Practice pays off for Saints

Howell pleased training ground efforts were rewarded

SAINTS boss David Howell was pleased to see his side’s work on the training ground come to fruition during their 2-0 win over Redditch United on Saturday.

Howell revealed the team had been working on their attacking play with a view to getting the forwards working as a unit rather than individuals and the 52-year-old was pleased with the way his players took on board the instructions they were given.

“We worked on some stuff on Thursday, I just felt with our attacking play we were just too focussed as individuals rather than working as a team,” explained Howell.

“Sean’s (Shields) been guilty of that and Sakho’s (Bakare) been guilty of that, and I felt after the work we did on Thursday they both listened and they both looked good and as a result Sakho came on and looked like a team player and Sean came on and looked bright and looked sharp and moved the ball quite quick.

“They are lads who are willing to learn and who are willing to improve so it all holds good for St Albans.”

The St Albans manager also felt that his side had learned the lessons of their defeat to Swindon Supermarine last week when they squandered a one-nil half time lead to lose at the side placed bottom of the table.

He said: “We never got going in the first half. We scored after a minute or two minutes – something ridiculous – and it kind of worked against us and we never had any real pattern of play or we weren’t settled.

“The lads tried to dig in and we got through to half time at one-nil and I felt we were in a similar situation to what we were in last Saturday. I wanted to see if we learnt anything from last week. Although we didn’t break Redditch we got the second goal this time and maybe we could have gone on and got the third which we didn’t. It’s a step in the right direction and three points and a two-nil win so you can’t complain.”

Saturday’s three points maintains the Saints’ unbeaten home record this season, something they’ll be looking to maintain this evening (Tuesday) when they welcome league leaders AFC Totton to Clarence Park but while Howell admits that is a good way to draw in the crowds, finding a level of consistency both home and away is his main priority.

“If that (unbeaten home record) helps bring the crowd in then I know a chairman and two owners who will be happy but I don’t break it down into home and away,” he explained, “we’ve got to be consistent and that’s what I’m looking for, that’s what I’m searching for at the moment because we haven’t quite got there.”