Chelmsford City 2-1 St Albans City (National League South)
I've been in Krakow over the weekend for the wife's birthday, hardly recovered from a lack of sleep, a lot of food, some alcohol and over 50,000 steps that have contributed to a very sore right foot, I'm hobbling through the pain barrier, out the door at 3pm for the first of three games in three days starting Monday evening, making up for lost time spent on a Saturday afternoon at Schindler's factory when I should have been instead working the non league circuit.
It's a good two and half hour drive south to Essex as I head through the Leicestershire and Rutland countryside before hitting the A1, M11, down to Stansted where I turn off towards Chelmsford through the villages of Ford End and Great Waltham.
Finally arriving for 6pm, where I have a little time to relax in the car.
Chelmsford City are mid-table in the National League South, they drew 2-2 with Dorking Wanderers on Saturday and have a tedious link to Nottingham where I live. Billy Walker, the club's first manager after becoming fully professional in 1938, died in Radcliffe on Trent, just a few miles from my own house, he led Forest to their most recent FA Cup success way back in 1959.
Walker was once a player who won the FA Cup with Aston Villa, The Clarets of Chelmsford, themselves have had their own relative success, four times Southern League champions, they are in their tenth season as a staple in the National League South. St Albans City have been in the division eleven years, but under Ian Culverhouse are currently fourth bottom and in the relegation places, fighting to survive, although performances recently have been uplifting, just two defeats in twelve, seven of which have been draws, their most recent on Saturday at home to Weymouth.
The Venue
I've parked a good five minutes walk away in the nearby housing estate after being tipped off 'the parking's crap around here' by a local scout who I know, trotting into the complex up Salerno Way, it's an athletics arena, is Melbourne Stadium. Modern looking and spacious, home to the Clarets since 2004. You enter through the turnstiles in the corner of the ground, a wide open walk behind the hammer throw netting which partially obstructs your view to the pitch, there's programme huts and wooden shacks for club shops to make it look appealing and more football-like, a huge two storey clubhouse and bar before a tall roof seated stand running lengthways.
There's a pink ice cream looking truck parked outside, they do coffee and cake and it looks too hard to resist. "Can I have a coffee" I ask, "What kind?" Is the reply. I think it's the first time in 40 odd years of visiting football grounds in England I've ever been asked what kind.
"Black Americano and a chocolate brownie" is my reply, before heading up towards the press seats at the back of the stand, where the view is good, but the tables are tight.
So tight, all of 5ft7 and a half of me can't squeeze in, so I move a few paces to the side of the Directors seating where I've nicked an old boys regular pew, "you were here first" he tells me, as I point out I'm more than happy to move.
Glad of the company, he was an ex Barton bus driver who almost moved to Nottingham in the 60s. "It could have been very different for you tonight" I tell him, "you could have been watching Ilkeston or Eastwood".
He's on the Shazam app as he searches through the pre-game playlist played loudly through the PA system, as I look out onto the pitch, the view although set back from the running track that wraps around the grass, is decent, for an athletic stadium it has some quirk too, a roofed stand opposite has a clock on its centre piece, whilst I really like that behind each goal they've added small standing areas to increase the atmosphere or at least attempt it.
The Game
Predictably, despite those amendments the atmosphere is still flat, it always is in these places. Low applause as the players come out under the dark and slightly drizzly sky, Chelmsford in all Torino vino look aimlessly to their well marshalled one up top, the bright yellows of St Albans defend comfortably with their five at the back.
It's twenty minutes before anything happens, when young Ipswich Town loanee Nico Valentine is sent through, he forces a good save from Johnson but perhaps should have done better when one on one.
A few minutes later the Saints create their first opportunity, the industrious Alfie Bendle with his socks rolled down, crossing low to Woodman who can't convert goalwards.
The away side looks the better team, a fella close by says "you can't tell which one is fourth bottom" as they create another opening, former Claret Castiglione forcing a fantastic diving save to his left by Ted Collins.
