Staines Town 4 St Albans City 3

Staines started confidently, with André Scarlett finding space for an early shot, Mazin Ahmad and Leroy Griffiths finding their range with a free-kick and a cross respectively, and Taylor launching himself to get a touch to a Scarlett cross.

There was a scare, however, when City’s Paul Hakim sidefooted wide at the end of their best move of the first 20 minutes.

Just one minute later, Swans moved ahead, following a shimmying run and pinpoint cross from Griffiths, that was met with a powerful far post header at close range by Taylor, marking the end of a barren spell for him.

City responded quickly, with Quilter heading just wide after a free-kick, before they secured an equaliser in the 28th minute.

Staines were uncharacteristically wrong-footed by a break down the left and a cross to which Ian Dunn manœuvred himself into space and crashed the ball past Louis Wells following a tricky ricochet.

It seemed that Staines must retake the lead just three minutes later, when the visiting defence was at sea in dealing with a Griffiths corner, but both Michael Kamara and Taylor had efforts blocked before Mr Butler blew for a foul.

And then they conceded a shock second goal in the 32nd minute, as Peter Smith sent over a corner and it was firmly met at the back by Mark Peters: having just started to rain, the slippery ball slithered in.

But Staines were determined not to let their good run slip, and just three minutes later they were back on terms.

Ahmad started the move with a run through the centre, picking out Scarlett who did well to evade a pincer pair of tackles before letting rip with a shot that chimed against the foot of the post.

Bouncing awkwardly into space in the 18 yard box, it was Taylor who reacted quickest to guide the ball back beyond ’keeper Bastock.

Play then flowed to the other end, where Hakim lined up a shot, only for Kamara to get in a timely interception and Wells to complete the save.

The Staines keeper then launched a long pass which Taylor ran onto, and advanced to within a couple of yards of the penalty area, whereupon he was tripped by Godfrey Poku.

Mr Butler deemed, perhaps leniently, that Taylor did not have full control, and issued only a yellow card, but Mazin Ahmad exacted his own form of punishment with a superbly struck low free-kick nestling home after grazing the far post – that his first goal for the side.

With only two minutes left till half time, Staines went in 3-2 up.

The second half was never going to be quite as eventful, but (after cautions for Scarlett, 50m, and City’s Roberts), Scarlett drew a superb fingertip save when Paul Bastock touched his 58th min drive over the bar.

Then Staines added another goal of real quality in the 66th minute, created by Ahmad’s dancing deception of three defenders right out on the touchline, and volleyed in at the far post by the powerful Griffiths.

Had Bastock not been so well positioned as he was to hold Griffiths’ free kick, following a Cohen foul on Ahmad a few minutes later, it could have been all over, but as Staines knew from the game at Clarence Park, City will not lie down easily.

Kamara did well to halt a marauding run from Shields, and Staines were thankful that Yado Mambo has settled in – in Ifura’s absence – so comfortably alongside Gordon at the heart of defence. His fellow Charlton loanee, Tuna, has now switched to Woking).

After a flurry of substitutions, City pulled back to 4-3 when Gary Cohen powerfully headed home an 81st-minute Beecroft corner, ensuring that defending corners will be a topic for Mr Cordery’s next training session.

Four minutes later, and just before being taken off to warm applause, Taylor might have complete a hat-trick but for a super reflex save by Bastock.

As the game moved into it’s final moments (plus 5 mins of stoppage time), there as a further yellow card to City’s Cohen (late tackle on Kamara), but he then menaced the home defence with a he throw-in, a good cross, and a surging run which was only ended by a great tackle by Risbridger in the closing seconds.

Hakim had his name taken for protesting this last point, but as the whistle sounded, (and once it was cinfirmed that Thurrock had stopped scoring at 8-2), Swans knew they had risen to 3rd place.

There were two presentations as the players left the field: Jesse Richards presented two-goal Taylor with “Man of the Match”, and Chairman Alan Boon handed Steve Cordery his plaque and bubbly as the division’s January Manager of the Month.

Staines: Wells, S Jackson, Kamara, Gordon ©, Mambo, Scarlett, Ahmad (D Thomas 79), Risbridger, Charles-Smith, Taylor (Sterling 88), Griffiths; unused: Ifura, Newton, Courtnage (g).

St Albans: Bastock, Fisher ©, Smith, Poku (Magwood 77), Peters, Quilter, Beecroft, Shields, Dunn (Cohen 62), Hakim, Roberts (Lindie 74); unused Frater, Dedman.

Staines Town host Eastleigh this Saturday.