Surprise home defeat to local rivals compounded by injuries to defensive duo Bostwick and James

St Albans City 1 Potters Bar 2 (Isthmian League Premier Division)
From St Albans Times sports correspondent Jess Unwin at Clarence Park, photos by Jim Standen

St Albans City will delve into the transfer market for defensive reinforcements after Michael Bostwick and Jack James both suffered injuries in Tuesday night’s frustrating defeat to bottom-of-the-table Potters Bar.

A reoccurrence of Bostwick’s ongoing hamstring problem and a leg injury for James represent a serious headache for City with fellow defenders Jamal Fyfield, James Sweet and Adrian Mariappa all still not match fit.

Despite the undeniable disruption caused by the forced first-half exits of Bostwick and James, a succession of missed goal chances and the unwelcome return of defensive failings were really to blame for City’s surprise undoing against their Hertfordshire rivals.

Talking to the club’s social media, manager Gary McCann bemoaned his side’s lack of composure in the final third and an inability to find a clinical finish, while also adding that the two goals conceded by his side were once again “avoidable”.

Before the game, Bar had won only two games this season, letting in 40 goals in the process, and they clearly arrived at Clarence Park with a plan to do all they could to kill any momentum the home team tried to build.

McCann said: “Of course, there’s a bit of gamesmanship in there… the goalkeeper was taking extraordinary amounts of time right from the first five or 10 minutes, which was ridiculous. But in general, huge credit to them, they’ve come here and done a job on us.”

Leo Sery looked to have opened the scoring on the quarter hour mark on Tuesday night when he met Kieran Petrie’s excellent cross from the left but headed just wide. Soon after Petrie himself has a good chance but hit high and handsome.

Sery then lost his marker but shot wide on 21 minutes and skipper Zane Banton also missed the target a couple of minutes later after a good run into the box by Alex Dyer.

So, it was against the run of play when, after 27 minutes, Bar broke the deadlock. Norman did well to save a header from a deep cross only to see Damaray Anyadike react quicker than any of City’s defenders and pounce to nod home.

However, it seemed certain Saints would level just a minute later when Banton let the ball run through to Dyer on the edge of the penalty box, but he fired wide.

City were knocked out of their stride by the prolonged delay for the injuries to James and Bostwick but still managed to carve out further chances for Sery and Petrie before half time. After the break, Saints piled on the pressure. Elliot Betjemann shot straight into arms of the Bar keeper Fred Burbridge, Banton had two efforts blocked and Burbridge did well to stop Petrie’s low drive.

Further opportunities for Saints came to nothing and Bar did their best to break up the game with time-wasting tactics before Saints finally made it 1-1 on 80 minutes. Substitute Harrison Smith’s first chance to take on the Bar defence produced a low cross into the box and Sery, with his back to goal, converted with a clever flick.

Some Saints supporters must have thought their team could go on to win this contest, but instead it took Bar only four minutes to reassert their advantage when Lewis Page’s attempt to clear put the ball into the path of Nana Kyei, who drilled home.

• Leo Sery’s Tuesday night goal, in front of a crowd of 658, makes him the club’s leading goalscorer with seven goals, one ahead of Zane Banton. Kieran Petrie, who made his second appearance for City at the game, has joined the club as part of a dual registration deal with Wealdstone. Striker George Sippetts has returned to Hayes & Yeading – the club he left to join Saints – in a three-month loan deal.
• This coming Saturday, St Albans City travel to Kent to take on Ramsgate, who are one point and one place ahead of City in the table. Kick-off is 3pm.