Capacity: 2.500 (Seats 268) Address: School Lane, Off Palmer Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 3JRPitch Type: Grass Club Nickname: The Dolphins Year Ground Opened: 2000 Home Kit: Red and White HalvesWE’VE MET BEFORE LAST TIME OUT

St Albans City took the spoils in the battleof the only one-hundred percent recordsleft in the Vanarama National LeagueSouth – with a 2-0 win at Chelmsford City.

Goals from Tom Gardiner and RhysMurrell-Williamson, his second in threedays, gave St Albans an impressive andpotentially important three points. Bothsides went into this game as the only twoin the division with three wins from theopening three games, Saints leading theirhosts on goal difference.

By the end though City were three pointsclear of a side tipped by Saints managerIan Allinson to be one of the mainchallengers for the title. And it continuedtheir best start to a season for 17 years,when seven straight wins were recorded.

In truth there was as little between theteams in the first half as there was in thetable at the start. Chelmsford just edged itbut while they had a lot more shots atgoal, only one called Dean Snedker intoaction, holding on to a James Stevensoneffort just before the quarter-hour mark.

Saints in contrast took their one effortwhen it came. A free-kick from the leftfrom Zan Banton was clipped to the backpost where Gardiner was steaming in,planting his header beyond Sam Beasent.Solomon Sambou almost danced his wayto the goal later on in the half but washounded out.

The second half was a strange beast, withthe quality down but the number ofchances rapidly climbing.

And City’s second was a total case inpoint. Craig Braham-Barrett was caught inpossession and Murrell-Williamsongleefully gobbled up the chance, curlingthe ball into the corner.

Chelmsford turned to their bench butcouldn’t get a long enough period to reallythreaten Saints. They did have chances;Kudus Oyenuga forced Snedker into a savedown low to his left and Stevenson hit avolley across goal and wide.

In the end the expected barrage nevercame and the clinical edge to take theirchances when they came was thedifference.

Match report by Neil Metcalfe

ST ALBANSCITY 4 POOLE TOWN 0

TUESDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER 2016NATIONAL LEAGUE SOUTH 7.45PMCLARENCE PARK ATT: 485

FIRST HALF GOALS FROM JOSH HILL ANDLOUIE THEOPHANOUS GAVE CITY THEPERFECT START AND CITY’S TOP SCORERCOMPLETED HIS HAT-TRICK LATE IN THESECOND PERIOD.

It was a much needed return to form afterlosing their unbeaten home record toHampton & Richmond Borough onSaturday and puts Saints into third placein the Vanarama National League South.Despite the half-time score it wasn’t thegreatest halves of football, yet it got off tothe perfect start.

Matt Ball swung in a left-wing corner andHill rose highest to power in his first for theclub. That was in the third minute but it tookover half an hour for the second to arrive.Junior Morias fed the ball through andTheophanous slotted it beneath NickHutchings, although the Poole keepermay have done better.

Shaun Lucien’s shot looped up and hit thebar and then Hutchings had to claw one ofthe line under pressure from a combinationof Theophanous and Ball. The rest of the halfthough was pretty lacklustre with Citystruggling to keep possession long enoughto put Poole under sustained pressure.

City also looked the more likely to scorenext after the resumption. Morias’ shotinside 20 seconds was fumbled by Hutchingswith Theophanous closing in and then theCity striker hit a first-time shot wide from 10yards. Ben Herd also got forward well but hislow cross was superbly defended by JamieWhisken. However, it was no surprise whenthe hosts made it three. Lucien pushed theball beyond the final defender and City’sskipper, in the absence of Lee Chappell,slipped it beyond Hutchings.

And with practically the last kick of thegame, Theophanous completed his hattrick,powering forward from Herd’s passand firing low at the near post.

POOLE TOWN V ST ALBANS CITYThe Saints make the long journey to Dorset to facePoole Town on Saturday as they look to continuetheir perfect start to the new season.

The Dolphins have had had a mixed opening fourfixtures of their 2017/2018 campaign, picking up twovictories, a draw and a suffering a solitary defeat.Their second win of the new season came againstChippenham Town on Tuesday evening, when a 93rdminute Steve Devlin strike secured the points againsta home side that had been down to nine men foralmost half an hour.

Poole manager Tom Killick has retained the vastmajority of the squad that finished last season in animpressive fifth place, with many of the playershaving been with the club for a number of seasons.Key players such as goalkeeper Nick Hutchings,Lewis Lindsay, Luke Burbidge and last season’s topleague goal scorer Steve Devil, who found the net on14 occasions, having all signed new deals.

