United are back on the road tomorrow, as they head to Clarence Park to take on St Albans
Although Paul Wotton’s men will be looking to strengthen their position at the top of National League South, they will be against a Saints side determined to pull themselves out of trouble at the other end of the table.
Who’s the Boss?
Ian Culverhouse was appointed as the new man in charge last November, after a poor run of form signalled the departure of former boss David Noble.
Culverhouse enjoyed a marvellous professional career, representing the likes of Tottenham, Norwich, Swindon and Brighton before transferring that success into the dugout, initially with Assistant roles at Colchester, Norwich and Aston Villa, before moving on to take sole charge of King’s Lynn back in 2017.
After leading the club to a 2nd-placed finish in their Southern League Premier surroundings in 2017/18, Culverhouse left to take over at Grantham Town. His spell there was to prove a brief one though, departing the club after only five months, before returning to King’s Lynn in November 2018, with the side in the bottom half of the table.
Back-to-back promotions since his return saw The Linnets make the astonishing leap from Southern League also-rans to the top tier of non-League football, with stints at Kettering and Boston paving the way for his switch to Clarence Park two months ago.
How Have They Been Doing?
It’s been a testing time for Saints fans this term, following a fine showing in the sixth tier last time out.
The return of former boss Noble failed to bring about a change in fortunes in Hertfordshire, and after amassing just 18 points from 25 matches so far in 2024/25, City find themselves in a relegation dogfight in 21st position, eight points behind Salisbury in the final safety position.
Their draw at Plainmoor earlier this term is proof of their ability to raise their game though, and they did it again on their travels last time out, securing another notable point at former league leaders Weston-super-Mare.
Player to Watch
Striker Shaun Jeffers remains the main man at Clarence Park, with a large proportion of St Albans’ survival prospects laying in the hands of the 32 year-old frontman.
Arriving at St Albanin 2020, Shaun came through the youth ranks at Coventry City before gaining further EFL experience with Peterborough United, Newport County, and Yeovil Town prior to joining Chelmsford City in the summer of 2016.
His prolific form for the Clarets alerted the attentions of National League side Boreham Wood, prior to further stints with Hampton & Richmond and Brackley Town.
A return to Chelmsford in 2019 saw him once again display his goalscoring ability before St Albans convinced him to head for Clarence Park a year later.
Having played a starring role in City’s 4-0 demolition of The Gulls last season, United’s defenders will need to be on the top of their game tomorrow.
Played for Both
Left-back Ben Wyatt has represented both of tomorrow’s clubs, with his one year spell at Plainmoor coming in the 2022/23 campaign.
Having begun his career in the youth ranks of East Anglian rivals Norwich and Ipswich, it was at Maldon & Tiptree where he eventually made his senior bow, before making a return to the EFL ranks with Colchester United.
After finding his route to the first-team blocked, a loan stint at Concord preceded a permanent switch to Braintree, before St Albans came calling for the first time in 2018.
39 appearances and goals during Saints’ 2018/19 Play-Off push heralded a move up a division with Sutton United, a club where Ben would finally make his Football League breakthrough following Sutton’s promotion at the end of 2020/21.
Wyatt proved to be a popular addition to Gary Johnson’s squad in the summer of 2022, however his 30 appearances couldn’t save United from relegation, prompting a return to St Albans last term.
Previous Encounter
St Albans 0 – 4 Torquay United | National League South | 27th April 2019
A record-breaking day saw United sign off the season in style as they strolled to victory against St Albans on the final match of the season at Clarence Park.
No less than four club records were broken, as they went ahead through Kalvin Lumbombo-Kalala staright from kick-off, before doubling their lead through top scorer Jamie Reid. A second half strike from substitute Opi Edwards, and another from Lumbombo-Kalala, saw United produce a performance befitting of champions.
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