23 Seasons watching Maidenhead
United
Part 17: 2010/11
As a new
decade got underway, Maidenhead United found itself at a crossroads.
Established at Conference South level but without the infrastructure to
actively pursue promotion, the target was to maintain divisional status whilst
continuing the fruitful process of developing players for transfer higher up
the ladder. Although seeds of the fully fledged community club which would
emerge later in the decade had started to bloom in the form of a Ladies team,
the Junior Magpies scheme providing free entry for under 16s and a genuine
development team for under 23s, there was a long way to go before this would
feed through to bigger attendances which for the meantime hovered around the
300s. In addition, although the case for a new stand was uncontestable, it
would take a few drafts before a plan of sufficient quality and value was found
for the ideal location.
The
youthful squad which promised so much during the previous season was augmented
in central defence by Andrew Fagan, whilst Ashley Nicholls returned to provide
experience in the centre of midfield. Steve Williams replaced Chris Tardif
between the sticks.
All went
well to begin with as the season started with a terrific win at relegated
Ebbsfleet, Martel Powell coming off the bench to score on his debut despite the
Magpies being reduced to nine men. This was followed by three more wins in
August including a 2-0 victory at the new big guns in the division, Woking.
This
impressive start could not be maintained but the football remained entertaining
if a little frustrating when a 2-0 lead at home to Staines was squandered in
stoppage time, as the Swans equalised then won the game. League form
deteriorated as the fruitful left wing partnership between Jamal Fyfield and
Sam Collins was broken when the former was signed by York City leaving the
latter as a shadow of the player who had won the 2010 player of the year award.
Fans were
initially distracted by a brief but enjoyable Cup run which ended in defeat in
the final qualifying round at Forest Green Rovers after an unforgettable day
out at Cinderford at the previous stage. United then crashed out of the Trophy
with a humiliating defeat at home to lowly Uxbridge on a day to forget for
rookie goalkeeper Dexter Burt.
This
sparked a mini response in the league with a run of five matches without defeat
starting at Dover as a forward line boosted by the veteran striker Cliff
Akurang squared the match at Crabble with two goals in the last ten minutes.
This was topped by a superb 2-0 win at Bromley at the end of December, Nicholls
sealing the points with an exquisite chip from the edge of the penalty area.
Two days
later the New Year started with a more accurate taste of things to come though
as despite opponents Basingstoke going down to ten men in the opening stages,
and Alex Wall then giving United the league, ‘Stoke rallied to take a well
deserved point away from York Road.
Chairman
Peter Griffin loosened the purse strings in a bid to change fortunes on the
pitch as Drax imported a string of experienced heads in the form of Leon
Solomon, Jon Scarborough, Grant Cooper, Nevin Saroya, Will Hendry, Anthony
Thomas, Jefferson Louis and Craig Faulconbridge although it was a young winger
on loan from Aldershot, Max Worsfold who was to have the biggest impact.
A point at
Hampton stopped a run of nine straight league defeats and gave cause for
optimism as April began with a trip to bottom markers Lewes. However in an
awful match with virtually no shots on target at either end, the Rooks won the
game with a penalty and a return to the Southern League beckoned for the
Magpies.
Little
more than 48 hours later I travelled to Basingstoke with next to no hope never
mind expectation, an attitude confirmed when the home team took a two goal lead
after only ten minutes. By the hour mark though the Magpies led 4-3 then hung
on for dear life to the elusive win, a late Williams penalty save
securing the three points.
A point at
home to Hampton was followed by a first league win at York Road since August
when a Will Hendry goal defeated Eastleigh to leave the away fans calling for
their manager’s head.
United
then escaped the relegation places thanks to the goal of the season from
Worsfold in stoppage time at Thurrock. Another later winner, this time from
Ashley Smith at Staines stretched the margin of safety to four points but a
point in the penultimate match at home to Dorchester left the relegation trap
door open on the final day of the season.
The
required point was not forthcoming but defeat to Dartford was matched by a
similar failure for Thurrock meaning the Shoppers took the final relegation
spot.
Such was
the skin of the teeth nature of another great escape for Drax, the small matter
of the defence of the County Cup was almost an afterthought. Having sailed
through to the final against Wycombe at Chesham, a crazy first half saw United
retrieve a two goal deficit by half time and after a more sedate second period
the Chairboys finally won by the odd goal in five seven minutes into stoppage
time to avenge a similar defeat twelve months earlier.
End of
season thoughts though were very much concentrated on the way the club had gone
backwards in the league, with a summer of serious repair work required by Drax
to improve his squad.
With
thanks to Mark Smith’s book One For Sorrow Two For Joy for the statistical
content of this series.
To read more about this season visit www.mufcheritage.com
No comments:
Post a Comment