A BALMY summer evening at Clarence Park last Tuesday provided the perfect conditions for the showpiece of St Albans City's summer friendlies with the visit of Christian Gross and his full Tottenham Hotspur first team.

No surprises that the Saints were soundly beaten by the Lilywhites but that St Albans scored twice against such a star studded line-up will give great heart to Garry Hill's side as the start of the Ryman League season moves ever closer.

Indeed City's second goal, five minutes from time, will have hugely embarrassed Tottenham given the manner in which Gary Cobb was afforded space in which to sling over a cross from the right which Steve Clark despatched past Espen Baardsen with a clinical glancing header.

Clark will doubtless treasure that strike but it was completely overshadowed by the Saints opening goal from midfielder Paul Turner, all embarrassment for that one is shouldered by the normally impeccable Sol Campbell.

Having appeared to have cleared up a City attack some ten yards to the right of his own goal, Campbell looked up but then inexplicably placed the ball straight at the feet of Turner some 30 yards from goal.

Without taking the trouble to control the ball, Turner sent a stunning volley low inside the keeper's left hand post as Baardsen tried in vain to cover for Campbell's lapse.

By then City were already five down and the overwhelming majority in the 4,406 crowd had got what they came for with Les Ferdinand scoring a particularly classy hat-trick and David Ginola displaying the skills which make him such a crowd puller.

The Frenchman, despite Ferdinand's triple blast, and the presence of Darren Anderton, Ramon Vega and Chris Armstrong et al, was the star of the show and enhanced his already sky high reputation after the game by patiently giving what seemed a million autographs to his growing St Albans based fan club.

City were expected to be little more than bit part players but could have gone ahead on 44 seconds when Rob Haworth turned swiftly and shot forcing Baardsen to save low down. But by the eighth minute the anticipated Tottenham goal rush began when Ginola sent over a pinpoint free kick for Ferdinand to head efficiently into the back of the York Road goal.

Sixteen minutes later Stephen Carr took a shot pass from Jose Dominguez and shot home the second Spurs goal from 20 yards with the aid of a deflection off Mark Keen. On 39 minutes Ferdinand, having at first lost possession, received the ball back from Anderton to crack a low drive past the sprawling Paul Newell to put Tottenham three up.

The goal which the crowd seemed most intent on enjoying came two minutes from the break when Ginola was brought down in the penalty area by Haworth. After dusting himself down the Frenchman took an 11-pace run up before beating Newell with a right footed strike to the keepers left.

City avoided any further damage until 20 minutes after the interval when Ferdinand gleefully teased the home defence. Collecting a low cross to the back post the England striker dummied one shot which caused two City defenders to dive in, Newell was fooled by a second dummy before Ferdinand finally pulled the trigger for his third goal from ten yards out.

Tottenham's sixth goal in the final minute, was a glorious right footed shot on the turn by Ruel Fox which went at pace across Newell and inside the far post when the Spurs winger looked to be latching onto a lost cause. It was a suitable finale for a glorious night in the Saints history.

St Albans City: Newell, (Lomas 60), Meredith, (Blaney 45), Darton, (Risley 74), Polston, Keen (Kane 45), Jones, Trebble (Caldon 69), Turner (Cobb 78), D Gentle (Witney 69), Haworth (Clark 45), Pollard (Evans 78).

Tottenham Hotspur: Baardsen, Carr (Calderwood 45), Tramezzani (Wilson 61), Vega, Campbell, Dominguez (Edinburgh 74), Anderton (Clemence 61), Nielsen (Berti 61), Ginola (Fox 61), Ferdinand, Allen (Armstrong 74).

Ref: N Appleby. Att: 4,406.

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