Broxbourne Borough triumph at Clarence Park

Herts Senior Cup

St Albans City 1

Broxbourne Borough V&E 2

ST ALBANS City continued their poor run of form with a loss on Tuesday night to Broxbourne Borough V&E in the Herts Senior Cup.

The Saints have only won once in their last nine games and went into the tie seeking to gain some momentum going ahead of their visit to Oxford City’s this weekend.

Goals from Chris Doyle and Gabriel Akuwudike gave the away side a two goal advantage before a late strike from Sakho Bakare led to a frantic finish.

Manager David Howell will be disappointed to have lost to a side that plays its football two divisions lower than his Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division outfit.

He fielded a team that was strong enough to win but for the exception of Shields and a couple of the substitutes, it was an uninspiring performance.

The home side had the better start to the game and threatened early on when Bakare released Shields with a through ball, only for the latter to over-run the pass.

But Shields nearly atoned for this a few minutes later when his shot hit the post after a cross from Jerome Walker. Some good play then saw Danny Hart put the ball into the net but it was ruled out for offside.

At this point, The Saints looked the more likely team to score and Shields, who was their best player all night, was involved in everything good about their attack.

However, as the half wore on, Broxbourne settled into the game. They won the first corner of the match and a short corner routine resulted in Miles Mitchell-Coop shooting wide.

But they kept coming and with their first substantial attack of the game they took the lead.

Defender Jack Pattison felled Borough’s Dean Williams in the box and Doyle slotted home to open the scoring.

St Albans then replied by winning their first corner of the game but Hart could only shoot wide.

Nathan Haisely and Bakare shot over as the home side continued to press but an equaliser wasn’t forthcoming. And as the half drew to a close, Lewis Collins should have extended Broxbourne’s lead but he put his effort wide after being one on one with Will Viner.

The beginning of the second half almost saw The Saints pull one back when Tobi Jinadu’s shot was cleared off the line and Shields hit the woodwork again.

But like in the first half, Borough scored with one of their few meaningful attacks, Akuwudike turning Jinadu inside out before going on to smash home.

This should have sparked St Albans into life but instead, they had to make a goal-line clearance of their own through substitute Joakim Ehui. And they almost gifted Broxbourne the lead when a missed interception by Jinadu allowed Jordan Watson to run through, but good defensive cover work from youth player Miles Scott removed the danger.

A frustrated crowd at Clarence Park willed the team on with time running out and they finally had something to cheer on 86 minutes when Bakare’s deflected shot reduced the deficit.

Bakare was then denied twice in extra-time as The Saints tried to level the score but the referee called time to resign St Albans to a third straight defeat.

St Albans City: Viner, Pattison (Lewis 69), Yorke (Scott 79), Haisley, Sonuga, Jinadu, Walker (Ehui 69), Chrysanthou, Bakare, Se Shields, Hart. Subs; Ijaha, Cutchey.

Broxbourne Borough V&E: Thompson, Mitchell-Coop, Allan, Brooms, Bradshaw, Skinner, Collins (Watson 80), Bostock, Akuwudike, Doyle, Williams. Subs; Adeoye, Tikare, Seaton, Holmes.