Banbury United (h) on Sat 24th Mar, KO 15:00

[Daedalus]

Southern League Premier Division -
St. Albans City (8th) v Banbury United (17th)
Saturday 24th March 2012, KO 15:00

No images allowed -http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz40/Crouchaldinho_SACFC/1310719688_large.jpg

No images allowed -http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz40/Crouchaldinho_SACFC/Saints%20Stuff/stalbans.jpg v No images allowed -http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz40/Crouchaldinho_SACFC/Saints%20Stuff/BadgeBanbury_United.png

Clarence Park, St. Albans
No images allowed -http://i811.photobucket.com/albums/zz40/Crouchaldinho_SACFC/Saints%20Stuff/goalnetsaction.jpg

STATTO'S CORNER (written by Daedalus):

Banbury United Quick Guide:
Club founded: 1933
Nickname: Puritans
Club colours: Red with gold trim
10 year record:

01-02	02-03	03-04	04-05	05-06	06-07	07-08	08-09	09-10	10-11
SthE 15th	SthE 8th	SthE 8th	SthP 17th	SthP 7th	SthP 13th	SthP 9th	SthP 19th	SthP 12th	SthP 16th

Read more about Banbury United's club history by clicking here.


Interesting links:

Banbury United official website

Banbury United FC Fans' Forum

A report of Banbury's last match, which was a 3-1 loss away to Leamington

CITYLIVE coverage from the Herts Advertiser seems to have ceased and it also seems unlikely that it will be up and running again this season. We do, however, hope to have some updates here on the forum for those who can't make the match.

We'll add any other interesting links to this thread as they appear.


Current Form (last 5 matches in the league):
St. Albans City - WDWDW (home form - WWLWW)

Banbury United - LLLLL (away form - LLLLL)


Top league goalscorer(s):
St. Albans City - Sakho Bakare is on 13 league goals for the Saints.

Banbury United - Will Green is top scorer with 8 league goals. Johnson and Walker are second and third with 7 and 6 goals respectively.


Latest Saints team news:

- In David Howell's last post-match interview, it was suggested that Chris Seeby has the desire to play in a face mask if possible and that he could do so in two or three weeks time. He had an operation on his fractured cheekbone on Monday.

- Paul Furlong should be fit again and therefore in contention for this match.

- Rob Haworth returns from Hemel. Howell said that he will have a part to play during the remainder of the season. The Saints boss said: 'he's on 199 apps and will definitely make 200'.

- We'll add any other team news to this thread as it comes out nearer to the game.


Possible Saints starting XI (in a 4-4-2 formation):

No images allowed -http://footballformation.co.uk/team/442/230312122725.png

Quick Stats Guide (league matches only):

St. Albans City:
- Unbeaten in 7
- One loss in 11
- Scored in last 16 games
- 24 points out of last 33


Banbury United:
- Lost last 5 matches
- Not won for 5 games
- Not won for away for 7 games
- One win in 8
- 7 points out of the last 27

[Daedalus]

No 'Final Word' for this game so here are some quick links to answer the usual questions.

How did the Saints get on against Bashley?

Match reports of our last game:
www.stalbansreview.co.uk/sport/9597846.Sean_breaks_through_Bashley_s_defensive_shield_as_City_win_again/r/?ref=rss

No Herts Ad match report on their site.

YouTube video:




What did David Howell have to say about it?

Howell interview - www.sacfc.co.uk/index.php/news/-manager-interview/1874-owsy-once-we-got-going-we-took-control-of-the-game.html

Article in the local press - www.stalbansreview.co.uk/sport/9600703.Saints_boss_claims_team_are_in_a__good_place_/r/?ref=rss


How are Banbury United getting on this season?

Banbury United results so far this season - www.pitchero.com/clubs/banburyunitedfootballclub/s/fixtures-results-24168.html

Last league match report - www.pitchero.com/clubs/banburyunitedfootballclub/news/leamington-3-banbury-united-1-540777.html

[Daedalus]

The City Archives - FA Cup, Walsall , 1968[/u]

We have a new feature to place alongside our previews this season, as one of Saints Chat's regular posters, Brummie, delves into the history books to provide us with match reports from the past. This gives a chance to walk down memory lane, or learn a little about City's past, before the next match in the present!

This time, Brummie has given us a typed report of an FA Cup tie against Walsall which took place in 1968. The Saints drew 1-1 and went on to suffer a 3-1 defeat in the replay.

F A CUP 2nd Round

ST ALBANS CITY v WALSALL

7th December 1968

A collective sigh of relief echoed around Clarence Park at the end of the game on Saturday when Walsall saved themselves from defeat at the hands of Isthmian Leaguers City. Their equalising goal game five minutes from the final whistle. This deprived City of a fine giant killing.

