Times are tough at St Albans City, says joint manager; injuries mount up

Busy times ahead for the Saints physio, Zac Chandler, as the injury list gets longer. Picture: Leigh Page (Image: Archant)

The Saints have picked up one point from their last four games – a 1-1 draw with the Tudors on Boxing Day – and have slipped into the bottom half of the table ahead of a run of three home games.

St Albans “gifted” Hemel’s Ollie Hawkins and Jordan Parkes first-half goals before Cameron Lancaster them back to within one with his first of the season. However, as City pushing forward for an equaliser, Dennis Oli caught them with a third as Hemel took the points.

Speaking to Saintsnet after the game, Gray said: “It’s tough to take at the moment, but it is what it is. We gifted them two first-half goals from bad defending; we should have dealt better with them and we gave ourselves a mountain to climb.

“We came out in the second half and had a go at them and got ourselves back in it and could have scored a couple and got back in the game. The third goal was a sloppy defending but can be excused as we were chasing the game.

“We’re not lacking effort [at the moment] but the quality is not there.”

The job of building a competitive squad is being hindered by injuries. Ahead of the Hemel derby of New Year’s Day, goalkeeper Joe Welch was rushed to hospital with inflammation around his heart and faces at least a “couple of weeks” on the sideline. James Comley and John Frendo are suffering with injuries and David Keenleyside, who is just back from a three-month lay-off, was subbed in the first-half.

“We’ve got a few walking wounded but we have to patch ourselves up and find a way to win games,” said Gray.

St Albans City return to Clarence Park on Sunday, December 4, when Gosport Borough visit in the Vanarama Conference South. Kick-off 3pm.