Hemel Hempstead Town 2-1 St Albans City (National League South)
A couple of clubs on my radar for a while now are playing each other tonight, both Hemel Hempstead and St Albans is under 2 hours, just, from my door and straight down the M1 with easy access in and out, so I’ve long wanted to make the trip to either venue with a few near misses, finally given the opportunity with this re-arrangement after the original match between the two at Christmas was abandoned due to a floodlight failure.
Just six miles, the A4147 and a bridge over the M1 separate these two small Hertfordshire towns, derby day is here with both sides improving in form of late under two relatively new Managers despite some relegation concerns, St Albans are unbeaten in seven under Ian Culverhouse who’s work I know through previously at Boston United, whilst Ian Allinson has led Hemel away from sticky times with just one defeat in eight. The Saints however have won four of the last five matches between the two whilst the Tudors haven’t won against their rivals at home since 2020, it’ll be tight tonight as two of the National League South form sides do battle, Hemel having consecutive nil nils, their most recent at home to Maidstone United on Saturday, whilst St Albans won at Bath City 1-0 at the weekend thanks to an Aidan Daush winner.
A bit about the two as it’s the first time I’ve watched either in person, Hemel Hempstead Town were formed in 1895 as Aspley End but got the name we know them as today first in 1955, before dropping ‘Town’ after merging with Hemel Hempstead United in 1971, in 1999 they rebranded again as Town after some successful seasons in the Isthmian League, winning Division Two at the turn of the Century, they moved to the Southern Premier in 2005, becoming champions in 2014 and ever since, have been in the National South, finishing a best place fifth, and reaching the playoffs in 2017/18.
St Albans City formed in 1908 joining the Spartan League and Athenian League before playing most of their stuff in the Isthmian until restructuring in 2004 had them become founder members of the Conference South.
The club did gain promotion in 2005/06 to the fifth tier but finished bottom in their single season in the Conference Premier and although since had three seasons in the Southern League, from 2015 have been at this level, a level they are trying desperately to stay in right now, despite hovering dangerously in the drop zone even with their good run of form of late.
It’s 4pm, I’m out the door and down the A46 with a Waitrose Meal Deal, onto the M1 and off at Junction 8, two hours later pulling up on the corner of Vauxhall Road, a leafy old housing estate, walking the final few yards towards the stadium entrance where I notice quite a crowd tonight is building up.
The Venue
Tucked away on a quiet road in what looks like a pleasant old once council estate, the ground gates are welcoming, lit up everything is red, the club colours underneath the dark skies as I walk towards the turnstiles as people park their cars being told where to put them by stewards.
Through the turnstile with a scanned mobile ticket which the club sent me on Friday, I’m in after a quick bag check and into what feels like a quirky but beautiful non-league home, the pitch is higher up than the periphery, behind the goal is a seated stand, it feels lower than the roofed terrace at the opposite end, I presume it used to have quite a slope but nowadays the 3g pitch built has levelled things somewhat, a nice stand running down the side-line over the far side is where I’m looking to sit, near side has a bit of seating which looks like for media and members, either side of that, there’s Perspex dugouts, the tunnel drawn back from the changing rooms adjacent to the clubhouse which sits in the bottom corner, it has a real feel of community here, there’s a club shop and a racing pigeon club shed next to the men’s toilets which is my next port of call.
The Game
I’ve sat in the corner of the seated stand on the far side, getting my spot in early as I anticipate a big crowd, 1,533 in tonight, the away end is packed and looks spectacular behind the goal to my right, the bottom end has the home side hardcore who are making all the noise, as the two teams walk out you feel this is what we do best in Britain, derby nights, football in the dark and cold played to a packed loud following, getting behind our teams and giving it some for local bragging rights.
Hemel in all red have a lot of the ball early, St Albans in yellow sitting off, letting them play, Culverhouse has them in a solid five with wing backs, a workmanlike midfield is combative but they have a couple of silky players too, Rasulo who I’ve previously seen play for Banbury and Banton who I really like the look of, their stand out talisman.
The home side are most prominent down their left, I’ve taken a shine to their on loan full back from Barrow, former Arsenal defender Mazeed Ogungbo, in front of him is the flying winger Brandon Barzey, he’s giving another former Arsenal youngster James Sweet a tough test, he’s at right wing back and signed for St Albans in September after being released by the Gunners.
