Reserves v St Albans City match report

[Lord Melchett]

ENFIELD TOWN (0) 1 (Johnson 63 mins)

 

ST. ALBANS CITY (1) 2 (Shields 3 mins, Atu 80 mins)

 

Tuesday 29^th September 2009

 

Capital Football League, Central Division

 

Town dropped their first reserve league points of the season to a strong St Albans outfit who fielded eight players from their weekend Conference South outing.

 

A yard quicker in the head and on the ground St Albans dominated the opening 45 minutes but, bizarrely, might have found themselves behind at the break following a ten minute spell from Town which could have bagged two goals.

 

Billy Healey’s efforts just after the half hour mark saw the young home striker shoot narrowly wide and moments later a seemingly goal bound effort from a yard out smuggled over the bar by a panic stricken St Albans defence. Prior to those moments there had been no indication that the early lead, given to the visitors by Solimon Shields, would turn into anything else than a procession for the higher league side. Shields slotted past Jason Holmes following a cut back from Luke Thurlebourne and when added to a further effort from the St Albans striker which was deflected wide after 8 minutes, a tip round the post by Holmes from a goal bound effort from James Fisher and a stop by Holmes with his legs to deny Gary Cohen on the stroke of half time illustrated the visitors dominance.

 

The match did not quite turn into a contest of two contrasting halves but Town played a lot better in the second period and got their reward when two minutes after Holmes had dispatched a Cohen header round the post Shane Johnson lobbed Danny Margott with some skill and style for the equaliser. Good work from Roberto Minnitti afforded Johnson the time to pick his spot. With Town in the ascendency the game evened itself out as St Albans suddenly had to think about defence rather than all out attack.

 

The parity was broken by St Albans’ substitute, Henry Atu, who rammed a shot beyond Holmes with ten minutes remaining. There was more than a hint of a handling infringement as Atu controlled the ball before getting his shot away. It was always likely to be beyond Town to comeback for a second time but Minniti almost grabbed a point for the home side in the dying moments with a turn and shot narrowly over Margott’s bar.

 

Enfield Town: Jason Holmes: David Bastian (Louis Baldwin 83 mins), Alex Kirby, Ryan Warren (Tom Riley 69 mins), Mark Matthews, Shane Johnson, Andy Jones, Jordan Lockie, Anthony Stockman (Kieran Sauboorah HT), Billy Healey, Roberto Minniti

 

St Albans City: Danny Margott; James Quilter, Adam Everitt, Luke Thurlbourne, Justin Clayton, Ryan Frater, Solimon Shields (Henry Atu 60 mins), James Fisher, Gary Cohen, Jonathon O’Donnell, Alex Bailey (Craig Mortimer 55 mins)