AN ALTOGETHER MORE SPLENDID KIND OF LIFE - 2014/15

23 Seasons watching Maidenhead United

Part 21: 2014/15

Early in the 2014/15 season as I waited for kick off I stood outside the changing rooms next to long serving supporter Chris Raine (who could write a series more than twice as long as this). He was gazing in awe at the view opposite, and I realised I was doing the same. It was a very visual symbol of a new beginning for Maidenhead United.

The significance of architecture on the environment where we live, work, travel and relax cannot be underestimated and York Road is no different. For too many years the temporary stand had stood as a symbol of a club trying its best to make do and mend, as memories of the original one grew ever fainter, sustained only by trips to Marlow and its similar structure.

What was built in the summer of 2014 was a statement of bold intent, of a club prepared to invest in the future. Nestling under Brunel’s embankment, it stood congruent with the rest of the ground, fulfilling its function admirably by affording over 500 spectators a perfect view of the match and the urban decay of the town centre.

Despite another 18th place finish, crowds rose by 35% as the stand quickly became the adopted home of those who preferred to watch from a comfortable dry seat.  For the rest of us who walked past it, virtually beneath it due to the clever way the first row had been raised above head height, it served as an inspiration that the Magpie train was bound for glory.

This would have to wait though for Drax’s long goodbye. Following another last gasp survival in April, he was allowed to continue in post albeit without a contract. Once again he signed well in the summer, acquiring exciting young attacking talent in Tashan Adeyinka, Sam Barratt, Stefan Brown and Ryan Upward, along with proven quality in Simon Downer, Eddie Hutchinson, Ashley Nicholls and Dave Tarpey. The services of Adrian Clifton and Danny Green were retained, which when allied with Harry Pritchard, Leon Solomon, Mark Nisbet, Jacob Erskine and Reece Tison-Lascaris, suggested a squad well equipped to do more than survive.

As usual the season began well with back to back wins, the first at home to ambitious Sutton featuring a debut brace from Dave Tarpey, who immediately lived up to the expectations raised by many an impressive performance against the Magpies for his previous clubs.

An amazing goal by Eddie Hutchinson at Bromley in the style of Dennis Bergkamp suggested a more entertaining season was in prospect, a notion sent sky high by the arrival of former Premier League striker and Drax protege DJ Campbell. His impact could scarcely live up to the hype that his presence generated but he impressed with his humility as he quietly tried to resurrect his career.

Ten goals in four days in wins against Whitehawk and Weston, the latter featuring the first of many Tarpey hat tricks, meant an early exit from the FA Cup in a replay at Gosport wasn’t overly painful. The defence was bolstered by the arrival of international goalkeeper Will Britt on loan from Southampton and full back De Reece Van Der Hyde, and after a Boxing Day win against tenants Hayes & Yeading the Magpies sat in the relative comfort of thirteenth place.

However the season soon began to unravel as only one league match was won in the next seventeen and FA Trophy hopes were ended in a replay defeat at the financial wreck of Farnborough. Drax chose to publicly disclose that Peter Griffin had informed him that this season would be his last as manager, and although the league experience of Maidonian ex professional midfielder David Hunt helped to steady the ship with eight matches of the run drawn,  relegation once again loomed large on the horizon.

The last of these draws was an eight goal thriller on Easter Monday at home to eventual champions Bromley. Two goals from the freshly capped international Clifton sent United into an early lead only for Bromley to be 4-3 ahead as the game entered stoppage time. A lightning volley from Tarpey levelled the score for the final time, and buoyed up by the equaliser, safety was secured at Weston the following Saturday thanks to two more Tarpey goals. This game had an odd postscript as goalkeeper Ashley Timms, literally left the club when the coach arrived back at York Road, following an altercation with a teammate on the journey back.

Two weeks later the league season ended at Sutton. Way back in August 2007, Drax achieved his first win for the Magpies at this level, with a 3-2 success at Gander Green Lane. Almost eight years later he signed off on his final league season with Maidenhead with a similar victory which clinched a double over the following season’s champions. club captain Mark Nisbet featuring in the line up for both games.

Drax left with a proven track record to pick and nurture talent, the club receiving many a transfer fee as players moved onwards and upwards. He had an ability to motivate players for big games which led to promotion through the play offs, FA Cup glory and some nerve wracking escapes from relegation. His affability along with the entertainment his teams provided (often in a losing cause) attracted neutrals to the club and turned them into fans. However long standing supporters, suffered endless poor home form due to a consistent failing to build a sustainable defence with a goalkeeper. Coupled with a lack of strategic nous, this led to long winless runs when the only tactic was to change the team, creating a revolving door of long since forgotten players.

