AN ALTOGETHER MORE SPLENDID KIND OF LIFE - 2011/12

23 Seasons watching Maidenhead United

Part 18a: 2011/12

The narrow escape from relegation the previous April meant a rebuilding job was required by Drax in the final year of his current contract. Most of the players drafted in for the successful battle against the drop left although Anthony Thomas, Jon Scarborough and Leon Solomon remained to play a significant role in the campaign ahead along with  youngsters Alex Wall, Martel Powell and Reece Tison-Lascaris. The exciting talent of the latter was complemented by more experienced new blood from the previously untapped source of the West Country. Goalkeeper Steve Williams encouraged former teammates Leigh Henry, Chris Taylor and Ashan Holgate to try their luck at York Road, and they were followed later in the season by Michael Pook. Ironically Williams was unable to agree a new deal and left before the season started, Billy Lumley taking the gloves for the lion’s share of the season. The squad was completed by the return of striker Manny WIlliams, and although he made it into the Sierra Leone national squad, he did not recapture his prior free scoring form from his first spell at York Road.

A long hard season appeared to be in prospect when the first two games were both lost 4-0 but this was followed by a run of five wins in the next seven outings to settle the team in mid table. Sadly one of these wins at Farnborough on August Bank Holiday Monday ended the season of creative midfielder Taylor who was stretchered off with a broken leg. He was followed onto the casualty list by captain Mark Nisbet, whose presence in the centre of defence was much missed as United went onto ship four goals in a game a further five times before the season was over.

For the second season in a row, league form slipped as interest in the FA Cup took hold. The run that followed secured Drax a two year extension to his contract thanks to performances which turned out to be his highpoint in the competition at the club.

First up were Farnborough, who took the Magpies back to Cherrywood Road for a replay, but were left ruing the chance to win the tie at the first time of asking when they had a man advantage after goalkeeper Sam Beasant was sent off in the first half. The ten men of United actually finished the match the stronger team, and won the replay by a more comfortable margin than the 3-2 scoreline suggested.

This win led to the daunting prospect of a visit from Woking  to York Road. The Cards were already well set on a course to win the Conference South but were blown away in the first half of the Cup tie thanks to some breathtaking attacking play from Thomas, Holgate (right) and Tison-Lascaris. In what was probably the best 45 minutes of Drax’s ten years in charge of the Magpies, his team went into the break 4-1 and the tie all but won.

The final scoreline was unchanged to set up a final qualifying round trip to Godalming Town, who despite their lowly status were having an invincible season. This proved to be no cause for concern for the Magpies who romped home 5-0 thanks in part to a hat trick from the unlikely source of full back Leon Solomon.

For the first time in the club’s history Football League opposition were drawn to play an FA Cup tie at York Road in the First Round Proper. That it was Aldershot took the sheen off the glamour of the tie a little given the frequency of the Shots recent visits to York Road since they had reformed, but all this was forgotten once the tie kicked off before a packed house of over 2,281.

The majority roared with joy when Thomas put United ahead with an audacious chip from distance in the sixth minute. Maidenhead more than held their own and as time drew on a place in the second round for the first time since the nineteenth century became a distinct possibility.

However Shots manager Dean Holdsworth decisively introduced winger Alex Rodman from the bench, and he managed to get around the back of the United defence to square the ball to Michael Rankine to equalise with thirteen minutes left.

The match ended 1-1 but the Magpies’ chance was gone as they were easily beaten 2-0 in the replay.

Back in the league a relegation battle loomed despite a brief rally over Christmas when ten points were taken over four games including a win at Salisbury. This change in form was inspired by the brief return of Richard Pacquette whose three goals in his five appearances earned him a move to Lincoln City.

United continued their dalliance with the relegation zone but a tremendous 2-0 win at the start of March at champions elect Woking thanks to a superb intervention on his debut by sub Charlie Strutton suggested that there would be a somewhat less stressful end to the season this time round with eleven matches left to play.

However no further wins followed in the next ten games, with even a visit to the wooden spoon contenders Hampton only returning a point. The nadir was reached over the Easter weekend against fellow strugglers Staines and Farnborough.

On the Saturday at Wheatsheaf Park, combative midfielder Jermaine Hinds was sent off minutes after coming on as a second half sub for the second consecutive match, as a dire game ended goalless.

Easter Monday brought initial joy as the Magpies raced into a 2-0 lead against Farnborough at York Road only for the visitors to retrieve the match after the break and eventually run out 4-3 winners.

Next up were Woking, who sealed the title at York Road with a 1-0 win from the penalty spot in front of a large away following.

A point at Dover in the penultimate match denied them a playoff spot but this meant that even a win in the final match against Eastleigh at York Road would require other results to go the Magpies way if they were to stay up.                                       To be continued...

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

Magpies Strutton to victory

One of the upsides of being a Maidenhead fan in recent years has been the regular league "cup finals" for the Magpies when we make an annual trip to the one genuine big club in the division. This year Woking play that role, filled in the past by the likes of Aldershot, Newport and Wimbledon, and its always a fixture to look forward to because as often as not United take something from the game. Even if the game ends in defeat it tends to be of the heroic failure kind in the face of a promotion chasing team backed by a four figure crowd.

