Brentwood Town return to the Isthmian Premier Division for their first home league game in ten years on Tuesday night, hosting St Albans in what will be the first-ever competitive meeting between the two sides. With the season opener behind them, the Blues will be aiming for their first win back at this level.
The Blues
Brentwood kicked off their campaign with a 1-1 draw away at Aveley. The hosts went ahead on the hour mark through Ollie Peters, who converted from the spot after George Saunders was fouled in the box.
But late drama saw Brentwood grab a point. Former Aveley striker Charlee Hughes — signed earlier this summer — bundled the ball home in a goalmouth scramble with just two minutes of normal time remaining.
It was a tough early test against a Millers side relegated from Step 2 last season, and the result showed Brentwood’s determination to establish themselves at this level.
Manager Keith Rowland is under no illusions about the challenge St Albans will pose:
“They’ve been consistent, they’ve kept quite a lot and they’ve signed a few. They are a club of good pedigree in non-league.
It will be a good test for us. I think it will be an eye opener for everybody involved — it’s taken the club ten years to get back to this level, so it’ll be a good learning curve.
We will be tested, there’s no doubt about it, but we’ll just go about our business as we normally do.”
The Saints
St Albans endured a difficult 2024/25 season, finishing in the National League South relegation zone. However, they have retained much of their squad and strengthened in key positions.
New arrivals include Michael Bostwick, Alex Dyer, Lewis Page, Jamal Fyfield, Sam Smart and Ryley Scott — with three of them dropping down from the National League, underlining the quality the Saints can attract.
They opened their season with a 0-0 draw at home to Chatham Town, dominating chances but unable to find a breakthrough against a side who pushed for the top half last term.
Manager Ian Culverhouse said after the game that he was happy with the defensive side of things, and that the focus was now on the attacking play.
"[I'm] Pleased for a clean sheet. Magnus and the back four, they looked composed and strong. Now we need to get the other end going"
One to watch is full-back Lewis Page, who came close on several occasions in the opener and impressed throughout pre-season.
Another one to watch is Zane Banton – an exciting winger who has been with St Albans since 2017, making over 300 appearances, scoring 62 goals - and is a firm fans’ favourite at Clarence Park. He could be a key figure in the Saints’ rebuild at Step 3.
Final Word
With Brentwood keen to make a statement in their first home game back in the Isthmian Premier after a decade away, and St Albans arriving with experience and quality, this first-ever meeting between the two sides has all the makings of an exciting encounter under the lights — and a small piece of history in the making.
By Matthew Trevelyan
Important Supporter Information:
Kick-off: 7:45pm
Parking: The Brentwood Centre Arena has 400 spaces, available on a first-come, first-served basis. If parking in surrounding areas, please respect our neighbours.
Arrival: A big crowd is expected — we recommend arriving early so you don’t miss a moment of the action.
Turnstiles: Open from 6:15pm. Please use both turnstiles to help speed up entry.
Admission: Adults £12 | Concessions £8 | Under-18s FREE
Security: Bag searches will be conducted ahead of entry.
On Sale: Printed matchday programmes and 50/50 raffle tickets will be available on arrival.
Food & Drink: Available in the main bar and at the outside burger bar.
Smoking: Not permitted anywhere inside The Arena. Thank you for respecting our policy.
Footballs: No outside footballs are allowed inside The Arena.
Bikes & Scooters: Not permitted on site.
