03 Mar 2026
Hashtag United 1 St Albans City 2 (Isthmian League Premier Division)
Report by Jess Unwin, photos by Jim Standen
Sharpshooter Leo Sery kept his cool to get his first spot-kick goal of the season and clinch all three points for St Albans City, ensuring the club’s slim promotion chances stay alive for the time being.
Sery’s 82nd-minute penalty and an earlier first-half strike against Hashtag United took his overall tally in the 2025-26 campaign to 19 goals in all competitions, and mean City will go into their vital upcoming clash with Dulwich Hamlet on a high.
Although still eight points off the promotion play-off places with just nine games to play, St Albans seem to be finding some consistency just when it’s needed and are now unbeaten in their past five games.
Victory this Saturday against Dulwich, who currently trail City on goal difference only, will maintain that positive momentum, but it won’t be easy. The south London team will arrive on the back of three straight wins and will bring a large and vociferous following to Clarence Park.
Dulwich won the reverse fixture 4-2 back in November while City were still without a manager following the shock departure of Ian Culverhouse for Kings Lynn. However, Saints fought back from 3-0 down to 3-2 – a familiar theme in too many of their games this season – and looked set to level the scores before Danny Mills made it 4-2 in stoppage time.
Against Hashtag United, Leo Sery scored the first goal on 30 minutes, thanks to an incisive pass from Alex Dyer, who was the team skipper in the absence through illness of Zane Banton.
United levelled the scores and it looked like the match would end in a draw before Sery got the winner from the penalty spot. Banton is the usual penalty-taker for City, but Sery made an excellent replacement, calmly sending United Keeper Jack Giddens the wrong way.
Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel, St Albans manager Gary McCann said: “I’m really pleased with the result but the scoreline was a little closer than I would like.”
He felt Saints were “wasteful” with their finishing in the first half but added: “A lot of credit needs to go to the other team for some last-ditch defending, and particularly to their keeper, who kept them in the game with some crucial saves.”
He continued: “I said at half-time it was the type of game where the opposition would get one moment and then you’re chasing a result when you shouldn’t be, and it played out exactly like that.”
United’s stubborn second-half resistance limited City’s goal chances and McCann admitted that, despite making some tactical changes to his team, “it felt like it was going to be one of those games where we weren’t going to find a way to win”.
Once the deadlock had been broken, Jamal Fyfield was introduced to create a back five and protect City’s one-goal lead. Fyfield’s experience, said McCann, helped to bolster another solid performance from the youthful centre back pairing of Sonny Hart and Jake Grante.
There was also praise for midfield duo Ryley Scott and Alex Dyer: “I thought they were outstanding for us in the middle of the park – they both really controlled the game and Dyer’s contribution to the first goal was excellent.
“And let’s not forget that’s another two goals for Leo Sery. In fact, he’s a little bit disappointed he hasn’t got four or five today. That’s the way it should be – he wants more, which is a credit to him.”
Looking to the Dulwich game this weekend, he said: “It’s a big game and we need to pack out Clarence Park and see if we can build on this run – we’re in good form and we’ve got to keep that run continuing. Our margin for error is zero at the moment and the boys are fully aware of that.”
- Injury list latest: it’s hoped both left back Lewis Page and captain Banton could be fit to face Dulwich.
- St Albans City’s game this Saturday (7th) with Dulwich Hamlet could attract the biggest Clarence Park crowd so far this season. The attendance might even come close to the 3,334 who saw the reverse fixture at Dulwich’s Champion Hill ground. Kick-off is 3pm but it’s advisable to arrive well before that if you can.
