THREE second half goals saw St Albans City defeat division strugglers Redditch United 3-0 at Clarence Park on Saturday.

The game was a tale of two halves with the Saints second best in the first 45 as Redditch certainly did not look like a team sitting second bottom of the table as they bossed the first period.

However, the game changed on 55 minutes as City joint bosses James Gray and Graham Golds made a double substitution.

They brought on striker Brad Wadkins and winger Chris Henry for midfielders Richard Graham and Dave Keenleyside and changed formation to 4-4-2 from 4-5-1.

Goals then followed from Wadkins, Henry and Greg Ngoyi to seal the points for the hosts.

The first 15 minutes saw the visitors from Worcestershire try their luck from distance on several occasions with winger Joshua Quaynor twice firing off target and Connor Deards shooting straight at home keeper Nick Jupp.

The Saints’ first attempt on goal came as right-back Chris Seeby fed Keenleyside and his ball across the face of goal was put over at the far post by Graham.

Soon after, Redditch hit the post as William Richards chested the ball down to Dean Bennett.

He fired a rocket of a shot against the frame of the goal from 25 yards.

As the Reds looked to go ahead Quaynor hit a strike from outside the box which Jupp tipped over the bar.

At the other end Joe Bruce was forward for a free-kick and saw his effort deflected wide.

Redditch once more had long range attempts with Deards twice unable to find a way past Jupp.

After showing little threat the hosts were handed a golden chance to take the lead on the stroke of half-time.

James Comley burst through the back line and was felled in the box by full-back Asa Charlton with the referee pointing to the spot.

Striker Ngoyi stepped up to take the penalty, but saw his kick well-saved by keeper Bradley Catlow.

After the break City changed their tactics, and with it the direction of the game.

Within 10 minutes of coming off the bench Wadkins, who has joined the club from Chalfont St Peter, received a ball from the left and managed to turn his marker inside out before sliding a shot into the bottom right corner of Catlow’s goal.

Jupp made a crucial stop not long after to deny Charlton an equaliser from 10 yards.

The telling second goal came on 81 minutes as Comley gave the ball to Wadkins, who sprayed a wonderful pass to Henry on the left.

He drove into the box at his full-back and unleashed a shot that went into the net off keeper Catlow.

At 2-0 the game was won and as Redditch heads dropped St Albans could have had another as Josh Urquhart headed wide a Comley corner and then Ngoyi just missed the target after Wadkins laid the ball to him.

Ngoyi did get on the scoresheet, to make amends for his penalty miss, as in injury time Henry’s deflected cross fell to the striker who swept home his sixth goal in eight games.