Happily Drax left on a high, in his final match winning the County Cup final 4-0 against Aylesbury United at Chesham, his son Jonathan Hippolyte coming off the bench to score. Looking on was a man who would have remembered how his final game in charge of the Magpies had been at the same occasion, at the same ground with a similar result against the same opponents. However his thoughts were certainly more focused on how he would reshape the club to which he was about to return.

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

AN ALTOGETHER MORE SPLENDID KIND OF LIFE - 2009/10

23 Seasons watching Maidenhead United

Part 16: 2009/10

As a decade of extremes drew to a close there was one clear target for the Magpies, maintain Conference South status. It was achieved with relative comfort after a testing start to the season and was followed by a County Cup win allowing all at York Road to end the season with a sense of ease, as after all the ups and downs which two and a half promotions, one and a half relegations, five and a half managers and four chairmen entailed, United were entitled to feel established at the highest level of semi professional football and secure in their much loved old ground.

The summer of 2009 had seen a high turnover of playing staff as the previous winter’s budget cut took a firm hold. Mark Nisbet was rightfully awarded the club captaincy and would remain a steadying influence in defence, this was complemented by one new experienced signing for every other part of the team in the form of goalkeeper Chris Tardif, midfielder Bradley Quamina and striker Kieran Knight.  

The overriding tone of the squad was youth, with right back Jack Bradshaw, midfielder Daniel Brown, and strikers Kieran St. Aimie and Alex Wall all playing a significant role. However the standout young talent was to be found on the left flank where player of the year Sam Collins (pictured right) forged a fruitful partnership with full back Jamal Fyfield.

The season started with promising goalless draw at home to highly fancied Dover, the raw talent of Wall almost producing a late winner on his debut. A first win though did not arrive til the Magpies ninth outing and another season of struggle looked to be in prospect, especially when big spending Truro flew up to Berkshire to cause a Cup upset with a 5-2 win in the second qualifying round.

United’s fortunes changed with the arrival of creative midfielder Will Hendry who was looking to resurrect his career after a failed move to Dagenham. Arriving at the start of October he earned the divisional player of the month award by scoring five goals in seven matches. The first three games all ended in wins by an aggregate score of twelve goals to nil. The pick was a 3-0 victory at ambitious Eastleigh, Hendry sealing the three points with a superb virtuoso goal.

This short burst of form gave United the boost they required to draw clear of the bottom three and were now well set to finish in lower mid table whilst Hendry had earned a move to Wimbledon.

League progress was accompanied by a short but enjoyable FA Trophy run to the last 32. Bath City were defeated for the first time, and then the Magpies won at exciting tie at Bishop’s Stortford. This brought Barrow to Berkshire in the next round. A cold snap which left the York Road snowbound delayed the tie for a week or so with the Bluebirds snatching a tight 1-0 win en route to winning the Trophy at Wembley.

Similar progress was made in the County Cup with a trip to Thatcham standing between the Magpies and a first final appearance in three seasons. This looked unlikely when the Kingfishers took a 2-0 lead in the first half and almost put themselves out of reach early in the second half, only for the woodwork to keep Magpie interest alive.  A triple substitution set United on the road to recovery, two quick goals leading to extra time. This saw Thatcham reduced to nine men, with Maidenhead finally winning the game with two more goals as penalties loomed.

Back in league a 4-1 win at Weston-super-mare calmed relegation nerves and sparked an eight match run when only two matches were lost. This included a 4-1 humbling at recently crowned champions Newport but ended with another win at Bishops Stortford which guaranteed Conference South status for the following season with four matches in hand.

The season ended with a thrilling 3-2 County Cup Final win at Marlow against a strong Wycombe Wanderers team, future Scottish international Matt Phillips equalising for the Chairboys after Kieran Knight had given the Magpies an early lead.  Sam Collins capped a brilliant season early in the second half by restoring United’s lead with a superb dipping strike to score his eleventh goal of the campaign. Wycombe again equalised to take the tie to extra time when Alex Wall (pictured right) then won the cup and the club’s Golden Boot award with what proved to be a lucky thirteenth goal of the season.

Thus the season ended in an atmosphere of hope and expectation at the potential of Magpies young talent.

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

AN ALTOGETHER MORE SPLENDID KIND OF LIFE - 2006-07

23 Seasons watching Maidenhead United

Part 13: 2006-07

If the previous campaign was the worst of Magpie times then this one was the best of Magpie times, indeed you could distil this series down to a Tale of Two Seasons.

Despite relegation, the new Pharmalink regime decided to keep faith with manager Carl Taylor, which was repaid when he recruited well, signing proven talent in Dominic Sterling and Dwain Clarke as well as promising youngsters Ashley Smith, Danny Burnell, Richard Witt and Mark Nisbet.

