12 Aug 2026
Enfield Town 1 St Albans City 2 (Isthmian League Premier Division)
At the end of a night of high drama, striker Inih Effiong grabbed a 96 th -minute winner as
Saints claimed the scalp of another side that’s tipped to be a promotion rival this season,
writes Jess Unwin.
After Saturday’s encouraging season-opening home victory against Chatham, City fought
back from being 1-0 down away at Enfield Town on Tuesday night to make it two wins from
their first two games.
The result is all the more impressive given that Towners, whose aim is an immediate return
to the National League South after relegation last season, won their own first game of the
2026-27 campaign 4-0 against Lewes FC.
That sort of form suggested City’s challenge at the Dave Bryant Stadium would be a tough
one, and the task certainly got no easier when the home team went ahead through a 29th-minute penalty, converted by Sam Youngs.
However, the narrative of the game then took an unexpected turn with the Enfield side
reduced to nine men by the half-time break following two red cards.
Nevertheless, determined defending from the Towners meant it was the 59th minute before
Saints were back on level terms, thanks to a great goal from experienced playmaker Alex
Dyer.
City goalkeeper Sam Donkin made an outstanding save to keep the scores at 1-1 and deep
into time added on by the match officials, with it looking like the points would be shared,
second-half substitute Effiong settled the contest in Saints’ favour with his first goal for the
club.
St Albans manager Gary McCann told the club’s YouTube channel: “We deserved to win it in
the second half, but we lacked a bit of quality at times…and you have to give huge credit to
the opposition. To go to down to nine men right on stroke of half-time and deal with that
wasn’t easy.
“They defended brilliantly and that made it extremely difficult for us. We had to be patient,
and you could see we were desperate to get a winning goal and it’s taken a late moment to
find it.”
Of the two goals he said: “The strike from Alex Dyer was sublime and Inih popped up at the
right place at the right time.”
And he had special praise for Donkin: “His save just after we made it 1-1 was the save of the
night – a fantastic save at a critical moment in the game.”
St Albans now sit third on goal difference in the Premier Division table, one of just four
teams on a maximum of six points from the first two league matches.
- Centreback Jake Grante has signed for St Albans City on another loan deal from Crystal
Palace and was used as a second-half substitute in the Enfield game. The 20-year-old had a
successful spell on loan from the Eagles last season.
Defender Ollie Baker and midfielder Joe Beardon have stepped up from City’s academy to
sign for the club’s first team squad, while Midfielder Haziz Kone has agreed to a dual
registration deal with Potters Bar Town. - Next up for Saints is a home game this Saturday (August 15) at Clarence Park against
Lewes FC. Kick-off is 3pm. Match tickets are now available from the club’s newly launched St
Albans City Football Club mobile phone app, as well as from City’s website and, of course, at
the turnstiles on the day.