Thus I travelled to Kingfield in optimistic mood yesterday despite last week's depressing defeat. The sunny weather and pleasant walk through the park to the ground continued the positive theme. En route I was surprised by the development taking place near the leisure centre which included a floodlit football pitch suitable for the Hellenic League or similar, certainly it looked as if could accommodate some of Hayes and Yeading United's Alliance Premier games if Woking got fed up with the groundshare.

On arrival at Kingfield it had the buzz of a club chasing the title. A packed club house watch the end of the lunchtime TV game, the Albanian broadcaster providing a unique view of the crucial climax when it froze on Dirk Kuyt's angry face for several minutes, the screen jolting back into action to reveal Robin Van Persie peeling away in celebration at his winning strike.

An away win against the odds for Arsenal was a good start to the day and appeared to reflect a local meme, with a tangible sense of nervousness about the home club's chances despite their clear superiority against all comers with only three defeats all season and a nine point advantage at the top of the table. These fears were only reinforced by a programme article revealing that Maidenhead had lost just once in twenty two games at Kingfield in a period covering over a century.

Certainly the opening stages of the game showed Maidenhead had little to worry about as the hosts sat deep and relied on launching long balls aimless balls forward, a tactic which must have been meat and drink to Hampton trained centre back Alan Inns. A lack of any vocal encouragement from the home terraces hardly created the febrile atmosphere necessary to create the pressure for this simple but often effective plan to work although the number of goals scored by Woking in the latter stages of the game suggested that manager Garry Hill was happy to play an attritional game.

Maidenhead were understandably cautious given the hosts lofty status,so despite forward runs from debutant left winger Harry Pritchard showing promise, and an early Ashan Holgate effort from distance being deflected wide there was a natural resistance to fully testing a Woking defence whose lack of pace looked ripe for exposing.

So for the most part the first half descended into a game of cat and mouse save for the odd Woking hoof which found its target on the wing and enabled the plan of an incisive ball into the six yard box to be executed. When it did, any chance created went begging, a prime example being Kieran Murtagh's header over the bar with the ball at his mercy.

However with an early visit to the bar looking a safe bet, with two minutes to go before the break the game erupted in controversy when United goalkeeper Aaron Lennox was booked for a last ditch challenge on Paris Cowan-Hall at the edge of the penalty area. The referee then doubly defied the convictions of most spectators by awarding Lennox a yellow card and Woking a penalty. This gave rise to a prisoner's dilemma of a problem. Would Maidenhead have preferred a free kick and a red card which with Billy Lumley on the bench would have probably led to a goalless first half and uphill struggle with ten men in the second, or a penalty and the opportunity to fight for the points with a full complement of players? Game theory suggested the former option to be most favourable but for once the longer odds of the latter proved to be the better option as Lennox saved Jack King's spot kick.

The second half began with both sides showing more forward enterprise, Woking encouraged by kicking towards the one quarter of their ground which is Football League standard, the Leslie Gosden stand. As the game entered its last half an hour Woking's pressure tactics looked that they might pay dividends, Giuseppe Sole going round Lennox, only for his shot to hit the side netting. The half's turning point then came as King proved more effective a goal threat from long range than the penalty spot, his thumping drive parried well by Lennox. The ball remained live in the penalty area and found its way to Cowan-Hall on the left but his shot hit the post. Maidenhead then counter-attacked, Harry Pritchard's shot going narrowly wide and the scene seemed set for the opening goal.

Maidenhead manager Johnson Hippolyte then made his key intervention, sending new loan signing Charlie Strutton into the fray. The young striker who has spent his career at county level with Chalfont St. Peter, was totally unphased by the big stage he now found himself on and with the ball at his feet started to make the first of several runs which stretched the Woking defence to breaking point.

The first of these saw Inns stretch out an almost fatherly hand to the youngster's shoulder, almost a gesture by the veteran to the young pup to slow down, but downward pressure was applied as Strutton entered the penalty area and sent him to ground. The resulting penalty kick saw the referee aim to make two wrongs a right by awarding Inns a yellow card, but this time Bobby Behzadi made no mistake with his penalty kick to put Maidenhead into the lead with nineteen minutes to go. 

Two minutes later Strutton again burst clear, but this time the only problem he faced heading for goal was competition from Wall for the chance to shoot, but there was no stopping him as he fired home the second Maidenhead goal. 

Woking fought hard to get back into the game, although either side now looked likely to add to the score, and despite several goalmouth scrambles in the Maidenhead penalty area the score remained at 2-0, a visual symbol of the home side's frustration coming late in the game when Dale Binns was sent off for kicking an opponent off the ball.

So a return to winning ways for Maidenhead who have now taken eighteen out of the last thirty available points, whilst Woking seem to be a club willing themselves to fail. With everything going for them all that's needed is a positive mindset to secure the league title, which must be inspired by vocal support from the crowd which was markedly absent yesterday.