The cast of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs paid a visit to Clarence Park on Saturday and while Dopey, Grumpy and Sleepy appeared to be in the St Albans City line up at kick off, Happy took on the mantle of front-man for Barwell in the form of Kevin Charley and bagged a hat-trick as the Canaries thrashed the Saints 6-1.

And whilst there have, despite the humiliating scoreline, been far worse City performances this season the Saints keeper Nick Jupp got sick to death of hearing ‘behind you’ as the visitors from Leicestershire ran riot courtesy of the most porous defence the Premier Division of the Southern League.

There were times when City attacked with genuine flair and threat but the cutting edge was provided by Barwell with Charley taking his goals career record with the Kirkby Road club to 150.

Much has been made of the strength added to the centre of the Saints midfield since moving James Gray into that position recently. Barwell out-manoeuvred that simply playing the ball wide endlessly to the outstanding Jamie Towers.

It was poor finishing by Towers when the two sides met earlier in the season that allowed City to chalk up their only away success of the season, but the right-sided midfielder made no mistake this time as he cut City apart on numerous occasions and just for good measure notched a brace.

St Albans can claim that the match turned on the 29th minute dismissal of defender Michael Harriman, the clubs eighth sending off of the season, but referee Wade Norcott appeared to have little option when the on-loan Queens Park Rangers defender fouled Charley and denied him a clear goalscoring opportunity some 12 yards from goal.

The attacking intent of both sides was clear from the off and inside six minutes Barwell keeper Liam Castle produced a glorious save high to his left just under the apex of crossbar and post as David Ijaha’s perfectly placed curling effort at the end of a penetrating counter-attack looked set to open the scoring.

Danny Hart fired powerfully just wide, the lively Jerome Walker won City’s first corner and Tobi Jinadu scuffed an effort across the face of the goal as the Saints pushed forward.

Barwell were hardly sitting back themselves and after an audacious effort from midfielder Jai Stanley drifted wide the visitors grabbed the lead on 18 minutes.

Towers played the ball wide to Peter Saunders before taking a return pass and skipping past the lumbering Tobi Jinadu and playing it short inside the penalty to Stanley. His first time touch went to Saunders only for an attempted tackle by Ryan Watts to give the ball back to the advancing Towers.

This time Towers cut a low pass across the face of the goal for Charley to slide in ahead of Harriman to put Barwell in front.

A cross by Towers on 27 minutes was headed away by City defender Ryan Moran but fell to Stanley whose wonderful volley from 25 yards dipped onto the roof of the Hatfield Road goal.

Two minutes later and City went down to ten men as Harriman clashed with Charley and from the resulting penalty Towers fired Barwell into a two-goal lead with a ground shot to Jupp’s left.

City responded with well-struck Hart free kick being collected by Castle but a swift break by Barwell sent Towers away down the right and from his deep cross Charley was allowed to amble in unchallenged and beat Jupp at the far post with a superbly despatched angled header across the keeper.

Castle protected the visitor’s three-goal lead when carefully palming over the top a speculative 30-yard dipping half by Jinadu. Barwell retaliated with a cross by Towers being put out for a corner and when that was only half cleared Charley thumped a fine effort a yard wide.

Walker, once again one of City’s brightest performers, won a penalty on 39 minutes when bundled over by Canaries captain Scott Hadland. Watts fired the ensuing spot kick low to Castle’s left to reduce the visitors lead to 3-1 at the interval.

But Towers almost restored the difference to three with a fine shot that Jupp parried and then scampered to smother the rebound as Charley closed in. Marauding right-back Saunders also went close with only a block by Gray denying him a deserved goal.

A minute later Simon Martin, back for at least his fifth spell with the Saints, replaced Rob Haworth on 40 minutes and at half time young left-back Myles Scott made way for new signing Narada Bernard.

Seventeen-year-old Scott, although given a tough home league baptism by Towers, fared reasonably well but could certainly complain about not being given greater cover by his more experienced colleagues.

Snow White and her companions left the ground at half time and it as not long after the restart that a number of supporters followed suit as City conceded six goals in a home league match for the first time in five years.

For the opening 15 minutes of the half City made short shrift of their numerical disadvantage and for a while Barwell wobbled unconvincingly. Martin held off two challenges and freed Watts whose near post drive was pushed aside by Castle for a corner.

Walker flicked the ball on from Watts corner and Jinadu was blocked at the back post by the combined efforts of Guy Sanders and Nick Green.

City’s ten-men went close once more when Moran headed a Watts free kick into the goalmouth where Gray stretched and scooped it over the bar as Castle lunged forward.

Having survived City’s sustained pressure Barwell, on 60 minutes, totally deflated the home side with another goal on the counter-attack. Stanley sent the impressive Luke Barlone away down the left and after cutting inside the striker curled a fine effort across Jupp and just inside the far post.

Twelve minutes later Stanley fed Charley who looked set to complete his hat-trick only for the offside Barlone to poke the ball in and see the effort disallowed.

It was a sign of things to come during the closing stages as Barwell broke through with increasing ease. Hart cleared off the goalline from Towers while Jupp saved well from Barlone.

Towers turned provider once more on 76 minutes with his low cross being swept home by Charley for the fifth goal and two minutes from time Barwell completed the rout when Towers, set up by Scott Rickards, scored his second with an excellent shot from the edge of the penalty area that flew low to Jupp’s right and into the York Road net.

A pantomime, no, it was a Grimm afternoon at Clarence Park..

St Albans City: N.Jupp, M.Harriman, M.Scott (N.Bernard 46), D.Ijaha, T.Jinadu, R.Moran (A.Lansiquot 81), D.Hart, J.Gray, R.Haworth (S.Martin 40), J.Walker, R.Watts, subs; S.Bakare, B.Matthews.

Booked: Jinadu.

Dimissed: Harriman.

Barwell: L.Castle, P.Saunders (S.Rickards 77), G.Sanders. M.Rowley, L.Daly, J.Stanley, J.Towers, S.Hadland (N.Julien 67), L.Barlone, K.Charley (S.Lower 77), N.Green, subs; R.Bains, D.Blenkinsopp.

Goals: 18 0-1 Charley, 29 0-2 Towers (p), 32 0-3 Charley, 39 1-3 Watts (p), 60 1-4 Barlone, 76 1-5 Charley, 88 1-6 Towers.

Referee: Wade Norcott (Harlow).

Att: 324.