Crusaders humbled at the home of The Saints
Defensive calamities lead to a season's worst
St Albans City 5 Hungerford Town 0
HUNGERFORD were handed their heaviest beating in the Vanarama National League after handing at least four of the five goals to the high-flying hosts.
St Albans had given Carlisle United a run for their FA Cup money last week, and had put five past two recent opponents in n run that has taken them into second place in the table with a game in hand.
They hardly needed any help to threaten the visitors, but they certainly got it with goalkeeper George Legg gifting them two goals, Mike Jones another and Scott Rees one as he was also sent off early in the second half.
The other was a collective effort, partly caused by the pressure of 10 men coping with a rampant aside for 40 minutes.
The Crusaders trailed after seven minutes when goalkeeper Legg made a mess of Ben Herd’s cross and could only help the ball over his own line.
The home side always looked dangerous on the break but Hungerford worked their way back into the game without producing real punch, although Louis Soares’ shot was destined for the bottom corner until Joh Hill stuck out a boot to deflect it wide.
Maybe Hungerford could have built on that, but five minutes into the second half, Rees got into a tangle with Louie Theophanous when chasing a though ball and he ended up bringing him down to see red before Junior Morais scored from the spot.
Goal number three was an embarrassment as Legg came out and missed David Noble’s punt forward and Theophanous nudged it home. Substitutes Matt Ball and Dipo Akinyemi walked through before the latter touched home the former’s shot off the post, and Shaun Lucien robbed Jones to curl home number five to leave Hungerford needing an injection of resolve before they entertain Welling on Monday night.
St Albans City: Russell; Herd, Hill; Martin, Bender; Lucien, Thomas (Ball), Chappell, Noble; Morais (Merson, Theophanous (78). Subs: Casey, Swales.
Hungerford Town: Legg; Williams (Goodger, Day, Jones, Tyler; Clark, Rees, Williams (Bignall), Soares (O’Brien); Jarvis, Preen. Subs: Rusby, Boardman.