Herts Charity Cup Semi Final Hemel Hempstead Town 10 St Albans City 0 David Willacy at Vauxhall Road This was a game that St Albans City did not want and it showed. With his squad reduced to the bare bones, manager Steve Castle risked only Sam Hurrell an

Herts Charity Cup Semi Final

Hemel Hempstead Town 10

St Albans City 0

David Willacy at Vauxhall Road

This was a game that St Albans City did not want and it showed. With his squad reduced to the bare bones, manager Steve Castle risked only Sam Hurrell and James Quilter from the team that beat Bromley on Saturday but gave first team substitute Hector Mackie a full ninety minutes.

The visitors probably wished they hadn't bothered as neighbours Hemel Hempstead inflicted on them the heaviest cup defeat in the hundred year history of the club. And to rub salt into the gaping wound it was an ex-Saint, Gary Sippetts, who netted half of his side's ten goals. Hemel Hempstead played four of their players who missed out in Saturday's trophy win and, luckily for St Albans, left out their leading goalscorer Chris Dillon.

City were a goal down after three minutes when centre half Nathan Bowden-Hasse bundled in a long throw which City goalkeeper Jake Palmer had nervously fumbled. But Palmer could do nothing to stop a Steve Sinclair thunderbolt from 25 yards just ten minutes later. Sinclair supplied the cross for Sippetts to volley in his first goal and then, midway through the first half, Josh Lamonaca cynically fouled Ian Cooper and captain Paul Edgeworth added the fourth from the ensuing free kick.

In rare attacks Quilter headed into the side netting, Mackie lofted a shot over the bar and the stand and Harrell's one shot on target was too gentle to trouble the Hemel goalkeeper.

Hemel added six more goals in the last half hour as they passed the ball well, ran the City defence ragged and finished with remarkable precision. Sippetts scored on the hour and the lively Ian Cooper shrugged off the challenge of Jake Cartwright to slot in the sixth. Then came four goals in ten minutes.

Sippetts completed his hat trick from the penalty spot after Cooper was clumsily fouled by Cartwright and full back Mark Coulson netted the eighth before Sippetts, with a another volley and a header, completed the rout.

At the end City substitute Edson Pascoal failed to score with a simple chance. It was that kind of night - sparklers from Hemel, damp squibs from City.

Hemel Hempstead Town: Brown, Sweeney, Bowden-Hass, Yeboah, Coulson, Sinclair, Deeney, Edgeworth, Herron, Sippetts, Cooper. Subs: Dillon, Roberts, Martin, Bateman, Wales.

St Albans City: Palmer, Oham-Strachan, Lamonaca, Cartwright, Hurrell (Byfield 46), Broux (Asamoah 56), Quilter (Pascoal 46), Mortimer, Mackie, Regis, James. Unused Subs: Effiong, Bignall.

Referee: Steve Chittenden.

l St Albans City have signed defender Adam Everitt from Bromley and he goes straight into the squad to face Fisher Athletic on Saturday. He is a left back who signed for Bromley in August having spent the majority of last season at Blue Square South rivals Eastleigh. The former Yeading man began his career at Luton Town before spells at Harrow Borough, Hayes and Cambridge City.

City will face Dartford at home in the Third Qualifying Round of the FA Trophy after the Kent side won their replay at Oxford City 4-2 on Tuesday night. The game will be played on Saturday, November 22.