James Gray on target twice as Hitchin lose out to St Albans City

Southern Premier Division

Hitchin Town 0 St Albans City 3

HITCHIN Town’s recent tribulations continued at Top Field on Saturday as they lost out to St Albans City in a tame Hertfordshire derby.

Former Arlesey Town defender James Gray was the hero for the visitors with two goals late in the first half that killed off the contest after Paul Furlong had initially put St Albans in front.

Hitchin boss Carl Williams handed Inih Effiong his first start after signing the former St Albans striker on a month’s loan from Boreham Wood, but the 19-year-old and his strike partner, John Frendo, were starved of the ball and well marshalled by Gray and his defensive colleagues.

The closest the Canaries came to beating City goalkeeper Nick Jupp was when Frendo reacted quickest to a bouncing ball inside the penalty area but his effort thudded up the upright. By that time former Chelsea and QPR forward Furlong had already opened the scoring, receiving a throw-in from Michael Harriman and rolling Marc Leach before planting a shot past Martin Bennett from 12 yards.

Leach tested Jupp with a drilled free kick from out wide and from the resulting corner the big defender saw his header cleared off the goal line.

The decisive spell came in the moments leading up to half-time when Gray netted twice in three minutes.

First the defender volleyed past Bennett from the edge of the area before powering a header past the helpless ‘keeper, both goals coming from Ryan Watts’ set plays.

After the break Hitchin enjoyed more of the ball but for all their possession chances were at a premium. St Albans, looking to protect the lead they had, also lacked opportunities to add to their tally in a second half that was easily forgettable for the crowd of 418.

Stewart King, formerly of Tring Athletic, was thrown into the action by Williams as Hitchin looked to give their fans something to cheer but nothing materialised as Zak Burke, a half-time replacement, and Frendo saw their shots blocked by Harriman and Gray respectively.

An injury to Sean Shields, which saw the visiting winger taken off on a stretcher, resulted in a staggering 11 minutes and 35 seconds added time being played but as one local mused on his way out, the home side could have played for another fortnight without looking like beating the St Albans defence.

Hitchin Town: Bennett; Fontenelle, Gilbert �, Stewart (Burke 46), Leach, Pepper; Lewis (King 81), Gregson, Donnelly; Frendo, Effiong.

Subs not used: Ann, Edgerley, Williams.