in two games for the Blues and also escaped criticism from the boss, but was guilty of a terrible close range miss when the game was not yet out of City’s reach.

St Albans almost got off to a flying start when Ben Martin’s header from a Nathan Green corner was headed off the home goalline by Elliott Godfrey, with Ian Gayle sending a follow up header looping just over the crossbar.

Nathan Green, having played an attacking role on Saturday, filled in at his more natural position of left-back to cover for the suspended Lee Chappell.

Playing up the Grosvenor Vale slope and into a strong and cold wind, the Saints continued to press forward during the early exchanges but all too quickly the game slipped away from them, as Wealdstone moved the ball forward sharply and dominated a benign City midfield.

Wealdstone had offered little of an attacking threat during the early skirmishes but on 17 minutes were awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area when Martin pulled down Godfrey.

After waiting for Martin to be booked, Shaun Lucien swept a cleanly struck dead ball at some pace to the left of Joe Welch and into the roof of the net.

And with that goal any intent City may have possessed of winning the tie looked to be whisked away in the winter breeze.

City were not without chances but when a shot by John Frendo went out for a throw some 20 yards from the goalline, then it was clearly not going to be one their better days.

The gulf between the free flowing passing of the Wealdstone midfield and the vast chasm in front of the City backline grew as the half went on.

Lucien toyed with the City left flank while Joe Turner posed similar problems on the opposite wing, and Godfrey bossed the central positions. All too often St Albans were chasing shadows.

Turner got the better of Wales and John Kyriacou midway through the half and crossed low and powerfully into the penalty area.

Martin’s poor attempt at a clearance went straight to Jonny Wright whose first time shot was saved by a fully extended Welch.

Moments later a wayward pass by Sam Corcoran handed the Stones possession midway inside the City half.

James Hammond quickly exchanges passes with Dan Brown and drove in a low cross that Wright smartly tucked past Welch only to be pulled up for offside.

Wright should have extended the lead when beating the offside trap but after racing clear fired over from the edge of the penalty area.

The Stones belatedly added a second goal on 33 minutes when breaking quickly from deep inside their own half.

Turner won the ball from Gayle from virtually by the corner flag, before charging the length of the touchline. Gayle stuck with his man and won the ball back but then put a bad clearance straight to Ryan Watts.

The former City left-back pushed the ball inside to Brown who, after evading a hefty challenge by Comley, played it on to McGleish. The Wealdstone striker then played it wide to Hammond, and from his cross Brown beat Welch with a wonderful header across the keeper from 12 yards.

As inept as City appeared they were still in the game.

But a good chance went begging when Wales sent a low cross in front of Jonathan North’s goal only for Bailey, coming in at the back post, to balloon his shot over the bar from just a handful of yards out.

Just prior to the interval Wright nipped the ball from Gorman’s toes and set up McGleish for a snapshot that Welch dived to his right to save.

City made one change during the interval with Joel Nouble replacing Gorman.

The second half omens were not good for St Albans when Martin miscued again and put a Lucien cross straight to Wright, but this time the City captain did manage to divert Wright’s subsequent shot over the target for a corner.

The pressure was maintained with Kyriacou clearing Watts’ corner from almost on the goalline.

City broke swiftly from that incident but Wales, after receiving a short pass from Frendo, passed the ball meekly to the retreating Brown when a shot at goal was called for.

A spell of Stones pressure led to another corner when the grounded Turner, from the tightest of positions, forced a surprised Welch to beat the ball away.

North, on 66 minutes, was forced to make his only save of the half when collecting a Comley effort from 30 yards.

Three minutes later any thoughts towards City salvaging the game vanished when Wales collected the Saints fifth red card of the season.

Chasing a pass into the penalty area by Frendo, Wales slid in with Stones defender Tom Hamblin but while the two players were on the ground Wales appeared to kick Hamblin in the head.

Referee Ashvin Degnarain had no option but to wave his red card at a City player for the third successive game when refereeing a St Albans match.

Wealdstone completed the scoring on 75 minutes when Hammond stole the ball from Comley and began another lethal counter-attack.

Turner curled a ball down the Stones right and into the path of Richard Jolly, who City believed to be offside, and from his low cross McGleish stroked the ball, left-footed, high to the right of Welch.

With City in freefall teenage substitutes Yearwood and Green were given a taste of First team football.

City’s woes almost worsened when Wealdstone captain Wes Parker volleyed the ball against the crossbar following a corner by Godfrey, and then when Jolly dispossessed Martin only to blaze high and wide of the Couch Stand goal.

Wealdstone will be at home to Hayes & Yeading United in the 1st Round Proper, while St Albans will now have a free day on 13th December.

This coming Saturday, 6th December, City are at home to Bath City in the Conference South, kick off at Clarence Park is at 3pm.

Charlie Smith and Omar Beckles will be available for selection but Chappell, David Keenleyside, Matt Taylor and Darren Locke are all ruled out.

Steve Wales will receive a three-match ban for his dismissal against Wealdstone.
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