St Albans City 5 – 0 Wealdstone
St Albans City5 - 0
WealdstoneWealdstone goalkeeper Chris Swain was powerless to prevent St. Albans from recording their 100th goal of the season at Clarence Park on Monday night.
It took striker Lee Picking just 60 seconds to hit the ton. Home fans went wild as Picking received a hard drive from Butterfield across the goal – with Swain deceived by a Bobby Childs dummy run – which saw the ball find the corner of the net.
The first minute goal heralded one of City’s famous goal sprees with a tremendous display of power and poise they smashed through Wealdstone’s thin veneer of confidence – then after their only goal Amateur Cup defeat at Wycombe on Saturday.
The St. Albans all action style of play bought them a 2nd goal after just 12 minutes following a Childs corner. Big Les Burgess and John Oxley caused a succession of panic kicking from the Wealdstone defence until skipper Rob Williams trying to stop an Oxley shot, only succeeded in putting the ball into his own goal, his 2nd OG in three days.
City lost no time in pressing for a third goal, which Paul Collet looked like collecting with his vicious drive until Swain swopped to save. But in the 20th minute St. Albans increased their lead when another Childs corner saw Burgess charge goalwards to head home.
Wealdstone’s first threat came when Charlie Townsend tested Roy Bloxham with two long range efforts in quick succession. Then Alan Pentecost put the ball past Bloxham from a Gary Hand cross only to be ruled offside. St Albans were not satisfied yet, though. Three minutes before half-time Pickering gave warning of what was to come with a blockbuster shot which Swain was just able to finger tip to safety.
Wealdstone’s forward line, already held well in check, became even less effective in the 74th minute when Bill Johnstone was replaced by defender Micky Barnard in an effort to bring some stability at the back. But seconds before St Albans had also substituted – and it was their switch which proved the more successful.
In a pre-planned ploy Picking went off to allow the inclusion of striker Dave Neville who responded within 4 minutes with a headed goal. It just about summed up Wealdstone’s fate, for Neville was playing against doctor’s orders with an infected shin. And the Lower Mead men’s misery was completed five minutes from time when Collet scored City’s fifth with another header.
Yet Swain was playing with bruises from the Amateur Cup clash plus a cold and had the bad luck to “run into a side playing the best soccer I’ve seen in Amateur football for years” to quote a Wealdstone official.
Wealdstone: Swain, Daffern, Hand, Williams, Olsen, Rapley, Townsend, Mahon, Ritchie, Pentecost & Johnstone. Sub Barnard for Johnstone
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