St Albans City are in a better place than last year after the opening game of the season but there was still mixed emotions for manager Ian Allinson.

Saints had opened up with two defeats last time out in the National League South but this time they managed to grab a 1-1 draw away to Chelmsford City.

It could have been more to as they had taken the lead through Kyran Wiltshire's strike just after the hour but ex-Potters Bar Town and Royston Town forward Devonte Aransibia banged in a debut goal for the Clarets to give them a point each.

Allinson said: "Getting 1-0 up was the hardest thing but I'm disappointed we just couldn’t keep hold of the lead.

"We started to get a little bit tired, they went longer, they put the big lad up front and he started to cause us some problems.

"They started to win a lot of first balls a lot of second balls and that’s where the goal came from.

"We just couldn’t get hold of the ball in the last 20 minutes.

"We stamped our authority on it at the start of the second half but after taking the lead, they changed their tactics.

"It’s worked.

"When you start the league, you know it’s going to be tougher than the friendlies and we struggled at the end.

"We lost the first two games last season so we’re already better off."