City boss wants to add another goalkeeper to his squad

ST ALBANS City boss David Howell has revealed that he is still looking for a goalkeeper to provide cover to No.1 Nick Jupp.

After missing the beginning of the campaign due to his commitments with the Great Britain Universities squad at the World Student Games, Jupp has returned to become the club’s undisputed first choice goalkeeper seeing off the challenge of Will Viner to make the No.1 jersey his own.

Viner’s desire for first team football saw the former Hendon stopper move to Harrow Borough – Howell and Jupp’s former employers – back in November and despite ex-Hadley ‘keeper Nick Hardy joining the club earlier this year, he suffered a broken finger in the Herts Charity Shield defeat to Leverstock Green which has left the Saints short on cover between the sticks.

“We don’t have a goalkeeper to cover for Nick Jupp,” admitted Howell.

“We did sign one who has been with us for a few weeks but in the game at Leverstock he broke his finger so we are back to square one.”

Howell has been busy remodelling his squad over the last seven days with Tobi Jinadu and Barrie Matthews departing for pastures new and Moussa Diarra and Anton Blackwood joining the Saints ranks and the City boss says he will continue to be on the lookout for players he feels can contribute to Saints’ progress.

“I’m always looking for players who are available or maybe disillusioned at a higher level and I’m also interested in young up and coming players who we might get a bit of mileage from,” he explained.

“We’ve also got a very strong youth team who now provide the backbone of the reserves and if they keep performing and do well they will form part of the picture too.”