United were returning to the Southern League for the first time since the nineteenth century. It had evolved into a division broadly spanning the strip of England from the wash to the Bristol Channel and thus offered a season’s worth of trips to hitherto unknown clubs.

This middle England journey began with a trip to Gloucester City in a match which summed up Taylor’s spell in charge, Beginning impressively the Magpies looked good value for their lead from a Clarke strike only to lose to two late City goals. Five draws followed before the first win came at Halesowen. A replay was required to beat Hellenic League Carterton in the FA Cup and then disaster struck when lowly Clevedon came to York Road and left 5-0 winners.

The inability to consistently realise the considerable potential of his team finally saw Taylor pay the price, as Chairman Una Loughrey elected to dispense with his services following the big defeat. With no ready made placement, Richie Goddard (pictured right) again took the caretaker role, making a great impact by winning all four of his games in charge. Most memorably this included a win at Stamford on Apple Day, his team talk advising that if the team make their opponents turnover they would crumble in the box. Most importantly he also made progress in the FA Cup, John Dreyer returning to assist him lead the team to a tight win at East Thurrock.

A strong field of experienced candidates emerged for the manager’s post including the likes of Craig Edwards, Gordon Bartlett and Alan Devonshire. Eventually the board plumped for Johnson “Drax” Hippolyte who had had great success in his first post at Yeading.

He arrived in time to beat Dover in the Trophy, before a fourth and final FA Cup qualifying tie at York Road against Southern League Premier Division rivals Merthyr Tydfil. The Welshmen were unbeaten in the league and brought a raucous following to Berkshire. In an electric atmosphere, Maidenhead edged home thanks to a Lee Newman goal (pictured celebrating right), despite finishing with ten men.

This meant Maidenhead were in the FA Cup First Round for the first time for a generation. The post match draw may have only produced a trip to Conference Stafford Rangers but the all new experience of being in the public eye saw 176 fans make the trip north.

The home side took an early lead, and a Craig O’Connor red card left little to hope for as the second half kicked off but a headed equaliser from new signing Dwane Lee (pictured top), got United back into the game. All seemed lost though when captain Sterling joined O’Connor in the dressing room for a professional foul only for Chico Ramos to save the resulting penalty and earn a player of the round nomination. The Magpies managed to hold on for a replay, with the ten day run up to the second match allowing Cup fever to take hold in the town.

On an unforgettable night two thousand fans flocked to York Road as Stafford again took an early lead but an O’Connor missed penalty meant this time there was no way back for United, so it was Stafford who travelled to Brighton in the second round. Nevertheless the tie had revealed the club’s potential if the latent local support base could be mobilised. Reality hit a few weeks later when only 52 turned up York Road to watch a League Cup defeat against Thatcham, as an FA Cup hangover hit league form.

For my part I was weary after two years of bearing witness to all the turbulence on and off the pitch and indicated I would stand down from my duties at the end of the season. Imagine my surprise when I was asked to become a director, an honour I proudly accepted.

Meanwhile  two defeats in five days to bottom club Corby saw the Magpies plummet to 17th in the table. Drax had brought with him some of Yeading’s finest talent in the form of Errol Telemaque, Bobby Behzadi, Darti Brown and David Clarke but as yet they hadn’t been blended successfully into the current squad.

It all began to click on a chilly night at Adams Park at the end of February with a 1-0 County Cup win against Wycombe. This started a run of nine consecutive wins. The number of clubs serious about promotion was minimal but included some non league big guns in the shape of Bath City and King’s Lynn as well as the professionally funded Bath University team.

Helped by the arrival of classy centre back Grant Cooper, the team really sensed an opportunity for a late run to the playoffs, and despite back to back defeats to the Bath clubs, the momentum returned with two more wins.

Both the final two matches would be played against Banbury United, the first on a Thursday night was won to set up the final day visit to the Spencer Stadium knowing that another win would secure a playoff berth. Three points were duly delivered for a final finish of fourth and a play off semi final trip to Norfolk.

In front of a partisan four figure crowd at the impressive Walks stadium, Maidenhead played out of their skin to firstly deny a rampant King’s Lynn, and then defend a second half lead provided by an exquisite finish from the edge of the penalty area by Mark Nisbet (pictured left celebrating at the final whistle).

It was scarcely believable but within the course of less than a week, Maidenhead had moved into the play offs and were now one match from promotion. A surreal evening ended as I conducted an interview with BBC Radio Berkshire around midnight on the lonely last train back to London.

