Dyer red card leaves Saints in ascendancy

City suffered a 3-0 defeat against St Albans City at Clarence Park this afternoon in a game that turned on the sending off of Jordan Dyer in 1st half stoppage time. Despite trailing to a 10th minute penalty – Jeffers converting after he was tripped in the box – City had enjoyed the better of the opening 45 minutes. The hosts dealt well with a series of corners and Saints keeper Berry was forced into several good stops, with City’s press forcing a number of errors as St Albans tried to play the ball out from the back. Just when it looked like the penalty would separate the sides at the break Dyer’s challenge on Neal right on the edge of the box was adjudged a foul and, after consulting with his assistant, the referee brandished a red card. And City’s punishment was doubled when Jeffers curled the free-kick beyond debutant keeper Josh Gould. Any hopes of an unlikely comeback disappeared on 58 minutes when Weiss stooped to head home from six yards out. The Saints showed little inclination to push for more goals after this – in fact, Kieran Parselle’s header on to the top of the bar was the closest either side would come to adding to the scoring – but the damage had already been inflicted on the Romans to send them to just a second away defeat this season.