The August bank holiday Monday of 2021 will be etched into the mind of St Albans City's Devante Stanley forever - although so too now will be the 2022 edition.

The full-back suffered a horrendous double leg break one year ago at Tonbridge Angels, with the rest of last season completely written off.

He was back at Longmead though exactly one year to the day with a far better outcome, as he opened the scoring in Saints' 2-1 win in the National League South.

And he showed his mischievous side when claiming the three points was "the most important thing and all I care about".

When pushed though he let the emotion of the achievement come out.

He said: "It’s been a long journey to get to here but to come back and score a goal and three points, there’s not much more I can ask for.

"The physio didn’t expect me to be back this fast, they were expecting another half a season.

"But I just carried on working hard in the gym and getting stronger.

"I’m just happy to be playing, that’s the truth. I’ve been thinking about it for a whole year, I just wanted to get back on the pitch and I am."

The goal on nine minutes was born of his own desire to influence matters in the attacking third.

He got into the box and forced Tonbridge into panic mode, so much so that when Joe Neal returned the cross, he was able to sweep the ball into the net totally unmarked.

Stanley said: "I just drive [forward], that’s what I do and I just love it. I drove down the line, played it in and just carried on my run and finished with a tap-in.

"The gaffer always tells me to do that. Every time the ball comes down my side, he tells me to drive on.

"That’s what I do."

The result means they are unbeaten away from home after three games, two of them wins.

It is a complete contrast to the form back in Hertfordshire where three games have yielded just two points and no goals scored, the latest of them Saturday's 0-0 draw with Taunton Town.

"I don’t know what it is at home but it will come," said the 25-year-old, who turns 26 on Thursday.

"The performance was good [at Tonbridge], we got the three points and we’ll carry that on [against Worthing] on Saturday."