Team Bath were waiting in the final at Twerton Park, with the Magpies benefiting from the black and white striped landlords having little time for their tenants, and turning out to support the away team.

I had been invited to act as summariser for the BBC Radio Berkshire commentary. Never have I concentrated so much watching a Maidenhead match, doubly tense at the size of the prize on offer as well as not wanting to make a mistake. There was nothing to split the teams apart from a Telemaque goal (pictured right) within seconds of the start of the second half. It was the fifteenth win in seventeen outings, a truly fantastic run of form to return the Magpies to the Conference South at the first attempt.

There was still a County Cup Final to contest two days later, but a 2-1 defeat to Milton Keynes Dons mattered little as the promotion prize continued to burn bright.Thus concluded a breathtaking season with the FA Cup run and league success at last taking the focus away from the revolving managers door. A season summed up when, as the final whistle blew to signal promotion at Twerton Park, Chico Ramos collapsed with exhaustion, John Urry rushing on to the pitch to cloak him with a towel James Brown style. Looking on I couldn’t help but whistle I Feel Good.

With thanks to Mark Smith’s book One For Sorrow Two For Joy for the statistical content of this series.

Peter Griffin, Una Loughrey & Drax pictured after promotion at Bath

Chelmsford 1, 2, 3-0 to Maidenhead

I was expecting nothing from a trip to Chelmsford yesterday either in terms of the match or the day itself and therefore at the start of the season had penciled in a first trip to Colchester's new ground on this date. However the sheer novelty of watching Maidenhead play on a Saturday for only the second time in 2014 meant I got off the train a little earlier than initially planned. The warm sunny weather was certainly welcome as was the sight of the ground improvements at Melbourne Park since my last visit three seasons ago. With a terraced end (one covered) directly behind each goal it felt more like a football ground and slightly lessened the impact of the athletics stadium. Off the pitch I was impressed by what must be the slickest operation in non league football in terms of their hospitality for all comers whether they be officials or paying supporters, and of course the programme remains of a quality that could grace the Premier League (no idea how they make that pay though).

Before the match Drax had been quite bullish in his approach to the game, saying that he would be going all out for a win in the local paper. This looked a little unlikely due to the lack of striking options on the team sheet but as it turned out was an accurate prediction.

Kicking off into the wind on an understandably heavy surface which was soon covered in divots, Maidenhead were initially made to work hard by a Chelmsford team eager to continue their much improved form under new manager Mark Hawkes. However by failing to create any on target goal attempts, the home team set their tone for the afternoon. In contrast once Maidenhead began to bring the ball forward, their incisive passing was backed up by some ruthless finishing which virtually decided the results in a four minute spell around the quarter hour mark.

Leon Solomon opened the scoring in the thirteenth minute with a shot from the right flank which curled round the keeper Carl Pentney and into the back of the net. Three minutes later, Adrian Clifton, who had an impressive game in the false nine role, slotted in a slide rule pass which split the Chelmsford defence. Harry Grant who was playing off Clifton's left shoulder ran through to collect the ball and apply the finishing touch to double the score.

Maidenhead almost put themselves out sight with their next attack when Grant returned the favour for Clifton, only for Pentney to scramble his near post effort off the line. Chelmsford responded by methodically bringing the ball forward but barring a couple of efforts that were blocked in the penalty area scarcely looked like troubling Elvijs Putnins in the Maidenhead goal. Not that you would have thought this was the case if you closed your eyes as the Chelmsford fans continually erupted in howls of outrage at the referee which was marked by the lack of any protest from the home team players.

By contrast Maidenhead always looked likely to add to their tally and Clifton's industrious afternoon continued to go unrewarded when he headed a Danny Green corner from the right onto the woodwork at the far post six minutes ahead of the break.

Little changed when the teams changed ends. Magpie debutant Tyrell Miller-Rodney who gave an unfussy efficient performance sat in front of the central defence throughout, really started to shine as he began to get forward firing in a shot which Pentney could only push behind for a corner early in the second half. From the resulting corner Clifton then capped an unlucky day in front of goal when this time having  hit the back of the net with his header saw the referee rule it out for a foul.

Chelmsford continued to enjoy periods of pressure with no meaningful end result bar a Justin Miller effort which Putnins had to tip over the bar.

Three Maidenhead substitutions injected some much need life to a team faced with an energy sapping surface to maintain a counter attacking threat as Mark Nisbet and Jacob Erskine continued to deal effectively with anything Chelmsford could throw at them. The Magpies attacking ambition finally paid dividends in the final minute of stoppage time when Miller-Rodney delightfully nutmegged defender Christian Smith before squaring the ball to Jonathan Constant to score with a tap in with virtually the first touch of the Maidenhead career.