Alongside the core of last season’s team, Killick hasbrought in a number of new faces to freshen up hissquad and build upon their top five finish. Tony Lee(AFC Totton) and Matt Neale (AFC Bournemouth)have arrived at the club curing the summer monthsalongside Jack Dickson who was last playing in the

USA on a scholarship programme. Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain (above) and Jez Bedford also arrivedlast week from Portsmouth on an initial one monthloan deal.

However, the Dolphins have already suffered asignificant blow with the news that Luke Roberts hasbeen ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACLinjury. The forward has scored almost forty goals forthe club since his arrival in 2014, and will be asignificant miss for the hosts.

If you can’t travel to support the Saints down inDorset, make sure to follow our twitter feed@stalbanscityfc for detailed up to the minute matchupdates.

Come On You Saints!

stalbanscityfc.com St Albans City Football Club @stalbanscityfc stalbanscity_fcw stalbanscityfc.com St Albans City Football Club @stalbanscityfc stalbanscity_fcw

MATCH PACK

LASTFOURENCOUNTERS07.02.2017 National League South Away 0 - 1 46206.09.2016 National League South Home 4 - 0 48512.04.2014 Calor Premier Division Home 0 - 1 58117.08.2013 Calor Premier Division Away 1 - 2 402

OVERALLVenue P W D L Goals + / -Home 2 1 0 1 4 - 1 +3Away 2 0 0 2 1 - 3 -2Total 4 1 0 3 5 - 4 +1

www.saintsstatistics.co.uk

PRICESAdults £12Concessions £8Under 18's £5Under 13's £1

PROGRAMMEPRICEOfficial Mtachday Programme £2.

RECORDATTENDANCE2,203 v Corby , 25th April 2015

There is a clubhouse bar at the ground whichwelcomes visiting supporters. The closest pub isprobably the New Inn on Fernside Road, which isaround a ten minute walk away.

Otherwise around a half a mile away there is a TobyCarvery (further along the main road next to theground, going in the direction opposite to the TownCentre). Otherwise if you have a bit more time on yourhands then there are plenty of pubs to be found in theTown Centre and along the Quayside. However theQuayside is located around one and a half miles awayfrom the Tatnam Ground.

FROMTHENORTH (M3/M27)From the M3 take the M27 towards Bournemouth. Atthe end of the M27 continue onto the A31 towardsPoole, Bournemouth and Ringwood. After passing theRingwood exit, continue on the A31 towardsDorchester and Poole (A349). Then at the Bear CrossRoundabout (passing a BP garage on the right), gostraight ahead onto the A349 towards Poole.

Go straight across the next two roundabouts and atthe third take the second exit onto the A3049 towardsPoole. At the next roundabout take the second exittowards Poole (A3049) and Channel Ferry. Continueacross the next roundabout. Then leave the A3049 bytaking the second exit slip road signposted Wimborne(A349) and Poole General Hospital. At the bottom ofthe slip road take the second exit onto Fleet Lane(signposted Fleet Industrial Estate).After half mile turn

left just past Druckfarben on the right and oppositePoole Motorcycles, into Palmer Road. Then take thenext right into School Road This leads down to theschool/club car park. To walk through to the Tatnamground, then at the far end of the car park by thetennis court, look for the pathway through.

The school car park is quite small so fills up quitequickly, however there is plenty of street parkingavailable in the local area, although the Club asksupporters not to park in Well Lane by the ground asaccess is required by the Club itself.

BY TRAINPoole Railway Station is around one mile away fromthe Tatnam Ground and is served by trains fromLondon Waterloo (via Southampton) and Weymouth.There is a taxi rank at the station otherwise to walk:Exit the station on the seaward side and turn right.

At the first set of traffic lights turn hard right andremain on this road (Sterte Road) crossing over therailway line and you will see the Tatnam ground atthe bottom on the right. It's a comfortable 15 minutewalk (3/4 mile). Thanks to Anthony Hanley forproviding these directions.

www.footballgroundguide.com

DIRECTIONSSQUAD LATEST

WHERE TO DRINK

“Tom Bender is out through suspension obviously butthat means it provides another opportunity forsomeone else to contribute. Sam Merson is still verysore from his injury so we'll take a look at him attraining on Thursday along with David Noble beforewe make a decision on our team for Poole.”

St Albans City First Team Coach, Lee Allinson

By Lee Wood & Jake Ellacott