Junior Morias was full of praise for team-mate’s Ben Herd’s football academy after a two goal display almost helped St Albans City defeat Carlisle United in the FA Cup.

The striker lit up Clarence Park on Sunday, the first one especially being a contender for goal of the season, and it took him to six goals in the three games since returning from a five-match suspension.

And he puts the majority of that down to his work at the Ben Herd Pro Performance Academy.

Morias said: “Honestly Ben Herd’s Academy has been excellent. I can’t fault it or express just how much he’s done for me.

“I go training there every day and do double sessions. So I’ll train with him in the morning and then with St Albans in the evening.

“It’s played a massive part in everything I’ve done. It’s hard when you’ve been suspended but it’s been phenomenal. He’s got some great boys there who hopefully can progress in the future but Herdy’s been an excellent team mate and I just want to thank him.

“Without him I probably would have just been sat at home but he’s given me the opportunity to come in and train and also help with the boys. The training is excellent.

“I had to be open-minded but when you look at it, it helps so much. It’s a different style but it’s very effective.”

His suspension came about due to two red cards in the space of four days in the middle of September against first Maidenhead Town and then Hemel Hempstead Town.

And he says the enforced lay-off, along with manager Ian Allinson, has helped him reflect more of his behaviour on the pitch.

He said: “[Ian Allinson told me to] learn from it. To be fair to the gaffer he warned me in the dressing room [before the Hemel game] but in the heat of the moment in a game, things happen.

“I was very silly to get sent-off and I said sorry to the boys because if we hadn’t gone down to 10-men, we would have gone on and won that game.

“But it’s gone and we’ll move on to the next game.

“I’ve come back a different player [since the suspension]. I’ve learned not to react to silly things and get silly bookings as I’ll get in trouble with the gaffer. He’s always on to me.

“When I was sidelined, the boys were excellent.”