WITH a performance simply oozing class, St Albans City brushed aside Aylesbury United at a rainy Buckingham Road on Tuesday, August 20, to sweep their way to the summit of the Ryman League, and, if this is a taster of what lies ahead, then Gary Roberts and Steve Cook's Saints are going to delight football supporters wherever they go this season.

Most pleasing for the Saints though was not so much the confirmation of their undoubted midfield and attacking abilities, but the manner in which the defence, criticised following the Ford game, so completely snuffed out the Ducks' attack that the home side mustered just a single effort on target effort during the entire 90 minutes.

City almost went ahead inside two minutes as the outstanding Scott Oakes whipped in a free kick from the left which only just eluded the incoming City captain Steve Castle at the back post.

Aylesbury's resistance should have been broken in the 35th minute when Leon Townley fed Crawshaw, whose excellent touch sent Simon Martin away, but, in going wide of keeper Gary McCann, the City striker inadvertently over-ran the ball.

St Albans reappeared for the second half wearing the spare Aylesbury shirts of gold with black stripes after the Ducks complained that City's dark blue shirts clashed with the match officials kit.

Forty-five minutes later they probably wished they'd kept quiet as the Saints rose above Aylesbury's occasionally intimidating tactics to destroy the Buckinghamshire club with some outstanding football.

The opening goal came on 49 minutes when the rugged Steve McGrath tackled Martin to concede a corner. From Oakes' dipping delivery, Castle, without making the cleanest of contacts, scored his first goal for the Saints with a header from eight yards.

Boosted by the goal, City made light of the persistent rain and forced Aylesbury to chase the play as the ball was worked around the park with pinpoint accuracy and it was of no surprise when City increased the lead on 62 minutes with a wonderful goal.

Jon Challinor slid a perfectly weighted diagonal pass out to Hollenbach on the left and, from the American's crisp low ball to the edge of the six yard box, Martin put away his third goal in three competitive games this season.

As City virtually toyed with Aylesbury in the closing moments, the Ducks' frustration was highlighted as McGrath and team-mate Martin Carter comically collided as they went for the same high ball, Martin calmly took the loose ball forward and crossed low to Miguel De Souza who shot high into the back of the net for his second of the season via a slight deflection.

August 23, 2002 11:30