There was nothing flattering about this scoreline which accurately reflected Chelmsford's impotence and Maidenhead's ruthlessness when going forward. A first United win at Melbourne Park at the seventh attempt was a great tonic, taking the team out of the bottom three and hopefully revitalising the fight against relegation after two poor recent results.

Two Pac Secures win at last

A member of the Havant Coaching Staff makes a start on the new stand

Top played bottom of the form table and as the cliche would have it the form book was upset, a change of tactics by Drax reversing the recent result in the corresponding game in Hampshire.

The decision to go with five men in defence was quite effective in snuffing out the attacking threat from the visitors for the larger part of the game, and even the early departure of Mark Nisbet with an injury simply led to substitute Tom Gilbey slotting in at the back.

Early on Havant had threatened with a Chris Arthur snapshot which Billy Lumley pushed over the bar but the stifling effect of the extra Magpie defender led to a cagey opening act of the game which gave me the opportunity to get a first recruit for my Anti Hampshire Alliance where a ground rule was agreed upon that the New Forest was excluded by virtue of being too nice.

One saving grace of Maidenhead's losing run was their ability to create goal scoring opportunities and in the latter two thirds of the first half they came at regular intervals.The first saw Reece Tison-Lascaris latch onto a wonderful pass from Nisbet. The youngster's shot ricocheted off the post to David Pratt who put his follow up effort wide leading to much shaking of heads at the thought that once again it was going to be one of those days.

That it wasn't can be put down to the power of Richard Pacquette's head. Twice, in the 29th and 41st minutes, he nodded in super crosses from the right. The first was supplied by Leon Solomon with the second seeing Pratt making amends for his earlier miss by swinging over the second. In between Pacquette didn't make the best of three chances with his feet so the message seems clear for the rest of the season - put it on his head son!

The perfect first half was completed deep into injury time when March's player of the month Ollie Palmer blasted the ball over from close range and that was more or less that in terms of goalmouth action for the rest of the game.

After the break Havant threatened occasionally to no great effect whilst Maidenhead won the odd corner (Exhibit A above) so the final result was barely in doubt which meant United climbed out of the bottom three and now need to repeat the trick at least two more times to be sure of a place in the Conference South next season.

Frozen

Another cup match, another sub standard performance from Maidenhead United to leave the Magpie fans as frozen as the pitch at the final whistle. The scoreline may have only been 1-0 but it could have been a lot more with the Magpies offering little or no hope of even salvaging a replay. Once again David Pratt was absent from a key Cup tie and his replacement in the lone forward role Alex Wall was left to chase hopeless causes all night as the ball was fruitlessly pumped high and long in his direction, a tactic which was meat and drink to a Suttton defence well marshalled by Simon Downer. Thus attacking wingers Lee Barney and Harry Pritchard saw little of the ball leaving most of the play to take place in the Maidenhead half with the Magpies clearing off the line, and Jesse Joronen pushing a shot wide from the impressive Stefan Payne before Sutton took a deserved lead. Harry Ottaway was the scorer, applying a deft touch to a cross from Simon Rents which split the Maidenhead defence.

For their part Maidenhead had one good chance, a Wall drive being parried by goalkeeper Kevin Scrivens, whilst the Magpies were forced to rearrange their defence when Joe Crook departed injured just before the goal, James Regis coming on, which led to captain Mark Nisbet moving forward into the midfield with neither Daniel Brown on Bobby Behzadi on the bench.

One consolation of the half time scoreline was that Maidenhead were still in the game with the powerful weapons of Reece Tison-Lascaris and Pratt on the bench. Yet their introduction midway through the half did little to raise hopes of a goal and Sutton ran out comfortable winners. Both sides came close to scoring on one occasion, Nisbet having a header cleared off the line by Stuart, whilst Joronen made a last ditch save to deny Craig Dundas, however even with four minutes of stoppage time the end result was in little doubt, leaving Maidenhead with only their league future to play for this season. The two games to be played before Sutton United return on 22nd December need to yield points to keep the Magpies' heads above the relegation mire.

Magpies Win 'Nam War

"Been away Ted?

 Yes just got back from 'Nam.

Vietnam?

No Cheltenham"

Ted Chippington

Gloucestershire is one of my favourites places is England although the uncomfortably busy train ride provided ample reminders of some days out at football I would rather forget. Yes the scenery just gets better and better when you leave Reading but the view is scarred by memories at Didcot, Kemble (i.e. Cirencester), Stroud (i.e. Forest Green Rovers), and finally Gloucester, where on a glorious sunny day in 2006, we confidently felt that we were going to walk all over the Southern League as Dwain Clark ran the show and gave the Magpies the lead before two late Tiger goals won the game, punctured our ego and signalled the beginning of the end for manager Carl Taylor.

