Tickets now on sale at turnstiles.

Last edited by inthebox (04/9/2021 11:42 AM)

inthebox wrote:

Very confusing one, on official web site last night said tickets available on the gate today, and now just read on same web site, no tickets on the gate, I shall not bother.

I don't think the CTFC website ever said that St Albans tickets were available on the gate. Even St Albans are saying as much today.

https://twitter.com/stalbanscityfc/status/1434109129375760385
 

1-1 FT exchange of pens

A strange one, very strange. At the start of the season, this wouldn't have been a game many expected anything from. Before the game, most would have taken a point on the road against a strong St Albans side, backed well by their board and roared on by a large crowd. However, after 90 minutes at Clarence Park, it was the Bluebirds of Chippenham with disappointment etched across their faces after a 1-1 draw whilst maintaining the unbeaten start to the season, most in attendance will feel Chippenham deserved all 3. 

The away side started the brighter of the two, with Russe and Bunker breaking the game up time and again and moving the ball well into the channels where both Harper and Bray were fantastic in getting up and supporting Stearn, Mann and Jackson. The first real chance of the game came as Alex broke down the right hand side, slotted Stearn who rolled the ball into Adam Mann, a quick turn of pace by Mann and he found himself in front of goal. His strike whilst solid wasn't strong enough to beat Michael Johnson diving low to his left to deny Manny a first goal of the season. 

It mattered not for the travelling Blue Army as they soon after had a reason to cheer. More great work down the left hand side resulted in Harper squeezing into the box, as he skipped down the line to slot the ball across goal, he was carelessly checked by the St Albans defender, leaving the referee with no choice and a clear penalty was given to Chippenham. Jackson stepped up as he did in the first game of the season against Dulwich and slotted to the goalkeepers right hand side and it was 1-0 Chippenham. A quick glance of the results in the league at this point meant little CTFC were 3rd in the National League South and on the current performance, it would have been a brave person to bet against us ending the day there! 

As expected, St Albans then took a large amount of the possession in the game but the resiliency of Hamilton, Richards, Pars and Will Henry meant that our back 3 were rarely uncomfortable and allowed Bray and Harper to continually look dangerous on the counter. The chances stagnated a little towards the end of the first half albeit Chippenham still in the ascendancy with dangerous crosses from Bray and Mann from the left hand side narrowly missing a Chippenham head and going to the hands of the grateful Johnson.

Half time and whilst it would seem Mike and his staff spent 15 minutes giving instruction and congratulating the troops on a solid 45 minutes, Ian Atkinson of St Albans felt his time would be better spent trying to take the hinges off the ref room door to berate the obvious penalty in a clear tactic that suggested in the second half, should the opportunity come to even the score, it should be taken. Sadly on hostile turf with 1000+ supporters packed into the ground, a referee can often be intimidated to giving things a little cheaply. We re-emerged for the second half knowing that we had to create and take at least one more chance. 

And then it happened. Ball in from the right hand side from Bray, lands at the feet of Stearn with cries of shoot coming from the away end, the winger just couldn't get his strike off in time and a chance went begging. Another ball in, this time from the left, Mann collects, two hands in the lower of his back and the referee set the tone for what was going to be a tough second half, ignoring the obvious free kick and allowing St Albans to come away unscathed. Then the big one. A long balled pumped forward from Kieran Parselle following a clearance from a corner found of all people Will Richards bearing down on Johnson in the St Albans City goal. One of the most cultured and ball playing defenders I have seen in recent years, if anyone of the lads at the back was going to be here, it was the man who started his career as a midfielder. As he went to slot the ball, his standing leg just seemed to get caught between turf and man, and whilst the shot skewed wide in the best chance of the afternoon, the angst soon turned to concern for the fallen Chippenham man who was clearly struggling with the knock. A quick jaunt back and one last corner for Will Richards to attack signalled the end of his game. However, he walked off and afterwards in a passing conversation, stated he was feeling OK just a bit sore and shouldn't trouble us for too long which is always pleasing! 

St Albans of course, did find their way back into the game in the fashion that sadly many predicted if we didn't take a chance we would be made to rue it by the officials under pressure to even the score. An interchange down the left hand side (with a strong hint of offside in the build up) led to the ball fizzing across the Chippenham area. It made it's way to Harper who it would seem was about to clear the ball as from my viewpoint, Jeffers ran across Vince and went to ground. Anywhere else on the pitch, I think the referee doesn't stop the game and give anything however, with both men on the deck on the crowd behind the goal in full voice, the referee had to make a call and that call was penalty. Jeffers who seconds earlier won the penalty stepped up to take it and although a good hand from Henry on the spot kick made for a nervy gasp from the St Albans crowd, the roar followed after the ball came off the hand onto the post and in for a St Albans equalizer.

The game then became a real nervy contest with both sides not content with the days work with no real clear cut chance for St Albans however, two half chances for Chippenham with a Harvey Bunker free kick after Harry Warwick was pulled down on the edge and a good opportunity for Warwick himself when he rounded the goalkeeper expecting to be pulled down, the contact never came, Harry was driven wide and his shot went up over the crossbar after men had piled back into to box out the area.

The final whistle came and was met with applause from both the home crowd happy to see their side snatch a point and the Chippenham supporters proud of the efforts of their team.

We caught up with Mike Cook, Man of the Match Spencer Hamilton, Goalscorer Marlon Jackson and Chippenham Captain Kieran Parselle at Full Time and it was clear that Chippenham felt the hard done by party with the point, but we move now to Chelmsford at home in good spirits and unbeaten! 

COYB 

St. Albans City vs Chippenham Town | National League South Highlights, Sat 4th Sept 2021 - YouTube

POST-MATCH | Mike Cook on draw against St. Albans City in the National League South - YouTube

POST-MATCH | The squad on draw against St. Albans City in the National League South - YouTube