Saints win keeps up great start to season

City maintained their impressive start to the new season with a 2-0 win over St Albans City at Clarence Park this afternoon. A Scott Wilson penalty and an own goal gave them a two-goal cushion at half-time, which an impressive second half defensive performance turned into three points.

An early scare saw Jordan Dyer clear a 4th minute free-kick off the line. The game settled into a pattern with the Saints enjoying the majority of possession but rarely troubling City’s goal. In fact, it was City who threatened next when a swift break on 23 minutes saw Wilson test keeper Johnson with a low shot. Nine minutes later the deadlock was broken when a cross was handled by Wyatt and Wilson made no mistake from the penalty spot. Then three minutes before the break it got even better for the visitors when Ewan Clark’s cross was diverted into his own net by James.

City started the second half brightly but were soon pinned back in their own half for long periods. However, the home side found City’s defence in an uncompromising form, as a series of great blocks kept them at bay. Just past the hour mark Tom Smith fired a good chance narrowly wide before Clark saw a shot curl off target as well. St Albans continued to look for a way back into the match but apart from a scare when Wright and Kieran Parselle’s collided, the ball dropping just wide of the goal, they continued to be frustrated by City’s excellent rear-guard action, leaving the Romans to enjoy a third successive win.