St Albans City's Midweek Youth U18s maintained their momentum at the top of the Allied Counties East Division with a commanding 3-0 victory over Kentish Town at Clarence Park.

With both sides bearing a 100% league record before the match, at least one team was going to be disappointed and from the kick-off the young Saints let their intentions be known with four shots at the visitors’ goal in the first 10 minutes. Despite having a further dozen shots at goal in the first half City – headers from centrebacks Davies and Wroe, shots by Zazzera, Savva, Bailey and Lee-Baptiste they just couldn’t beat Kentish Town’s superb keeper, Ryan Moore, who had previously starred in their 3-1 defeat of Uxbridge. Finally when Elliot Bailey did beat Moore the ball rebounded off the post! At the other end of the pitch the attacks were rare but greasy conditions underfoot made it difficult for defenders, but when lightning quick Michael Nwanze raced down the wing keeper Will Conway did well in the city goal to tip the ball over the bar.

If this was a boxing match then at half-time Kentish Town were on the ropes, but still capable of delivering that knock-out blow so the team-talk was stay calm, don’t panic, keep on doing what you’re doing and no doubt the goals will come. With the second half proceeding in exactly the same fashion as the first, City applied pressure only to be thwarted time after time. When Marino Savva got free of his marker and rose in the box, to head the ball into the net, exhilaration quickly turned into disappointment as it was ruled offside. Still no time to panic but City’s three substitutions again made the difference. Stuart Henderson won a corner on the left and when the ball came out Joe Zazzera, power succeeded where guile had failed, with his shot smashing into the roof of the net from the edge of the box. Without time to sit down after the opener, City were quickly up the pitch again and James Shaw expertly picked out Bailey in the box, with time to pick his spot he calmly slotted home the second goal for a double strike in as many minutes.

With Kentish Town virtually on their knees Saints could now relax and subsequently played some of the best passing football seen at Clarence Park this season. Pass after pass was strung together, from the back, across the pitch, down the wings constantly probing for weaknesses in the away team’s defence. When one 20+ passing move ended up with a shot in the keeper’s arms, Saints endeavoured to win it back and start over again. A similar passing move ended up with a third goal the stylish James Shaw who found space in the box, placing his shot curling in the top corner from 12 yards.

Overall a good 3-0 win against a side who contained 8 players who have played for Kentish Town, who play in the same league as Saints Reserves. It’s very hard to pick out a man of the match from such as outstanding display but one comment on Saints Chat gave it to ‘the stadium announcer (Peter Broomfield) for his valiant, if ultimately unsuccessful attempts to pronounce the Kentish Town players names, most of which were around 10-15 letters long. By the time he had got to the final 3 or 4 he had resorted to simply spelling them out’!!

St Albans City: 1. Will Conway; 2. Joe Zazzera, 5. Laurence Wroe, 4. Josh Davies, 3. Myles Scott; 7. Harry Carr, 6. Matt Taylor, 9. Elliot Bailey; 8. Jamalle Parke-Jude, 10. Marino Hadji-Savva, 11. Gio Lee-Baptiste.

Subs: 12. Stuart Henderson (for 8, 46 mins), 15. Tremayne Charles (for 10, 62 mins), 14. James Shaw (for 8, 72 mins).

Not Used: GK. Freddie O'Connell, 16. Laurie Blow.

Goals: Zazzera (74 mins), Bailey (75), Shaw (87).

Cautions: None.

Kentish Town: 1. Ryan Moore, 2. Jordan Foster, 3. Akeiochi Omochu, 4. Conor Staples, 5. Walid Aimaq, 6. Ali Hessari, 7. Michael Nwanze, 8. Emi Onwordi, 9. Michael Rice, 10. Haroun Olunwamayowa. 11 Olatokunbo Sule.

Subs: 12. Michael Tamou (for 6, 32 mins), 18 Rhys Bellamy, 17 Ebuka Ene (for 11, 57 mins).

Cautions: Kentish Town - one, 90 mins

HT: 0-0

FT: 3-0