Magpies sunk by Colmer & co., I know its serious

My antipathy to the football clubs of Hampshire has been well explored on this blog.  Following the evidence of today's match at Farnborough and the Southern League Premier Division table, it looks like I won't be seeing Maidenhead United playing any league matches in the county next season.

In a match that seemed to reflect much of what had gone before it since mid September, Maidenhead arguably had the better of the game for the first hour or so before a failure to take a commanding lead, and then the concession of a soft goal led to an abject collapse in the final stages.

This set up was given a dry run in the first half when Maidenhead looked the better team going forward, particularly Harry Pritchard down the left wing but none of the balls into the penalty area led to a goal attempt of note. Instead it was goalkeeper Jonathan Henly who was called into action to ensure the score remained goalless at half time when in the last minute of the half a Mark Nisbet slip let in Phillip Page only for the Reading loanee to successfully shepherd the striker wide and the ball into touch.

After the break United came out of the blocks with renewed purpose. Within three minutes of the restart Danny Green forced a corner with a shot that was pushed behind by goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons. The corner kick found its way to the far post where Richard Pacquette lashed the ball goalbound from close range only for Fitzsimons to throw himself across the face of his goal to block the shot.

Soon after the game began to turn the home team's way with the introduction of substitute JJ Hooper. As Maidenhead ran out of ideas, the Magpies defence lost its discipline Josh Huggins finding a way through it to deliver a pass to the unmarked Fraser Colmer at the far post who completed the elementary task of tapping the ball into an empty net. With only twenty two minutes remaining to retrieve the situation United had little option but to attack at all costs, and in the dying minutes Farnborough exploited this to put the result beyond doubt as firstly Huggins converted a similar chance to the one he had created earlier, and then Hooper struck the third and final goal with a shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Do you really think we'll pull through? My well of hope is dry. I was even denied a peaceful trip home in the company of Gregory Porter by the unnecessarily cheerful babbling of my fellow passengers. The end of the season cannot come soon enough.