Image by St Albans City.
St Albans City Vs Weymouth
National League South, Clarence Park, Saturday 8 March, 3PM
Looking forward to today, Terras fans?
It would be hard not to be ahead of a game as exciting as this – our clash in Hertfordshire could see us just six points off safety if results go our way.
A positive change compared to the 13 that was staring at us two weeks ago.
But standing in our way are St Albans City, who have survival hopes of their own.
Finishing just five points off the play-offs last campaign, The Saints are one of the four teams in the relegation zone this time round, one point behind 20th-place Welling United.
THE OPPOSITION…
Having played in England’s sixth tier for 10 consecutive seasons, The Saints are one of the league’s most established teams.
However, this campaign could see that change.
In a Weymouth-type way, not a Dorking Wanderers-type way.
Finishing just five points off the play-offs last campaign, The Saints are one of the four teams in the relegation zone this time round, one point behind 20th-place Welling United.
At the end of last season, David Noble was “welcome[d] home” following his short spell at Wealdstone – after guiding the club to the play-off places in the 2022-23 campaign it is perhaps no wonder the Hertfordshire hopefuls were “delighted” to see him back.
But maybe they should have paid attention to his 73-day spell in London.
In the 17 games that he sat in the Wealdstone dugout, he guided The Stones to just three wins.
Unfortunately for The Saints the fire form continued – their 16 league games under his management this season saw just two wins.
Following his side’s FA-Trophy exit to Northern League side Basford United saw him depart from the club via “mutual consent.”
Since then they have been replaced by Ian Culverhouse, a manager with experience of guiding teams, namely King’s Lynn Town and Boston United, to a title challenge.
In the 19 league games since Noble’s exit, the Hertfordshire outfit have registered four wins and 21 points.
Interestingly, seven of these games have ended in 1-1 draws – four of those consecutively!
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Despite what our last meeting suggests, a draw is not all too common when The Terras
and The Saints face off.
In 25 games, just five of those have seen us share points, the other matches seeing us share wins, both with 10 each.
Could go either way, right?
Well, our wins have failed to take place in our last five encounters, with the Hertfordshire hopefuls very much boasting the upper hand.
Though not all is doom and gloom, as if there is one person who knows how to beat today’s opponents, it’s the man leading our dugout, who during our second successive promotion season led us to two 4-1 wins!
First in the league in September 2019, where we “sent [our] away support into ecstasy” at Clarence Park, our “new” boy Jake adding the fourth deep into stoppage time.
But if that wasn’t enough, the magic midfielder was on the scoresheet again the following month in the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round, netting our second from the penalty spot to inflict another despairing 4-1 defeat on our sorry opponents
A sign of things to come today, perhaps!
HOW TO FOLLOW
We are pleased to announce that Ben Ashelford will be back in the commentary booth this afternoon; click HERE to access his in-game thoughts.
Live updates will also be posted on our social media accounts; footage and reaction will also be uploaded after the final whistle.
OTHER FIXTURES
If you haven’t learnt already, you can never fully take your eyes off this league at either end of the table.
A total of 12 other matches are being battled out across this division today, with a couple of local clashes and potential upsets along the way.