But only a quarter of a hour later the City players, although downcast, began to realise that they still had a great chance to reach the Third Round if they win next Tuesday’s replay at Fellows Park.

They had every reason for their confidence after giving the Third Division side such a hard run for their money. Most observers felt that City not only played exceptionally well but could have even won the match but for some splendid saves by Wesson.

The match started dramatically enough with Les Burgess heading Bennett’s effort off the line but when Bill Ratty scored for St Albans in the seventh minute St Albans began to play with such composure and fight that Walsall never got back into the game until the last 20 minutes.

Whether St Albans flagged or whether they began to think of full time and the next round is open to debate. The players certainly did not appear to be exhausted so much at the end when Walsall mounted many attacks especially down the left wing.

The excellent defence spoke volumes when you consider that Whittaker did not have a direct shot to save from the 10th minutes until Walsall’s late equaliser, a fine header from Derek Trevis from Morris‘ cross.

Trevis had been brought up from his Colchester home by his manager Ron Lewis especially to spend the week training his with colleagues. Trevis lives in Colchester and played for the Essex side until he signed for Walsall about six weeks ago.

The reason why Whittaker, crosses apart, had so little to do was due to the fact that the St Albans defence played so well. Burgess and Gibbs in particular, whereas Walsall were effective to attack.

In fact, Walsall’s best players a\part from Morris, their most able wingman, were Athey, a dynamic midfield player and Harrison a most able full back.

The defence not only kept Walsall out but gave an inspiration to the rest of the team which was almost tangible. The result was that City pushed forward, attacked well and forced Walsall into bad errors by their swift tackling and running.

Many chances fell to John Butterfield. Bobby Childs and Bill Broomfield, none of which were taken mainly because Wesson played so well in goal. But the final 30 minutes proved to be the vital time.

St Albans began to withdraw into their shell and let Walsall dominate in the midfield and this resulted in the equaliser.

Yet proof that City did go on the defensive rather than run out of stamina was that after the goal they broke away into the attack straight after the kick off.

Bill Ratty, 25 on Tuesday, was injured near the end of the game and there were doubts that he might be fit for the replay. It was his fifth goal from St Albans and first for 15 games.

It should be particularly interesting to see in the replay how Walsall cope with the problem of making the pace particularly as City, well though they played against professional opposition, did not play quite so well as against Corby in the previous round.

Full time St Albans City 1 Walsall 1

Team R Whittaker, D Lawrence, L Burgess, P Wood, D Gibbs, D Neville, M Harman, R Childs, J Butterfield, W Ratty, W Broomfield. Sub J Mann

Thanks, as always, go to Brummie for delving into the City Archives to provide us with an interesting read alongside our usual match previews!

[Daedalus]

From @owsy5 on Twitter:

NEWS: Matt Cutchey work & Anton Blackwood hamstring miss next couple of matches. Chris Seeby has stitches removed on Monday after operation.

[Hatboy]

Cutchey has fitted in well at right back who will play there now then ?

[stalbanandy]

Maybe Owsy has planned ahead and got Harriman back? loan deals in the championship finished this week but not sure that applies to loans going out to Southern League?

[Boomer]

According to the Banbury forum, Howard Forinton may be playing up front for them tomorrow. I remember going down to Yeovil in the 96/97 season when he conned the referee into giving them a pen. They went on to win 3-1 and subsequently win the Icis Premier League. He has played at a number of league clubs but is 36 now.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Forinton

[Saint]

For anyone that can't make it to the game, we'll be posting updates in this thread.

[Mick the Mike]

Today's line-up:

Nick Jupp
James Comley
Ryan Watts
David Ijaha
James Gray
Cedric Ngakam
Danny Hart
Micah Hyde
Sakho Bakare
Simon Martin
Howard Newton

Subs:

Chris Henry
Aaron Lansiquot
Narada Bernard
Paul Furlong
Sean Shields

[Saint]

Saints really on top, playing good football, Bakare hit the post about 5 minutes ago.

[Saint]

Bakare hits the bar with an overhead kick.

[Saint]

0-0 HT.

[Deleted]

COYS cheers for the updates

[Saint]

Sub: Shields on for Hart.

[Saint]

ATT: 482

[Saint]

Goal: 60 mins. Saints 0-1 Banbury. Johnson pen. given away by Jupp.

[Saint]

Goal: Saints 1-1 Banbury. Newton. 69 mins.

[Saint]

Banbury cross hits inside of the post and just about gets cleared.

[Canary Saint]

Mar 24, 2012 16:35:56 GMT Saint said:

Banbury cross hits inside of the post and just about gets cleared.

Just out of interest - was the "Banbury cross" play on words deliberate?

Oh, thanks for the updates BTW.

[Saint]

Sub: Henry on for Martin.

[Saint]

FT: 1-1.

