The Saints go marching on (25.03.06)

THE Saints strode imperiously to the top of the league in front of a season’s best crowd with an elementary 4-0 win over the Magpies on Saturday.
City took the lead in the seventh minute with a well-worked corner routine.
Ben Walshe cut back the place kick from the right to Dean Cracknell on the edge of the penalty area.
Cracknell pushed the ball through to Matt Hann on the edge of the six yard box, who fired the ball home with ease.
United almost struck back within a minute, when Nathan Bunce headed a Mark Graham corner just wide.
Maidenhead continued to push for an opening, Ryan Ashe having a long shot well saved in the 25th minute, and then had a good shout for handball by Ram Marwa turned down in the 28th minute.
Neville Roach shot just over the bar in the 29th minute, but United were the authors of their own downfall a minute later, when Steve Dell, playing in an unfamiliar role in the middle of a back five, hit a weak back pass which was pounced on by Paul Hakim.
He rounded Scott Tarr to put the ball into an empty net, making up for a similar miss five minutes earlier.
The second half saw the Saints comfortably in control, dashing any lingering hopes of a Magpies revival in the 58th minute when Lee Clarke put Marwa through, who gave Tarr no chance with a resounding finish which rocketed into the net off the crossbar.
Tarr then had to be at his best to deny Hakim and Clarke with two super saves, before Clarke completed the rout in the 77th minute with the goal of the game, picking up a loose ball from Ashe before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the far corner of the net.
The Magpies almost had the last say in injury time, when a Stephen Hughes free-kick was well saved by Paul Bastock.

BEATEN TO THE PUNCH: Maidenhead United skipper Nathan Bunce was off the pace at St Albans City on Saturday.

St Albans City: Bastock, Seeby, Flynn, Cracknell, Elphick, Lewis (for Ada, 74), Hann, Marwa (for Foyewa, 81), Hakim (for Ross, 81), Clarke, Walshe. Unused subs: Roddis, Burgess.
Maidenhead United: Tarr, Dell (for Bradshaw, 34), Parsons (for Romeo, 78), Bunce, Wild, White, Lewington, Ashe, Hughes, Roach, Graham (for Badu, 78). Unused subs: Whiteman, Stevenson.