Ryman League Premier Division

Sutton Utd 3 St Albans 1

by David Tavener

ST Albans City gave a good account of themselves against Ryman League leaders Sutton United at Gander Green Lane on Saturday but the Saints slide towards the Premier Division relegation zone continues courtesy of a toothless attack and some basic defensive naivety.

For most of the opening 45 minutes 17th-placed Saints more than held their own against a Sutton side looking to complete an eighth consecutive league win and maybe had stand-in manager Terry Harris been able to call upon Steve Clark then City could have ended the U's long winning run and in the process clinched their first away success for four months.

But without the injured and sick Clark the Saints were unable to fully expose keeper Les Cleevely whose record against St Albans is nothing less than dreadful. City played the ball around nicely at times with Gary Cobb heavily involved and Paul Turner had his best game for some while although his relationship with the travelling fans diminished in the second period when he responded to criticism with a gesture which will do little to aid his cause.

A promising start by Saints was almost rewarded after just eight minutes when Sutton defenders had to dive in swiftly to block Justin Gentle who looked set to score. Rob Haworth headed over from a Cobb free kick and the same player also fired over from well outside the penalty area.

United's biggest let off came when Cobb curled a free kick across the face of the goal which just eluded several City players as they lunged in.

Sutton took fully 35 minutes to muster a worthwhile effort on the Saints goal but just three minutes later the Saints downfall began and as with the previous week's defeat by Hendon it was City's inability to fully deal with corners which led to their undoing.

David Everitt, making his 100th appearance for Sutton, clipped over a near post corner which was flicked on for John Ugbah to head back for Matt Hanlan to score his 40th goal in 200 games for the Surrey club.

Within six minutes of the second half getting underway City were well on the way to a fifth away defeat in six games. Kevin Mudd wasted a good opening by heading over from a Gentle corner on 48 minutes and within a minute another near-post corner routine paved the way for Sutton's second goal with Hanlan this time setting up Ugbah for the decisive touch.

Three minutes later Hanlan was allowed to walk unchallenged across the edge of the penalty area before presenting Joff Vansittart with a simple opportunity to score his tenth goal of the season.

After firing over from ten yards in the 73rd minute Turner went some way to making amends two minutes later by neatly glancing home a Gentle cross for City's consolation goal.

St Albans: Newell, Adolphe, Evans, Lonergan, Mudd, Daly, Cobb, Turner, Haworth, Blackman, Gentle. Substitutes: Deleon for Blackman after 51 mins; Foley and Akinbolu not used.

Referee: G Monk. Att: 963.

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