One week after giving his defenders a rare tongue lashing Ian Allinson was more than happy to dish the praise as they helped St Albans City to a 1-0 win over Maidstone United.

The City boss had called the performance "poor" from his two centre-halves at Eastbourne Borough and Michael Clark paid the penalty for this National League South fixture, missing out altogether.

David Longe-King though, playing alongside James Kaloczi once more, redeemed himself and the pair, along with their team-mates drew warm comments in the manager's post-match interview.

He said: "Last week individuals didn't defend correctly but today they have gone out and put their lives on the line to keep a clean sheet.

"It's brilliant the way we've defended. Usually Dean Snedker has to keep us in the game with three or four really good saves but he's only made one today.

"But it's not just the back four or the two centre-halves who have defended well. Throughout the team, from the front two and through the midfield, everyone worked extremely hard.

"We were really hard to break down and that makes life much easier for the two centre-halves and the way in which they have to defend."

Such was the manager's anger on the south coast that when it was announced that Saints had signed two players it was a surprise for them not to be defenders.

It wasn't for the want of trying though.

Allinson said: "We've spoke to half a dozen clubs this week in terms of centre-halves but it's a case of bringing in better than we've got and a couple of the options we were given weren't.

"We've got good centre-halves but it's a shame that they haven't always defended correctly.

"David Longe-King, who struggled last week, was exceptional but he needs to do that week in week out.

"He can't pick and choose when he wants to play and wants to defend.

"James Kaloczi hasn't had an opportunity at centre-half for probably three months because I'd lost my confidence in him.

"But I looked at the way he behaved in terms of where we've been playing him and he's been outstanding and his attitude has been absolutely brilliant.

"Again he needs to do that week in week out. We can't have these ups and downs because when we have the downs we're really poor.

"We were playing Maidstone who are full-time and a good side but we can't just raise our game when we're playing the likes of them.

"The standards today have to be maintained for the rest of the season.

"We haven't done that on a consistent basis."