Fast forward six years and one young debutant from that day, Mark Nisbet was leading a team looking for revenge, this time in the FA Trophy. Having arrived at Gloucester though we stayed put on the train as the driver changed ends and continued the journey to Cheltenham where the Tigers are forced to play their games. Still unable to rebuild their flood damaged ground at Meadow Park due to the local council's intransigence and preference for egg chasing, City have led a nomadic existence for a few years now, firstly playing at Cirencester before moving to Whaddon Road.

Taking a taxi from the station we found ourselves dropped off in the middle of a housing estate, which our driver Dick assured us was a cheaper option than going to the ground itself. Sure enough walking down the alley as directed saw us arrive at Cheltenham's footballing Narnia. A swift pint in the cosy supporters bar was enough refreshment before taking my seat in the Directors Box to take in yet another picturesque sporting view in Cheltenham, though not quite up to the standard of the College cricket ground or famous racecourse.

A pattern of a open game contested by two committed teams was quickly laid out, with the officials from the West Midlands being happy to keep their cards to themselves for the time being despite a few full blooded challenges from either side. Leon Solomon, switching to the left full back slot to cover for injured Derek Duncan, showed much promise going forward finding David Pratt with a great pass just ahead of the quarter hour mark, the striker turning well before shooting narrowly wide. 

Gloucester came close to opening the scoring when Lewis Hogg rattled the woodwork with a free kick but it was Maidenhead who scored the only goal of the game in the thirtieth minute. Reece Tison-Lascaris instigated the move with a trademark dribble but seemed to have lost the ball only for two Gloucester defenders to tackle each other in their haste to recover possession on the edge of the penalty area. This gave the youngster the opportunity to shoot and with goalkeeper Mike Green unable to hold the shot, Tison-Lascaris was first again to the ball to score from close range. As the tackles continued to fly in both sides saw a yellow card, the half finishing on a sour note after a nasty challenge by Hogg on Nisbet.

After the break a change of viewpoint was in order to see everything the 7,000 capacity Whaddon Road had to offer with the view behind the goal revealing a couple of interesting floodlights, one of which also served as a site for an old fashioned clock.

It also proved to be a good place to watch the Magpies soak up wave after wave of Gloucester pressure, the team working well as a unit to stop any clear cut chances and launch an increasing number of dangerous counter attacks. As the game drew on the bookings continued to pile up whilst Maidenhead got closer to a decisive second goal, Daniel Brown feeding Pratt with a Hoddlesque pass which the striker was unable to convert, whilst Harry Pritchard announced his arrival on the pitch by hitting the inside of the post with his first touch.

Gloucester lived up to their nickname and showed why they have done so well in the FA Cup this season by battling all the way to the end, almost snatching a draw in the dying minutes. Firstly they returned a botched Billy Lumley clearance goalward only for Nisbet to ahead away from the empty net, and with virtually the last kick of the game fired in a half volley which fizzed past the post.

A hard earned Cup win for the Magpies then, which made the thought of an arduous journey home worthwhile as we wandered off down the alley to find Dick the taxi driver.

Captain Markvel leads Magpies second half turnabout

Welling United always prove to be a good benchmark against which to measure progress and so it proved on Saturday as one of the better teams to play the Magpies this season were turned over in the second half despite being well in control at the break.

The game started slowly but soon settled down into a pattern which saw Maidenhead's attempts to attack snuffed out by an efficient defence led by the impressive Fraser Franks in the centre whilst the Welling front two Theo Fairweather-Johnson and Ross Lafayette maintained a constant threat. 

The threat was realised a quarter of an hour into the game when a Scott Kinch long ball found Fairweather-Johnson on the right, who hooked in a cross to Lafayette. The striker then turned and shot for goal in one beautifully smooth movement, Finnish goalkeeper Jesse Joronen momentarily raising hopes of a save but his magnificent effort could only push the ball into the net.

The goal pretty much settled matters for the first forty five minutes, with Welling looking comfortable holding a lead. They came closest to doubling it when a long shot was almost dropped into his own net by Joronen having collided with the woodwork when making the initial save.

After the break Welling looked well set to consolidate their lead into a victory using the wind and the slope to pressure the Maidenhead penalty area, but Joronen and the defence were equal to everything the Wings and the elements could throw at them and thus after having survived the initial second half onslaught the Magpies were ready to turn the tables on the visitors.

With the hour mark approaching a shot from outside the penalty area by Michael Pook was pushed around the post for a corner by Welling goalkeeper Sam Mott. Following the kick the ball found its way back to Pook on the left wing and his cross was headed goalward by David Pratt. Mott could not hold the ball and captain Mark Nisbet was first to bundle it over the line for an equaliser.

