Three second-half goals booked St Albans City a place in the second round of the Herts Senior Cup at the expense of Royston Town.

The Crows took a lead into the break, Mitchell Bryant turning the ball into the Saints’ net, but goals from Elliot Bailey, Greg Ngoyi and Chris Watters turned the tie in City’s favour as they ran out 3-1 winners.

Joint managers James Gray and Graham Golds picked a young side with Matt Taylor, James Kaloczi, Tom Coulton and Bailey in the starting lineup as well as Myles Scott, Ryan Carroll and Joel Watson on the bench.

City started the game well and stroked the ball around the middle of the pitch freely but they were ineffective in the final third.

Royston, on the other hand, were more direct when they had the ball and crafted out chance after chance.

Carl Edwards had the first opportunity but flashed his shot from the edge of the box just past Coulton’s right post. Coulton then had to react to claw a ball off the line before Kaloczi poked it away from danger.

The pressure finally told in the 22nd minute when Bryant steered a cross past Coulton for the opening goal.

Luke Robins also tried his luck before Saints were awarded a penalty for a foul on Ngoyi. The striker took the spot kick but George Lanton pulled off a smart save low to his right to push the penalty away.

The score stayed the same for the rest of the half and Royston deserved their slender advantage.

In the second half Saints found the potency in front of goal that they lacked in the first and Bailey pulled them level. Watters collected the ball in the right back position, strode into Royston’s half and fired a diagonal pass to Bailey who rounded the keeper and placed into the empty net.

Ngoyi was next to add his name to the scoresheet and again it was Watters who supplied the pass. He whipped in a cross to Ngoyi who stooped to direct a header past Lanton for his first of the season.

Carroll and Watson were introduced to the game and the former won a penalty with his first involvement. Watters stepped up to take the spot kick and smashed it into the net to seal the tie.