Hungerford welcomed Kyle Bailey back from injury also new loan signing from Wycombe Wanders Max Ram into the starting XI. Suspended skipper James Rusby and Matt Berry-Hargreaves missing out. Jake Evans also replaced the injured Matt Partridge in midfield. Callum Willmoth taking over the captains duties.

It was a positive start from Hungerford and 9 minutes in Ryan Seager saw his shot crash against the underside of the cross bar. Seager wheeled away in celebration but the ball had bounced on the line and was cleared away to safety. A few minutes later St Albans were awarded a penalty after a clumsy challenge on Shaun Jeffers by Kyle Bailey on the right side of the box. It may have been a bit soft but Jeffers himself stepped up to put the penalty past Luke Cairney. Cairney did get a hand to it but could not quite keep it out.

This saw what proved to be City’s best spell of the game. Cairney making a good save from a Mitchell Weiss shot to keep the score at 1-0 soon after. With Bailey and Ram perhaps still finding their feet in the defense it was important the Hungerford had out balls and Seager and Sol Wanjau-Smith certainly provide that. Seager saw a free kick fizz just wide and Wanjau-Smith was flagged offside on numerous occasions in very tight calls breaking up St Albans attacking play.

On 35 minutes Hungerford got their equalizer. Callum Willmoth spinning a ball out to Rhys Tyler on the right, he drilled a cross across the penalty area for Seager to power home. It was a great team move to produce the goal and Seager’s finish was his 13th league goal of the season. It remained level until half time

It was Hungerford who started the second half much more positively than their hosts. After 5 minutes of the half they got their reward when a Curtis Angell cross was only half cleared out to Jake Evans who unleased a 20 yard drive into the the net giving England U18 keeper Coniah Boyce-Clark making his debut in the St Albans goal no chance. St Albans were rocking and two minutes later George Smith burst clean through the middle Boyce-Clark came out to meet him but Smith powered the ball into the roof of the net with a barnstorming finish, Smith’s second goal of the season.

St Albans had to react and soon nearly got a goal back but a Jeffers shot was saved by Cairney, whilst it bobbled towards the line Angell was
first to react and cleared the danger away. The Saints continued to press urged on by the 1200 home support but it was Willmoth and Smith controlling things in midfield. Willmoth controlling the tempo of the game and Smith winning challenge after challenge. When St Albans did create a good chance in the last 10 minutes it was Keith Emmerson butting his body on the line with a great block from a Kyran Wiltshire shot. Tricky winger Liam Sole then spun a ball just past Cairney’s far post but it was not to be for the Saints as Hungerford took the points back to Bulpit Lane securing their 5th away win of the season.

Team: Cairney, Tyler, Angell, Bailey, Emmerson, Ram, Willmoth (Capt), Evans (McGrory), Smith, Wanjau-Smith (Flood), Seager (Kyei). Subs Unused Mbonkwi, Jones
Yellow Cards - Ram, Bailey, Wanjau-Smith, Tyler
Star Man – George Smith