22 Apr 2026
St Albans City 4 Canvey Island 1 (Isthmian League Premier Division)
Report from Jess Unwin at Clarence Park, photos by Jim Standen
Saints produced an emphatic win in their last home game of this season, but with thoughts already turning to the next campaign, many supporters will believe it’s probably more important the club succeeds in its bid to hold on to talented striker Leo Sery.
Despite the team’s inconsistent performances and below-expectation mid-table finish, 22-year-old Sery has been a standout success. He is City’s top scorer with 20 goals and seven assists in all competitions and has deservedly won both the player of the season and goal of the season awards.
As well as the impressive goal tally, Sery has shown a willingness to work hard for his team and has an unflappable temperament in the face of the rough treatment that he often gets from opposition defenders.
Inevitably, Sery has attracted the attention of other clubs, raising the question of whether he can be persuaded to stay at Clarence Park and bolster City’s continuing ambition to win promotion back to the National League South.
St Albans manager Gary McCann has already signed up Zane Banton, Alex Dyer, Lewis Page, Jack James, Kieran Petrie and Sam Donkin for the 2026-27 season and it’s clear he’d like to add Sery too, telling the club’s YouTube channel: “We’re working towards trying to keep him in the building.”
He added: “I think what he’s got to understand is that he didn’t come to the club as a starter at the beginning of the season and he wasn’t a starter when I took over. He’d been a little bit sporadic in terms of his starts, he was a little in and out, and I think he was only on four or five goals when I came in with my management team.
“We saw the potential in him very quickly and we love his work ethic, but what he needs is to be playing every week and I think that’s where we’re both on the same page.
“He truly needs to make sure that he has a really positive season in terms of minutes next year and I’d like to think that a lot of the positive conversations we’ve had, and the fact that we’re both on the same page on that front, means that he agrees to be part of our pursuit next year.
“And our pursuit is for success – it’s not to have another season like we just had. We need to be successful next year, and we all want Leo to be part of that.
“He’s obviously created a bit of attention but I think if he looks at the bigger picture he’ll understand that another season with us, being very much part of what we’re looking to do next season, will catapult him beyond the interest that he’s getting at the moment – be it the level above or the level above that.
“He is capable of that, but there’s plenty still to work on within his game and the biggest thing is that he needs minutes and he can’t afford to take a step backwards on that front.”
In Saturday’s victory over bottom-of-the-table Canvey Island, it was Jasper Mather, leading the line in the absence of Sery, who opened the scoring for City on just nine minutes, taking advantage of Jack James’ headed assist to score from close range.
Canvey went further behind after Alex Dyer – many City supporters’ second choice for player of the season – converted from the penalty spot on 42 minutes, and it was 3-0 to the home side when Lewis Page drilled home just before the half-time break.
Mather’s second goal, a clever and controlled finish to Kieran Gauthier’s excellent cross, made it 4-0 on 76 minutes before Canvey grabbed a consolation goal through Conor Hubble on 89 minutes.
- Ian Rogers is stepping down as chair and as a board member of Saints City Trust, the supporters group that he helped form in 2009, becoming chair in 2010. He has been a St Albans City club volunteer for 30 years, undertaking many different roles during that time.
After City’s victory against Canvey on Saturday, he told the St Albans Times: “This season has been very disappointing – the departure of Ian Culverhouse and Paul Bastock disrupted the season and some of our performances have been painful to watch as a supporter.”
However, he continued: “I look forward to seeing how Gary McCann will build the side for next season, noting that he has already secured the signings of a number of the current squad.”
Talking to the St Albans City YouTube channel, McCann praised Ian for being “a great servant to the club”.
He added: “He’s a part of the fabric of this club and I’m sure he is going to continue to be so.” - City’s final game of the 2025-26 season is away at Carshalton Athletic this Saturday (25th). Saints won the reverse fixture 2-1. Kick-off at the War Memorial Sports Ground is 3pm.
