A heart-warming goal from Devante Stanley and a late strike from Chez Isaac were enough to give St Albans City a 2-1 win at Tonbridge Angels in National League South.

The full-back had put them in front a year to the day after breaking his leg in two places on the same pitch but Tommie Fagg levelled midway through the first half.

The second period seemed to be drifting to a stalemate although if anything, it felt like Tonbridge would be the ones to grab a winner.

In the end it was Chez Isaac who got it for Saints with his first since a summer switch from Chelmsford.

It papers over some notable deficiencies in Ian Allinson's team but it does at least continue to move them up the table.

And it maintains the unbeaten start away from home, with two wins and a draw from their three games.

The City manager made one change to the starting line-up from the draw with Taunton Town, Liam Sole dropping out with Chris Paul coming in.

David Noble, the now more coach than player, was also named on the bench.

They could have been a goal down inside three minutes, Joe Turner played in and slipping the ball to the right of Michael Johnson and into the corner.

The offside flag came to their rescue on that occasion with a very tight call.

But six minutes later they were in front and it was a goal which was probably written in the stars.

Stanley made it too, his burst into the box caused panic and had the defenders unsure what to do.

The ball was quickly centred back to him and with no defenders in sight and the goal gaping, he swept it home to great delight.

That was as good as it got in the opening 45 minutes for the visitors though. Too often the ball was moved backwards and not forwards, with no outlet to push it back towards the attacking players.

One example saw it transferred from the left edge of the Tonbridge penalty area back into the centre circle where Isaac lost it and then conceded a foul.

And Tonbridge got a deserved equaliser on 22 minutes.

It was simple too, a corner from the left headed home by Fagg despite the fact both Shaun Jeffers and Joy Mukena, on for the injured Callum Adebiyi, were in close quarters.

Angels could have scored before that but Dylan Gavin never looked comfortable when in one-on-one with Johnson, the Saints man making the save.

They almost snuck another on the stroke of half-time but Johnson was again equal to the header from Ben Swift this time.

Saints started the second period a bit brighter and did win a couple of corners in the early going.

Their delivery and choices led to all being a wasted opportunity.

Chances for both sides were limited, Turner planting a low drive across the face of goal and wide for Tonbridge being the only one of note until the latter stages.

A couple of enforced changes for the home side did get them back into the game though but without much joy, Michael Clark and Stanley making vital tackles and interceptions at key moments.

The tide seemed to be gathering pace as the game entered the final 20 minutes, with Angles creating a couple of half chances.

Turner had a shot blocked behind for a corner, that bounced around the box and eventually wide, while Swift had another headed chance from a set-piece which went wide.

It made Isaac's goal a surprise.

City had played it around and into the box but there never appeared to be any danger and the move seemed over when Jeffers was beaten to the ball.

However, the poked clearance ran to the midfielder and he curled it wide of the static Jon Henly.

Late pressure from the hosts was not forthcoming and Joe Neal could have wrapped things up with a chance down the left of the area.

Henly saved that but it proved immaterial.


St Albans City: Johnson, Stanley, Wiltshire, Adebiyi (Mukena 15), Clark, Isaac, Jeffers, Banton, Paul (Dawson 73), Moore, Neal.

Subs (not used): Sole, Noble, Marcimain.

Goals: Stanley 9, Isaac 81

Booked: Dawson 90+6


Tonbridge Angels: Henly, Fielding, Braham-Barett, Miles, Swift, Gard, Turner, Santos-Hurado (Maja 56), Gavin (Collins 60), Addy, Fagg.

Subs (not used): Hermitage, Manuel, Tyrie.

Goal: Fagg 22


HT: Tonbridge Angels 1 St Albans City 1

Referee: Aaron Farmer (Colchester)

Attendance: 1,036