Tuesday night and the gates are low

When this season's fixture list was issued one home game stood out for all the wrong reasons, a midweek game in February against the worst supported club in the division. Add in live football on free to air television, and gridlock on the surrounding arterial roadways and a season low gate was inevitable, but the 178 aficionados who it made to York Road were well rewarded for their loyalty with a superb Maidenhead United performance to beat promotion chasing Boreham Wood.

The traffic problems forced the kick off back to 8 pm but it was worth the wait as with just a minute on the clock David Pratt returned a weak James Russell clearance to Alex Wall, who shrugged off the attentions of a defender before blasting the ball past the keeper. The early strike signalled the start of Maidenhead's best first half this season as they set up camp in the Wood half whilst comfortably dealing with any counter attack.

Only the crossbar prevented Pratt from doubling the lead with an acrobatic volley from a Harry Pritchard free kick, leaving Wood at sixes and sevens, assistant manager Luke Garrard taking advantage of a starting place to dish out forthright reminders about his team mates shortcomings face to face.

On Saturday Maidenhead were made to pay for not making their first half dominance count but this was not the case last night as the Magpies made it 2-0 in the 27th minute with yet another goal from a free kick. This time though the scorer was Daniel Brown rather than Wall as the midfielder's strike deflected off the wall to loop over the hapless keeper's head and sail into the back of the net.

Goal!

Both sides then proved there was more to their game than luck when Wall connected with a delightful cross from Leon Solomon to lash the ball goalward at point blank range only for Russell to throw himself across the face of the goal to pull off a brilliant save. All this excitement coupled with a slug from Timmy Mallett's hip flask served to warm the cockles on a cold night.

The half time break provided the visitors with breathing space to formulate a response to United's goals and it was no surprise that they turned to the veteran striker Cliff Akurang on the bench. Although Maidenhead felt aggrieved not to get a penalty when Wall was hauled to the ground, the main action continued to take place at the York Stream end as Wood put the young centreback pairing of Alfie Mawson and Devante McKain under ever increasing pressure. However apart from a shot tipped over the bar by Billy Lumley, the defence held firm leaving me feeling comfortable to make an unimaginable early exit with five minutes remaining confident that Maidenhead would see out the win. Boreham Wood did find the net with what was reportedly the last kick of the game but the way the Magpie defence in the second half matched the Magpie attack of the first meant three points were secure at what is fast becoming an unfamiliarly fortress like York Road.

Chelmsford left looking Ashan

To date Chelmsford's visits to York Road have followed a familiar pattern: a hard fought game of fair quality with the Clarets finishing with daylight between themselves and the Magpies. No wonder the Essex club's fans rate their trip to the Royal County as their favourite in the league. 

This season the script was followed faithfully in the first half. After a bright United opening, Chelmsford scored with their first attack of the game when a Cliff Akurang left wing cross was turned in by Kezie Ibe.This set the tone for the first half with Chelmsford always looking dangerous when they counter attacked swiftly whilst Maidenhead made little headway going forward, the Magpies cause not being helped by the untimely departure of Will Hendry. Hendry had shown flashes of his best form before hobbling off after a tackle by Max Cornhill and the Magpies sorely missed his flair. Meanwhile Sam Beasant kept Chelmsford at bay, pushing a Sam Corcoran shot wide then making three interventions in quick succession to keep the deficit to one as the clock ticked past the half hour mark.United were given hope on the stroke of half time when Anthony Thomas beat three men on the left hand side of the penalty area and fired a shot which whistled narrowly past the far post.

After the break the game went flat until the introduction of Ishmail Kamara ten minutes into the half. He livened up the Maidenhead attack and from this point on an equaliser looked likely. As the Sweeneys stood behind me engrossed in a game of iChess maybe there was some sort of psychic interplay with the black & white pieces on the pitch finding a more effective formation.
With fifteen minutes to go the way forward was signaled when a Thomas free kick from the right wing was headed onto the underside of the bar by Ashan Holgate. Leon Solomon cleared an Anthony Cook header off the line with four minutes left to keep the result open and as the third and final minute of stoppage time drew to a close the pieces rearranged themselves for a final play, another Thomas free kick, this time from the left wing. With ten seconds left Holgate again rose highest and this time hit the target to earn a deserved point for United and maintain the improved home form in preparation for the visit of league leaders Woking in the Cup next Saturday.

Movin' On Up

Watching Primal Scream into the small hours at Brixton Academy, surely the opening track of their Screamdelica performance was an omen? Sadly only for Braintree. A truly miserable day reflected by dull chilly weather. A boring train journey up the branch line to deepest Essex, a boring walk to the ground through a light industrial area. Day brightened up with a couple of pints of Greene King IPA before we troop outside to slowly freeze watching the inevitable defeat. Maidenhead looked to be making a good fist of it before a now fully fit Cliff Akurang proves the law of the ex by giving Braintree the lead just before half time.  The second half was one way traffic with goals from Nathan Pinney and Kenny Davis sealing the win before new signing Ashley Thomas scored a consolation from the penalty spot.

So Braintree, after two games without a win, get their title bid back on track. Not that you would know it as the atmosphere at Cressing Road seemed much the same as when we first played at their well appointed ground back in Isthmian League Division One.  Maybe it was the attraction of England on the TV, maybe it was the cold, maybe it was the £12 admission fee, but this hardly felt like the club on the brink of an historic achievement.  And what's with all the orange? Is it a nod to near neighbours the Netherlands?

Branch line football

I always enjoy a trip to Marlow's ground and not just because I've seen Maidenhead win two cup finals there.  Its set up its pretty much ideal for a club of its size and status with sizeable covered terracing behind one goal and along one side and marvellous old stand to sit in.  With concrete terracing all around and a homely bar under the stand if ever you had to show an visitor from Mars what non league football is you could do worse than taking them to Oak Tree Road.

The walk from the station also provides plenty of opportunities for refreshment, particularly if you go via the high street so once I was assured that weather conditions would be favourable to the game going ahead I had no hesitation to setting off for the game despite the low key nature of the competition.

The County Cups are surely an idea that should be consigned to the dustbin of history.  They have been eclipsed by virtually every other competition and I would suggest that with so few teams in this one (12) that it be relegated to a pre/early season tournament so its out of the way before the real stuff begins.  It could be finished in two weeks and allow the more senior teams to try out youngsters and fringe players with the real incentive of making a bid for regular first team football at the start of the season.  Also most of the competing teams play each other preseason anyway, this way an admission charge is justified.

Maidenhead won the game as comfortably as the 5-1 scoreline suggests although there were a few jitters when Marlow took the lead through Adam Dickens. United's quick response through Kieron St. Aimie and a Cliff Akurang hat trick reflected their seniority and it was a surprise that only Lee Barney added to the score once the game was as good as won, certainly the youngster's freakish goal capped the evening as those of us behind the goal were presented with a rueful smile from goalkeeper Watkins as the ball sailed over his head into the net.  After his mercifully short spell at York Road it was good to see the Magpies on the receiving end of his munificence.