Goalkeeper believes players have now settled in

ST ALBANS City number one Nick Jupp believes the Saints’ new found defensive solidity has come as a result of the players finding their feet at Clarence Park.

The 22-year-old has recorded back-to-back clean sheets in the club’s last two outings which helped provide the foundations for 3-0 wins over both Hitchin Town and Cambridge City – the Saints’ first back-to-back wins of the season.

The introduction of experienced players James Gray and Micah Hyde has helped tighten up the Saints defensively as well as bring out the best in Matt Cutchey and David Ijaha and Jupp believes the club has now unearthed a winning formula.

“It has been the perfect two games really – three nil and three nil, you can’t really argue with that,” Jupp told the Herts Advertiser following Saturday’s win over Cambridge City.

“I think the back four were brilliant, I think we’ve settled in now with this back four and as a team we’ve started to bond and now we’re starting to look like a good team.

“We’ve juggled around with the team quite a lot but it now seems like it’s coming together and we know what Owsy (boss David Howell) wants from us and what we’re doing and we’re starting to play well which is where the confidence comes from and the results are starting to show that.”

Jupp was delighted with his second clean in as many games following the club’s 6-1 defeat to Barwell and the former Harrow Borough stopper was keen to point out that the clean sheets are a result of a team effort.

“I was very determined to get another clean sheet today after last week,” explained Jupp, who saved Craig Hammond’s late penalty and produced a superb one-handed save to deny Joey Abbs’ header during Saturday’s win.

“I think we hadn’t won twice in a row before never mind two clean sheets in a row, so that’s even better – the icing on the cake.

“Furz (Paul Furlong) and Simon (Martin), they run around, they close the opposition down, they don’t give them any time on the ball and it’s the same with the midfield, everyone’s chipping in.”