Sport

Hampton and Richmond suffer home defeat as Hamlet climb clear

Hampton and Richmond failed to end St Albans City’s 100% record in the National League South as they suffered a 2-0 home defeat.

Mitchell Weiss found the back of the net in the 42nd minute to put the visitors ahead, and St Albans lead was doubled in the final minute of added time by Solomon Nwaboukei.

St Albans spoiled what was meant to be a glorious day for Hampton and Richmond as the Beveree Stadium saw fans for the first time since the country was put into a national lockdown.

A broken nose forced Nathan Minhas off the pitch in just the 14th minute, and he was replaced by Wilson Carvalho for the home side.

Ru Donaldson had the ball in the net for the Beavers, but his effort in the 29th minute was adjudged to be offside.

Carvalho was bearing down on the opposition goal and as the keeper ran out to meet him, he played the ball across to Donaldson who coolly slotted the ball into the back of the net, only for the flag to go up.

As the game was coming up to the end of the first half, St Albans had good spells of possession.

Zane Banton played a ball to Weiss who turned nicely to get in front of goal and fired the ball past Alan Julian to give his team a 1-0 lead.

Ryan Gondoh was at the centre of the home side’s only real threatening chances in the second half.

The first chance came after good play from the Hampton and Richmond attacker, drifting in and out of the St Albans City backline, he got in on goal and his low-driven shot to the bottom right corner was well saved by Michael Johnson.

Gondoh soon after, received the ball in acres of space on the right side of the box, he thought he had less time than he did and rushed a shot that went into the centre of the goal.

Hampton and Richmond were punished in the 95th minute as Nwaboukei finished the game off on the counter-attack.

Beavers manager Gary McCann said: “I’m doubly disappointed if I’m being honest because it’s the first opportunity our fans have been able to see us in person and we have come up short.

“I don’t think it’s a game we deserved to get beat in, and credit must go to St Albans for the way they defended and kept us out, but we had enough opportunities and passages of play in the first 35 minutes.”

Hampton and Richmond Borough drop to fifth in the table and now look to Saturday when they face Slough Town.

Also, in the National League South, Dulwich Hamlet continued their push away from the relegation zone with a 3-0 victory over sixth placed Hungerford Town.

A goal each from Andre Blackman, Sanchez Ming and Tyrique Hyde proved the difference in the game.

The result sees back-to-back wins climb Hamlet to 14th place, and four points clear of the drop zone.

Elsewhere in the National League, Sutton beat Solihull Moors 4-1 to make it three wins on the bounce.

Isaac Olaofe added another to his goal tally, alongside Tobi Sho-Silva, David Ajiboye and Aaron Simpson.

Sutton still sit second in the National League, two points behind Torquay United but six points clear of third placed Notts County.

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