Nothing bar a huff and a puff though, the first half is largely incident free but for an early injury for Hemel’s Dan Pybus, a bit of a goal mouth scramble on the stroke of half time offers St Alban’s best chance but it’s very even, two organised sides who don’t look like they want to over commit.
The Score
It’s freezing, bloody cold as I bounce up and down for warmth at the break, but I’m engaged in a good honest battle, two sets of fans giving everything, two sets of players cautiously playing ball.
That caution I predict to continue into the later stages, but it’s an early strike for the home side which opens up the game somewhat five into the second half, a ball played into the box by George Williams is headed at Johnson by Ogungbo, the rebound eventually falling to Barzey after a good save, the winger volleys home to send the home support into raptures.
That support is soon quietened on 66 when a delightful long ball by Claridge is even more delightfully taken down by Banton, he pokes home a leveller out of nothing, and the game is at scratch, once again, going into the final half hour and more.
You feel it’s fair reflection but the later match goes you wonder if there’s to be a twist, there’s people upping and leaving to beat the traffic as the time ticks on, the board goes up for seven minutes of added, and one last throw of the dice as both teams open up their legs, it’s end to end as they tempt to have a go between settling up to stall time with substitutions that suggests they’ll be also happy to stick, Hemel have a free kick pumped deep into the box, the ball is suddenly bouncing around and Ogungbo, the player I’m most impressed with on the night, with an all important winner, the stuff of legends locally, the Hemel team are all jumping in the crowd behind the goal as the goalkeeper Johnson kicks out at a runner arms aloft, not interested in retaliating, just joining his mates and jumping in with the wildest of late winning celebrations.
The Stars
The name Mazeed Ogungbo may now be written in Tudor folklore, he’s an otherwise unassuming left back who does the simple stuff well, solid, dependable, average height, average speed, one who makes decent decisions, a player now 22 who’s previously spent time at Crawley Town, at Barrow, his parent club, things haven’t worked out, at the Arsenal Academy from the age of thirteen, perhaps he just feels happier, closer to home?
The buzzing Brandon Barzey was also eye catching with some positive running and quick feet, in defence Samuel Adenola at right back was gutsy, Kyle Ajayi and Ben Tompkins dominant, the midfield worked hard, George Williams the classiest, but then he does have seven Welsh caps, whilst Joe White was a physical threat up front.
For St Albans I was impressed with a lot of what they did, David Longe-King at centre back won all his duels and was particularly good in the air alongside Deon Woodman and James Claridge, left sided wing back Brandon Mason had a really good game whilst opposite side James Sweet shown promise, Alfie Bendle, an on loan midfielder from Colchester United, looked to be a player with football league potential, silky with swagger, Rasulo and Banton adding a touch of elegance in their play, whilst eighteen year old Olly Davis came off the bench and made an immediate impact with genuine technique, tenacity and quality, he’s on loan from Ipswich Town and looked a real star asset.
The Verdict
The win takes Hemel to fourteenth in the table and twelve points above the drop zone, they’ll be ok with thirteen games to play, St Albans though are not out of the woods yet, they have fourteen matches remaining, are on 28 points and are four adrift of Enfield who in twentieth are sat in safety buffer zone.
I think St Albans should do it, they have the players right now that are better than their position, a tough start to the campaign has them in this predicament, but in Ian Culverhouse they have a Manager who looks to have revitalised himself after testing times at Boston, he knows how to survive at ‘this’ level and he looks to have the players to do it, they’ll need to bounce back though, starting on Saturday, at home, in another Hertfordshire derby against Boreham Wood.
The Teams
Hemel Hempstead Town: Brad House, Samuel Adenola, Mazeed Ogungbo, Kyle Ajayi, Ben Tompkins, Dan Pybus (Kyran Wiltshire 10), George Williams (Eoin McKeown 90), Mathew Achuba, Oliver Lynch (Millar Matthews-Lewis 90), Joe White, Brandon Barzey (Philip Chenudu 90).
St Albans City: Matthew Johnson, James Sweet, James Claridge, David Longe-King, Deon Woodman, Brandon Mason, Josh Castiglione (Olly Davis 62), Alfie Bendle, Zane Banton, Giorgi Rasulo, Aidan Daush (Shaun Jeffers 90).
7:45pm Kick Off. Monday 17th February 2025, Vauxhall Road, Hemel Hempstead (att 1,533).
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