St Albans City slipped back into the National League South relegation spots after their 2-1 defeat away to Chippenham Town on Saturday.

Things were going well for the Saints when they took the lead at the end of the first-half via Tom Bender, but two second-half strikes in the space of four minutes from Kieran Parselle and Scott Twine put the home side ahead, where they remained until the final whistle.

Joe Iaciofano might have given St Albans the lead earlier on in the tie when he sprung he Chippenham offside trap, but Will Puddy was quick off his line to smother the danger.

Dean Snedker was called into action shortly after in the Saints’ net when Parselle rose highest from a corner to nod towards the goal forcing the keeper to dive to his left to prevent the ball from creeping inside the post.

It was from a corner that St Albans eventually went ahead, with just five minutes of the first-half remaining.

David Noble’s delivery from the left arced towards the near post and Bender timed his run well to make contact with the ball at the near post and flick it past Puddy, who was rooted to his goal line.

The home side were struggling to find a way through, with St Albans getting numbers behind the ball in a bid to see their lead through to half-time.

Some patient passing play saw the ball worked into the feet of Alex Bray on the left, but his shot was taken on with such a tight angle ahead of him, that it was an easy enough save for Snedker.

The Saints’ defence was much more accommodating after the half-time break and a neat passing move at the beginning of the second period saw Callum Gunner’s shot trickle a whisker wide of the post.

Iaciofano was presented with an opportunity to double the Saints’ advantage after Zane Banton slipped him in behind the Town defence following some slick passing.

However, the number nine slipped as he made contact with the ball, which took most of the power out of his effort and Puddy saved comfortably.

Chippenham then started to bang on the St Albans door with greater regularity.

First substitute Luke Haines volleyed over from the edge of the area with a fierce dipping effort before a well-worked corner routine ought to have ended with a more dangerous shot from Jay Foulston, but he blasted well over from a good position.

Eventually the pressure told and the sides were level with just over quarter-of-an-hour remaining when Parselle bundled in a corner at the back post, with no one in a purple shirt monitoring his run from the edge of the area.

The Saints then found themselves 2-1 down just four minutes later when Twine’s driving run was cut short about 35 yards from goal by a trip from Noble.

Twine himself stepped up to take the kick and he sent it over the wall and into the back of the net, with Snedker planted firmly on his goal-line.

The visitors failed to create enough to claw the game back and finished on the losing side.

They now sit 21st in the table, level on points with Billericay and Dulwich Hamlet ahead of them, but six goals behind on goal difference.

Afterwards manager Ian Allinson told the club website: “I don’t think we played particularly well today. I felt our ball retention was really poor.

“We kept giving it away and if you keep giving it away you’re going to put your defenders under pressure.”