Recap: St Albans 1-2 Harriers

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HARRIERS made progress to the Third Round of the Isuzu FA Trophy with an impressive 2-1 win at St Albans City.

It was the proverbial game of two halves in Hertfordshire – Harriers were decidedly second best in the first half and were behind at half time after the hosts took the lead through a 13th-minute goal from Mitchell Weiss.

St Albans had exchanged passes in midfield and found a way through Harriers thanks to an incisive pass from Banton that Weiss ran on to, getting a toe ahead of his man to poke the ball beyond Tom Billson, the ball hitting the post and finding the net.

Billson was alert on 33 minutes dangerous marksman Jeffers found room in the area to shoot with an angled drive; the on-loan Coventry man denying him with a good, low save.

Harriers were vastly improved after the restart and took the lead within five minutes. Jack Bearne was a constant threat all afternoon and, after picking up Joe Leesley’s pass, drove a low cross into the area that Zak Brown tucked home beyond the goalkeeper.

From there, Harriers were always in control of the game and came close to taking the lead on 59 minutes when, at close range, shot-stopper Berry thwarted Bearne as the youngster looked set to convert.

Berry’s heroics didn’t end there. With 70 on the clock he made a strong double save to deny Amari Morgan-Smith a goal as he shot at an angle, the ball falling to Leesley who volleyed at goal and was met with a strong save.

The best of the saves arguably came three minutes later when Bearne’s pull-back was thumped by Morgan-Smith – Berry able to block it excellently.

He was beaten six minutes further on, though, as the visitors deservedly took the lead – Berry saved again, this time from Hemmings, but couldn’t do anything to keep out Morgan-Smith’s rebound as the experienced striker was by far the fastest to reacted to the loose ball.

Get full team line-ups and key match facts at The Match Centre

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