City missed the opportunity to capitalise on last Saturday’s win at Grays and increase the pressure on the league leaders as they slumped to a disappointing Boxing Day defeat at the hands of bottom of the table St Albans in front of large Milton Road crowd.

Gary Roberts reverted to a conventional 4-4-2 formation, having experimented successfully with a 3-4-3 line-up at Grays, Steve Dell making his home debut at right back at the expense of striker Jon Stevenson. Richard Scott and Lee Chaffey remain on the injured list and Craig Pope will be suspended for two further games after today.

The improving Saints earned a creditable goalless draw with Eastbourne last time out, Colin Lippiatt making one change from that game, Nick Roddis coming in for Scott Cousins. Former Milton Road favourite Matt Hann featuring amongst the substitutes.

Robbie Simpson finds himself surrounded

Both teams started purposefully on a bright and bitterly cold lunchtime, but neither posed a significant goal threat in an opening that gave little indication of the 22 points that separated the two sides at the kick-off.

The Lilywhites carved out a half-chance on ten minutes when Dave Sadler combined with Dale Binns on the right but Carl Williams failed to make a clean connection with the resulting cross when well placed to work Paul Bastock.

Sadler then collected a neat through ball from Alex Fiddes but once he had shrugged off the close attentions of Gary Elphick, Bastock had come off his line and blocked effectively at the expense of a corner.

Lacking their usual creativity, especially from wide positions, City were restricted to the occasional half chance, as illustrated by Steve Dell’s centre from wide on the right which caused Bastock a moment of anxiety as he clutched the ball under the crossbar.

Dale Binns, who was seeing far too little of the ball to pose his usual threat managed to wriggle free of Dean Hooper and angle his centre back towards the penalty spot where Alex Fiddes fired across the face of goal.

The Saints, who had defended without undue alarm then served notice of their ability on the counter. Tom Davis found too much space wide on the right and played in Ram Marwa who squared for Tom Beech, only a deflection from Duncan Roberts diverting the ball behind the former Cambridge United striker who was unmarked six yards out.

Robbie Simpson and Dale Binns then combined to set up Fiddes but the former Redbridge midfielder’s wayward drive summed up City’s failure to pressurise a defence that had conceded an average of two goals a game so far this season.

Rob Miller shakes off the attentions of St Albans' Ram Marwa

The Lilywhites then compounded a sub-standard first half display by allowing the Saints to grab the lead in the dying minutes of the period. The lively Tom Davis was again allowed the room to work the ball inside to Marwa which allowed the former Grays’ midfielder to slide the ball past Roberts just before the on-rushing ‘keeper got down at his feet.

With so little quality on display there appeared every chance that a second half improvement would still enable City to turn things around, however, that all changed in injury time when the hosts extended the spirit of Christmas and handed the Saints a gift wrapped opportunity to double their lead.

Duncan Roberts bowled an awkward throw wide to Lee Summerscales, the ball bouncing and allowing Davis to close down the City full-back. With the safe option of a line clearance denied to him Summerscales turned inside and played the ball across the penalty area straight to Lee Clarke, presenting the former Peterborough striker with the straight forward task of firing back past Roberts.

Gary Roberts attempted to shake things up at the interval, the unfortunate Summerscales making way for Jon Stevenson with the intention of increasing the pressure on the Saints’ underworked back line. However, missing the ability of regular full backs Craig Pope and Lee Chaffey to carry the ball forward fromdeep, together with the passing quality of Richard Scott in midfield, the service to the strikers was never good enough to trouble a visiting defence who, courtesy of their two goal cushion, needed to do nothing other than sit deep and mop up a series of through balls channeled through the centre of the park.

In addition the Lilywhites seemed to struggle with the change of formation at the back, Matt Langston looking less than comfortable on the left side of the three. In a rare moment of goalmouth incident, Dean Hooper’s free kick travelled all the way through to a scrambling Duncan Roberts as if to typify the uncertainty in the City rearguard.

When City did get the ball wide the Saints looked a lot less comfortable. Carl Williams centred from the right allowing Robbie Simpson the space to take a step forward before seeing his on target effort blocked by Nick Roddis at the expense of a corner.

Simpson loses sight of the ball as it flies across the visitor's penalty area

Dale Binns, Jon Stevenson and Alex Fiddes then worked the ball wide to Carl Williams before he too was blocked out as the Saints doubled up at the back.

With City stretched they came close to conceding a third, Marwa broke through the over-exposed left side of the Lilywhites defence and only good hold up play by Glen Fuff preventing him squaring to the unmarked Beech. The ball was eventually worked back to Clark who lashed wide.

As the game entered its final ten minutes Alex Fiddes’ ground pass played Rob Miller in behind the Saints and his driven cross was spilled by Bastock but no City striker was on hand to capitalise.

Miller then produced the afternoon’s one moment of genuine quality when his intelligent back heel freed substitute Matt Robinson wide on the right but the former Ipswich wide man’s measured effort was comfortably claimed by Bastock.

Realising that City were unlikely to grab a lifeline the Saints came out of their shell a little more and with the hosts waiting for an offside flag that was never raised, Chris Seeby raced clear down the left and crossed dangerously for Beech, the ball finally deflected by Matt Langston into the hands of Roberts.

With time as good as up City fashioned two half chances which summed up their miserable afternoon. Firstly Rob Miller worked a part-cleared corner back into the box where Matt Langston was on hand but lobbed over the bar. A quick free kick was then played back from Miller to Dell but the former Wycombe right back saw his shot balloon high and wide.

The ability to bounce back from adversity has characterised City’s season so far, they have the chance to do that in the return fixture at Clarence Park on New Year’s Day where they will need to turn in a much improved performance in order to avoid a costly festive blank.