Canary Saint, it was a cross from a Banbury player which deceived everyone and hit the inside of the post.

[Saint]

City played well in the first half, but in the second, it was somewhat of a lacklustre performance.

[Canary Saint]

Mar 24, 2012 16:55:34 GMT Saint said:

FT: 1-1.

Canary Saint, it was a cross from a Banbury player which deceived everyone and hit the inside of the post.

Sorry! Obviously a generation thing. Not a nursery rhyme that used these days maybe?

"Ride a cock horse to Banbury Cross
To see a fine lady upon a white horse
With rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
She shall have music wherever she goes"

Shame about the result, a win would have kept the dream going

[Saint]

Haha, definitely not!

[Daedalus]

Shame about the result. Such a strong first-half performance and if just one of those Bakare efforts had gone in, it would have been a different story.

The team played some really good stuff in the first-half. So disappointing not to have got the reward the play deserved in terms of getting a goal. Strong performances from David Ijaha, James Comley and Howard Newton, I thought. Comley looks like a good technical player and he put in some dangerous crosses in the first-half. I'd like to see more of him in his natural position in the middle of the park.

Banbury interrupted our rhythm a lot in the second-half and City ultimately paid the price for not having been more clinical with all the chances that had gone begging before.

Good atmosphere at the Park again with the fans getting behind the team. Just a shame we couldn't get the 3pts.

[Boomer]

Mar 24, 2012 19:16:16 GMT Daedalus said:

....................... and City ultimately paid the price for not having been more clinical with all the chances that had gone begging before.

Spot on, Daedalus and that is precisely why we didn't come away with 3 points today. We are well short up front and if we are to make a serious attempt to win this league in 2012/13, we have to address the problem and bring in a clinical striker who can get us 30 goals a season. I agree about Comley, Ijaha and Newton. With Bakare, anyone of those could have been MOM today. Comley looks a class act even playing out of position and will be the sort of player, who can be vital to our title aspirations next season.

One question I do have is why is Sean Shields not starting? It happened last week and it happened again this week. He does at least keep us wide on one flank and it seems as if virtually as soon as he comes on the field, we score. I just don't understand the thinking behind it.

COYS No images allowed -http://i44.tinypic.com/34o7ceq.jpg

[COYS]

Mar 24, 2012 20:12:53 GMT Boomer said:

One question I do have is why is Sean Shields not starting? It happened last week and it happened again this week. He does at least keep us wide on one flank and it seems as if virtually as soon as he comes on the field, we score. I just don't understand the thinking behind it.

I have to disagree with you on this one, Boomer. I think David Howell is aware of the fact that Shields would not be nearly as effective if he were to start. He is best when the opposition are tired and stretched and he can really get at them - something that can't always happen if he were to start.

I understand the idea that you always want to start your best players but in Howard Newton, Ryan Watts and Danny Hart we have a number of quality wingers.

[Boomer]

Mar 24, 2012 20:19:04 GMT COYS said:

I have to disagree with you on this one, Boomer. I think David Howell is aware of the fact that Shields would not be nearly as effective if he were to start. He is best when the opposition are tired and stretched and he can really get at them - something that can't always happen if he were to start.

I understand the idea that you always want to start your best players but in Howard Newton, Ryan Watts and Danny Hart we have a number of quality wingers.

I respect your opinion COYS but we will have to agree to disagree on it, I'm afraid. This impact sub business doesn't wash. We just cannot continue to keep relying on pulling or trying to pull results out of the bag in the last 20 or 30 minutes of games as has happened in recent games. I feel the reason that we are getting goals, once Shields is on,
is the simple fact that he is the best crosser we have, be it dead ball or otherwise. You mention the 'quality wingers'. Sorry but I can't agree on this either. Of the three, one is not a bad wide player as proved today, one should definitely remain as a full back and the other I don't believe should even be in the side, he is so inconsistent.

All about opinions, I guess.

[Hatboy]

Mar 24, 2012 20:48:47 GMT Boomer said:

Mar 24, 2012 20:19:04 GMT COYS said:

I have to disagree with you on this one, Boomer. I think David Howell is aware of the fact that Shields would not be nearly as effective if he were to start. He is best when the opposition are tired and stretched and he can really get at them - something that can't always happen if he were to start.

I understand the idea that you always want to start your best players but in Howard Newton, Ryan Watts and Danny Hart we have a number of quality wingers.

Of the three, one is not a bad wide player as proved today, one should definitely remain as a full back and the other I don't believe should even be in the side, he is so inconsistent.

All about opinions, I guess.

Which is which then ?

I thought Sean might of come on for a different player.

[Saint]

Despite a bright start today, I was a bit dissapointed with Hart, and could understand replacing him with Shields. But I had expected Sean to start ahead of Hart anyway...