After a month in the doldrums the Magpies at last began to recover some of their vim and vigour getting the upper hand in the game for the first time. With nineteen minutes left this translated into what proved to be the winning goal, an almost identical move to the first. This time Pook took a free kick from the left wing which Nisbet headed past Mott. Full of confidence again United saw out the remaining time with little alarm, helped by the early departure of Kinch for two fairly innocuous challenges. Further entertainment was provided by a Welling fan who charged from behind the goal to challenge the linesmen on every decision with the final whistle soon coming to signal a satisfyingly unexpected victory to end the Magpies recent poor run of form.

The win left me pondering the power of confidence. The first half felt little different to the other defeats of late but the second half goal led to a visible transformation in the authority of the Maidenhead team to produce a win. A key factor must have been the return of captain Mark Nisbet, not least with his two goals, his leadership linked with the tenacity through the middle of the team with Bobby Behzadi in the centre and Pratt up front seeing the Magpies return to their resilient character shown earlier in the season.

Cards Top The Pack

The Woking bandwagon rolled into town on Saturday and gave a performance which ended as expected with the Cards crowned Alliance South Champions at the final whistle.

This was no romp to the title though as Maidenhead worked hard to stay in the game and Woking received the rub of the green with their goal.

Woking fans travelled in treble their usual numbers to York Road and were in town early to warm up for the match. As I walked down the station approach I could hear the unique sound of away supporters singing in the Bell and the York Road turnstile queues were soon snaking down the drive. 

This was a day that had been long anticipated in Surrey and so the Cards fans were all set at the Bell Street End ahead of kick off to see another unique event, the visit of the Windsor & Maidenhead mayor Asghar Majeed, who added another layer to the pre match handshaking. I can only hope that he will reflect on the boost to the town's ailing economy that visits by the likes of Woking brings and deem the football club as worthy of support from the council as the rugby club. Still in conversation he did seem more positive about the York Road experience in contrast to the one he has had to endure twice at Stag Meadow.

Following the kick off the game had a edgy start, the sense being that both teams had too much to lose to go hell for leather from the first whistle. Indeed the most interesting thing to observe in the early stages of the game was the wide variety of inflatables bobbing around the Woking end. Having seen Surrey struggle at Lords in the morning session, I was hoping Woking would follow suit with their county cricket club and there was certainly much promise in the way Maidenhead looked to go for goal early on although none of their shots seriously troubled goalkeeper Aaron Howe. 

Maidenhead had of course already beaten Woking twice this season, the Cards one dimensional style being ripe for deconstruction. Just like their closest rivals Dartford, Woking rely on a strong defence which seeks to launch the ball forward to nippy forwards. As the first half reached its midway point Maidenhead dealt with this challenge but the game changed in the 23rd minute when a clumsy challenge from Jon Scarborough saw Giuseppe Sole fall to the floor and win a penalty. Sole himself stepped up to take the spot kick which Billy Lumley saved brilliantly with a one handed save to his right, only for Sole to be first to the loose ball and somewhat cruelly put it between Lumley's legs to score.

The goal lit up the game and showcased Woking at their best as lifted by the crowd they tore into Maidenhead in an attempt to kill the game off with a second score. That they didn't owed much to Sole and Lumley. Firstly Sole failed to convert from point blank range a perfect cross from Paris Cowan-Hall, then Lumley went onto save well from Moses Ademola and Alan Inns. Thus Maidenhead were still in the game at the break and gave it a real go in the second half with Woking seeming to settle for a one goal win.

Nevertheless as Maidenhead had neither the wit nor pace to breakdown the Woking defence, the best scoring opportunities again fell to the visitors, a Joe McNerney effort being cleared off the line whilst Mark Nisbet headed against his own post under pressure from a Woking attacker. So Maidenhead's impotence again ensured another home game without credit, with this particular final whistle carrying the added significance of confirming that Woking would be promoted back to the Alliance Premier as champions.

As the Woking fans poured onto the pitch in celebration, events of twenty years ago were called to mind when Stevenage won the Isthmian League Division One title at York Road to continue their rise up the pyramid which is still going unabated. The changing times which have led to the Alliance Premier becoming a full time professional league mean I doubt Woking will follow this course, and bearing in mind their previous financial struggles will do well to emulate Braintree's successful first season at the higher level.

