Kevin Keegan would have approved of St Albans City's victory over Worthing but the nine-goal thriller didn't fully delight City head coach David Noble.

Keegan, especially during his time as Newcastle United manager, was known for a gung-ho attitude and the ethos of 'we'll just have to score one more than you'.

Saints' 5-4 win away at Woodside Road had all the hallmarks of that mid-90s Toon side.

Goals from Mitchell Weiss and Shaun Jeffers, the second a penalty, had put the visitors 2-0 in front after 21 minutes and seemingly cruising.

It was 2-2 nine minutes later though, Ollie Pearce and Lewis White scoring two rapid-fire efforts, and although Zane Banton restored the lead two minutes later, Davide Rodari equalised four minutes after that.

But the drama continued after the break too.

On-loan Colchester United midfielder, Chay Cooper, got his first for the goal on 59 minutes before Pearce equalised six minutes later.

However, five minutes after, Devante Stanley grabbed what turned out to be the winner.

The three points were gratefully received by Noble, the result keeping his side in the National League South play-off places, but, in contrast to Keegan, the manner of the performance was not something he enjoyed

"That was tense," he said. "That was so up and down. It was mad. 

"I don’t know how many 5-4 results I’ll have in my managerial career but hopefully no more. 

"I was getting frustrated because I thought we were going to undo all the hard work. 

"For 25 minutes, we played absolute unbelievably. The game plan was working to a T and we were 2-0 up at a very good Worthing side. 

"And then we were architects of our own downfall. 

"As soon as they got their first, you could see the tide changing and it was the manner of the goals conceded that was frustrating. 

"But the character and fight we showed to keep on going and keep taking the lead. 

"I think it was a case of the forward players thinking we’re going to keep scoring no matter how many times the players at the back keep giving the game back to them. 

"It’s an unbelievable win but I don’t want many more in that manner."

Coupled with Tuesday's 3-0 loss at bottom of the table Hungerford Town, that is now seven conceded in two games and Noble wants that to stop immediately.

He said: "It wasn't any of their good play that opened us up. It was just a ball over the top or a ball into space and they got onto it. 

"The good parts of our game in the first half was off the ball and winning it back, winning it back in their half and capitalising on that. 

"And it looked like we weren’t going to get our reward." 

He was pleased with the character shown after the defeat in Berkshire, a match he described as "painful to watch", and he said the changes to the line-up at Worthing were in response to that.

He said: "We had to have a couple of changes from Tuesday because the performance was nowhere near good enough. 

"That had to happen but bar one element of our game, we were outstanding. 

"To come here and score five, if you score five goals you should be walking games. 

"And yet we were hanging on until the last minute."