It's a lively end to a flat first half which lacks quality in the final third, a bit of a melee on the stroke of the half leads to a couple of bookings which warms the quietest of crowds ever so slightly up a touch.
The Score
As expected with more to play for, the second half continues with St Albans passing and probing in the opposition half as they attack for an opener but Chelmsford now have two up top after making a half time sub. Jordan Greenidge offering Saleem Akanbi some assistance with physical presence and that extra body causes problems, a ball crossed low ends up at the feet of Akanbi inside the area who prods home scrappily into the corner of the net.
It's a goal the home team have hardly deserved but it doesn't take long before St Albans are level, they've had a succession of corners tonight, most of them played short, this set piece routine passed low to Banton again who shoots hard and home from inside the area. He's a top footballer and given too much space, clinically made Chelmsford pay.
That you feel is a goal that gives Ian Culverhouse's side a worthy point as the folks around me begin set off and beat the rush, whilst wishing me well on my own travels home North, but after a number of time wasting substitutions are made, the board goes up for six added, one last push by both sees Crichlow shoot agonisingly wide at one end before Charles lobs over on the break at the other, and in a frenzied added time the home team win it when Crichlow manages to strike a blow to St Albans survival chances, a 96th minute winner that all but ensures Chelmsford won't be looking over their shoulders to avoid getting sucked in towards some nervous remaining weeks of the season.
The Stars
Both Chelmsford and St Albans looked every bit decent mid table teams, but due to their start to the season, the Saints are far from safe, their players however impress me, Deon Woodman a left footed centre half looks to have the ability and physique to play higher, David Longe-King next to him solid, reliable, the sort of player you need in a dogfight.
At left wing back I do like the look of Brandon Mason who's athletic and progressive, in midfield Alfie Bendle on loan from Colchester, had a spell at Chelmsford where I'm told he did really well, he was combative and aggressive in ball carrying and put a really big tackle in which earned him a booking, I really like him at 20 years of age and feel he'll have a good career to come.
For Chelmsford, their goalkeeper Ted Collins, who joined from Colchester in the summer, looks solid for the level aged just 22. They have a young side, particularly in defence, Joe Rye on loan from Barnet doing well at centre half, left back Harry Barbrook and right winger Nico Valentine both on loan from Ipswich, have a lot of potential, but I did like Archie Tamplin in midfield who worked hard with a touch of quality in possession.
The Verdict
Chelmsford Manager Robbie Simpson is resigning at the end of the season, apparently he never really wanted the job, was given it as a player manager initially, did well and stayed on, but he has another business, one more secure, and he wants to concentrate on that going forward, aged 39 he's packed up a long professional playing career and has been in charge since 2020, he'll be replaced by Angelo Harrop in the summer, he reached promotion to the National League with Braintree Town last season, a few decent acquisitions and there's no reason he can't repeat that feat with the Clarets.
Whether Ian Culverhouse will still be St Albans Manager by next season, may well depend on whether the club survive the drop or not? There's certainly enough in their team to suggest they will, but in the two games I've seen them play recently, they've lost to two injury time winners, which will be a devastating blow to confidence, and their points tally too. Just two points from survival with nine games to play, they still have a fighters chance, but it could go down to the final day, which is why these late points dropped could come back to haunt them.
The Teams
Chelmsford City: Ted Collins, Archie Tamplin, Joe Rye (Ryan Blackman 64), Harry Barbrook, Kane Crichlow, Arthur Penney (Jake Hyde 90), Charlie Ruff (Jordan Greenidge 46), Sam Oguntayo (Jake Bland 73), Nico Valentine, Saleem Akanbi, Paul Appiah.
St Albans City: Michael Johnson, David Longe-King, Zane Banton, Alfie Bendle, Josh Castiglione (Olly Davis 87), Deon Woodman (Ken Charles 80), Aidan Dausch (Shaun Jeffers 81), Giorgio Rasulo (Alfie Payne 90), James Sweet, Brandon Mason, James Claridge.
7:45pm Kick Off. Monday 10th March 2025, Melbourne Stadium, Chelmsford (att 600 est)
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