St Albans City’s slow start to the season continued as they were held to a goalless draw by Hungerford Town.

It comes off the back of a 1-1 draw on day one away to Chelmsford City and then a 1-0 reverse in their first home game of the National League South season against Oxford City on Saturday.

All of which means they are 19th in the early table, one point and two places above the four relegation spots.

Hungerford started this game keen to get their first win of the season and they put a lot of pressure on Saints players from kick off.

City did have a big penalty shout turned down after eight minutes when Shaun Jeffers got goal-side of Jerry Gyebi. The subsequent tackle from the defender was deemed to be perfectly legal though and play continued.

The first big chance of the match came Hungerford’s way on 17 minutes.

Rhys Tyler beat Mackye Townsend-West on the right wing and put a tantalising ball across the six-yard box but Adam Liddle could not out-muscle Devante Stanley at the back post and make any meaningful contact.

Townsend-West was lucky to escape a booking, or worse, when he lunged into a dangerous challenge as Hungerford were breaking away on a counter attack 24 minutes in.

He came off worse though and needed to be substituted, Michael Clark coming on in his place.

Saints best chance of the half saw Zane Banton work a shooting opportunity well but his effort towards the far-right hand corner was matched with a good save from Jed Ward, the Hungerford keeper.

It was a much more exciting first 45 minutes than the ones against Oxford.

The rain started to fall at half time and Saints manager Ian Allinson also made an attacking change, replacing Mitchell Weiss with Joe Neal.

He went upfront next to Shaun Jeffers as St Albans moved to a five at the back formation.

The half started badly for St Albans as centre back Joy Mukena pulled up with an injury four minutes in, forcing Allinson into his third substitution of the night, Tafari Moore coming on.

Liam Sole replied with a good effort from the right, testing Ward at his near post and it heralded a fine period of one-way traffic with some last ditch defending needed from the Hungerford defence.

A nasty collision between Neal and Gyebi halted matters with the latter taking a blow to the head. Fortunately, the defender was able to carry on.

City kept up the pressure but this meant they were vulnerable from the counter attack and Joel Rollinson broke away for Hungerford only to be halted by some excellent defending from Moore, blocking his shot on goal.

The Saints kept banging on the door in the last 10 minutes, getting more balls in the box and really testing the Hungerford defence, but they rose to the challenge and ended the match with a clean sheet.

Allinson will definitely see that as two points dropped, rather than one point gained and one goal from the the opening three games will be a potential cause for concern.

Saints: Johnson, Stanley, Mukena (Moore 49), Adebiyi, Townsend-West (Clark 25), Isaac, Wiltshire, Sole, Weiss (Neal 46), Banton, Jeffers.

Attendance: 713