City win battle of the Saints

James Kaloczi nets for St Albans City against St Neots Town (Image: Archant)

James Kaloczi snared a brace, the first to give City the lead and the second to equalise, before newly-signed loanee Jamal Lowe kept his cool to score the winner.

Once again it was James Comley who was the centre of everything good that City produced. The skipper fired in the free-kick for Kaloczi to poke home his first to seal what was a dominate 45 minutes from the visitors.

For all their good play, though, City were pegged back from a baffling decision from the man in the middle, who pointed to the spot, and Jay Daves smashed the penalty just past Paul Bastock’s outstretched arm.

A different St Neots side re-emerged after the break. After bringing on Matt Nolan, he and Lewis Hilliard started to cause chaos at the back for City and they took the lead shortly after the restart, Nolan heading into the net.

Joint managers James Gray and Graham Golds went all out and brought on Greg Ngoyi and Chris Henry and it paid off as City recatpured the momentum and netted their second goal. Comley pitched a free-kick on the half-way line deep into the area where Kaloczi out-muscled his defender to loop a header over Nathan Abbey.

Not content with a draw, City poured forward - they were nearly caught out by Nolan and Hilliard who both had chances - and it fell to Comley to put the team on his shoulders and snatch a win. Faced by a defender on the left side of the box, Comley beat his man down the line before cutting the ball back to Lowe who scored the goal his first-half performance deserved.

St Neots frustrations from going behind after being in a strong position boiled over and Davies was shown a straight red for a scything tackle on Henry. But even that couldnt’t dampen the feeling that City had bagged a vital three points.