04 Jan 2024
St Albans City took Derby Day revenge as they came from behind to beat Hemel Hempstead Town (“The Tudors”) to begin 2024, writes Will Murray.
The sides were meeting for the second time in a week as the Tudors came away from Clarence Park with maximum points on Boxing Day thanks to a late second-half comeback.
David Noble made four changes to the line-up that lost on the 26th with Jeffers and Weiss dropping out of the frontline to make way for Akanbi and Banton – who made his first start since early August. Blackman’s injury on Boxing Day saw him miss out whilst Nathan Carlyle was also absent; Sam Brown and Dan Bowry were drafted in as replacements.
Gloomy skies framed the opening exchanges, but it was Hemel who made the brighter start. An early free-kick threatened McNamara’s goal but was well cleared. Then in just the 3rd minute, the hosts took the lead, Joe Re played lobbed through ball over the top of The Saints’ defence and George Williams latched onto it before calmly finishing into the net.
City responded well to the early setback, Gio Rasulo had a shot from the left-hand side of the area that flashed narrowly wide, and it looked as though the visitors were growing into the game.
However, it was the Tudors who doubled their lead after just 12 minutes. Bowry was booked for a late sliding challenge on the edge of the area and goal scorer Williams stood over the resulting free kick. He drove a powerful strike towards McNamara’s side of the goal, but a deflection off George Hoddle took it past The Saints keeper and gave Hemel a two-goal cushion.
The game then fell into a bit of a lull, St Albans keeping the ball well but failing to create any real chances of note. That was until in the 31st minute when a weaving Dom Hutchinson run and pass put Ibby Akanbi through on goal, but he pulled his shot just wide of the far post. A frustrating moment for the striker but encouraging signs that the game was far from over.
That proved to be true just 8 minutes later, a slick passing move on the edge of the Hemel box allowed Rasulo to put through Zane Banton, the winger brilliantly slotted into the corner and pulled one back for The Saints. Game on!
The second period began with a substitute for City as Shaun Jeffers was introduced, replacing Ibby Akanbi.
Zane Banton continued to threaten with his brilliant in-swinging cross landing on the head of Rasulo who could only find the keeper’s arms from 5 yards out.
A rare foray forward for Hemel in the second half came as Tre Mitford got on the end of a good cross on 56 minutes, although McNamara was alert to jump on the ball before the forward could get a shot away.
Then just after the hour mark a well-deserved equaliser finally came for The Saints. Dan Bowry swung in a delightful cross from the right wing and marksman Jeffers was there to acrobatically volley in from close range. City would have been hoping that was the springboard to go on and complete the comeback.
Hemel did well to repel The Saints for the next 10 minutes or so, disrupting play and not allowing the attacking momentum that had been building to continue.
On 80 minutes Hemel began to impose themselves in attack for the first time in the second half, some prolonged periods of possession had City penned in their own and The Tudors looked more likely to find a winner in the closing stages.
Although City were not to be kept down long and a 92nd-minute corner caused chaos in the Hemel box. First, it dropped to Sam Brown whose effort was cleared off the line but he was there to smash in the rebound and grab all three points for The Saints late on! Claiming an important first goal for the club.
Hemel Hempstead Town:
King, McKenzie, Ajayi, Hill (C), Williams (Brown 80′), Mitford (Iaciofano 64′), Whittaker (Barzey 52′), Re, Smith, Newton, Roberts
Subs (Not Used): Matthews, Smith
Bookings: N/A
Goals: Williams 4′, 12′
St Albans City:
McNamara, Brown, Smith, Bowry (Fage 71′), Clark, Rasulo, Banton (Hamid 82′), Partington (C), Hutchinson, Akanbi (Jeffers 46′), Hoddle
Subs (Not Used): Weiss, Gauthier
Bookings: Bowry 10′, Clark 45+2′, Hutchinson 73′, Banton 90+2′
Goals: Banton 40′, Jeffers 61′, Brown 90+2′
St Albans City will be back in action once again on the weekend, as they’re set to take on Farnborough at The Park.
