City Reserves badly Stained

11:09pm Wednesday 3rd December 2008

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A St Albans City Reserve side including Sam Hurrell and Hector Mackie went down to a 5-1 Capital League Western Division defeat to second in the table Staines Town at a near frozen Wheatsheaf Lane on Wednesday night.

St Albans sit just one place behind Staines in the table but a full eight points and a massive goal difference of 23 separates the two sides.

The match was effectively over a contest within the opening 22 minutes when a brace of goals by Staines striker Luke Roodenburg and one from Jamie Read – set up by Roodenburg – gave the home side a quick three-goal advantage that they never looked likely to relinquish.

Six minutes from the break Richard Orlu headed home from a Nick White free kick to give the Swans a four-goal half time lead although the Saints had rallied quite effectively towards the interval.

Long serving home keeper James Courtnage saved well from Craig Mortimer and Kwame Asamoah while Mortimer also had a goal disallowed for pushing.

The rout looked set to continue within four minutes of the restart when Roodenburg set up Read for his second goal of the night and had Staines finishing during the second period matched that of the opening half then City would have been facing a defeat of disastrous proportions.

City also benefited by referee John Faithfull quite generously disallowing two goals by Staines that appeared to have little wrong with them.

After the interval, wild shooting by the hosts and a couple of fine saves by Danny Margot restricted the damage prior to the Saints reducing the deficit on 85 minutes when substitute Eric Okof marked his debut by heading home a Gary Meakin cross.

It was just reward for the young Saints who forced a string of corners during a gallant second half performance.

Staines Town Reserves: J.Courtnage, S.Nicholson (B.Nicholson 80), M.Farrell, R.Orlu, L.Elliott (A.Gilbert 76), J.Read, N.White, A.Lodge, L.Roodenburg, V.Asombang, J.McShane (R.Kimfumu 72).

St Albans City Reserves: D.Margot, T.James, A.Olcot (A.Chaves 46), P.Semakula, Ai Byfield, E.Pascoal, G.Meakin, H.Mackie, C.Mortimer (E.Okof 76), K.Asamoah, S.Hurrell.

Referee: John Faithfull (Waltham Cross).

Att: 12.