A topsy-turvy game with a stunning finish brought a second win on the bounce and kept St Albans City on the move up the Vanarama National League South – but manager Ian Allinson still had concerns about his side.
City took a first-half lead at East Thurrock United through Sam Merson on 25 minutes only to concede to a penalty a minute later and then a second six minutes after that.
And they continued to trail until the 88th minute when Richard Sho-Silva equalised.
Merson then got his second immediately after and substitute Khale Da Costa scored in injury time to wrap up an incredible 4-2 win.
But it was the two conceded, and more to the point the timing of them, that frustrated the Saints’ boss.
He said: “We speak long and hard about it and everyone is aware the most susceptible teams are to conceding is the couple of minutes after you score.
“You’ve got to react to that but we didn’t and we got lazy with the defending, we didn’t go with the runner and before you know it, it’s a penalty and it’s 1-1.
“It was crazy as we looked as if we were in control of the game.
“We’re making life very difficult for ourselves this season and we need to manage it better in situations where we’re a goal up.
“At half-time I was really disappointed because we had to work hard to go 1-0 up and then had a crazy 15 minutes where we could have lost the game through a lack of discipline, a lack of application and an unwillingness to work hard.
“And from one-up we were 2-1 down and it could have been three and we were happy to hear the half-time whistle to get them back in and tell them a few a home-grown truths really.
“As I’ve said before I think we’ve got a great squad but if you don’t turn up, you’re not going to win games of football.
“Second-half we huffed and puffed and we made the three substitutions to put some legs and energy into the side and we’ve been fortunate that we got the goals that mattered.
“It’s pleasing that we kept going and it’s great to come away with three points.”
Allinson threw all three of his strikers into the mix with Sam Merson recalled to the starting line-up alongside Ralston Gabriel and David Moyo.
And last year’s top-scorer repaid the faith with a brace.
Allinson said: “I felt last week against Dartford, although we defended very well, I just felt we lacked a bit of potency in the other box.
“And with the three of them I felt we caused them some problems.
“Ralston’s had a couple of chances but Sam’s got the goals and he looked sharp and bright.
“He missed the first couple of sessions this year and he’s seemed to be playing catch-up and Ralston and David [Moyo] have been playing well as a partnership.
“It didn’t look as if it worked in the first half but we dropped David into the hole and it worked more.”
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