As for Maidenhead's relegation plight, everything should be clear once Hampton and Havant have played their midweek games, but for the moment an unlikely return to form to collect six points from the remaining two games at play off chasing Dover and at home to Eastleigh seems to be the only option.  I can only hope that some of my luck which saw me win the National from a pick based on the jockey's colours, or more pertinently that which saw Staines line up against a Dorchester team without a recognised goalkeeper yesterday, steers itself Maidenhead United's way.

Pain in Staines

Yesterday's game in Middlesex was the source of as much disappointment as the previous game in Kent provided hope. Despite the double material gain of a point and keeping a relegation rival in the drop zone, the predominant emotion at the final whistle was embarrassment at being second best to a team who had spent the entire season in the bottom six.

Providing the easiest and most pleasant journey to an away game, Staines still represents Isthmian league football to me, with its small ground now presented as an afterthought to a health club, hosting similar paltry crowds to York Road, although in this case boosted by the watching eyes of a couple of ponies in a neighbouring field.

Maidenhead started the game well, thankfully taking my mind off the inane chanting emanating from the Staines ultras in the stand, but once Town took charge it was clear that the yellow shirts would be producing virtually all of the goalmouth action.

The Swans served notice that they would be going all out for the three points when a David Wheeler header flashed past the post. He again went close before half time with Billy Lumley playing a key role in keeping the score line goalless at the break. 

Staines showed much in common with their Middlesex neighbours and fellow relegation strugglers Hampton, with endeavour far outweighing potency in front of goal, but although the Magpies achieved the same result at the Beveree at least on that occasion they did everything but score. 

Yesterday there was virtually nothing on offer up front for United, which only increased the pressure on the midfield and defence. Ashan Holgate is clearly a talented ball player but his lack of pace left Manny Williams a lone force in attack. With Harry Pritchard blowing hard on the left wing for much of the second half, it was left to a set piece to provide Maidenhead's one and only real goal scoring opportunity. With twelve minutes remaining Mark Nisbet stooped to deliver a looping header which was pawed from under the bar by Danny Potter. Sadly this stood alone as the only moment when Maidenhead looked capable of taking all three points as the second half saw Staines dominate once more, Lumley saving well with his feet from Richard Butler, then left thanking the woodwork when with eighteen minutes to go Wheeler hit the crossbar.

Any hopes of a late rally by Maidenhead disappeared when Jermaine Hinds was sent off for two cautions in the 84th minute. Like last week Hinds had come on as a second half sub, and whereas his dismissal seven days ago within two minutes of coming on could be ascribed to a rush of a blood to a head, at Staines the two cautions were separated by ten minutes, and there was no doubt about either. His rather British notion of commitment in being prepared to dive in and win the ball at all costs, has deprived his team mates of pressing for late points two weeks in a row at a vital time of the season and I can only shake my head in disappointment when a player of this mindset appears on the team sheet.

Thus Maidenhead had little option but to defend deep for the final minutes and again had the woodwork to thank for a cleansheet when Tom Kavanagh hit the post at the death.

At the final whistle I held my opinion that Staines were likely relegation candidates but on this showing Maidenhead would be keeping them company in the bottom three. Survival in the next few weeks will depend on two things. Firstly the ability to keep eleven men on the pitch for ninety minutes. Secondly the capacity to create goal scoring opportunities. Suspension will mean the pace and strength of Alex Wall can't help, so for my money Maidenhead hopes must rest on the young shoulders of Reece Tison-Lascaris, a player who enjoys running at opponents with the ball at his feet, and has proved he has the ability to go on and score. Needless to say he must still complete a suspension tomorrow but the way he combined with Holgate earlier in the season presents the best opportunity for a goal from open play in the remaining games.

Darts double finish sees off battling Magpies

On the face of it Saturday’s game at Dartford had much in common with Maidenhead’s first visit to Princes Park twelve months previously, the Magpies initially showing great spirit and enterprise in the face of an expectant home crowd before the pressure told midway through the second half. However a dismissal for either side following the goals gave this game a rather different complexion to the depressing inevitability of last season’s collapse with many positive aspects for Maidenhead’s fans to take into Easter Saturday’s climactic clash at Staines.

Off the field Dartford Football Club is a place where everything feels right. Judging by several pitchside hoardings this appears to be the result of a productive relationship with the Tory Council who, in stark contrast to recent decisions made by their central government comrades, have shown real leadership to ensure the Darts home is a real community hub. Although I preferred a brisk walk up the hill to the ground, I could have taken the Fast track bus which follows a road barred to all other traffic, stopping next to Princes Park. On arrival I was greeted at reception by club representatives who couldn’t do enough to help me despite their apologies that I wouldn’t be allowed in the boardroom because “I wasn’t wearing trousers”. Rest assured I hadn’t taken a leaf out of Mike Payne’s fashion bible and turned up in shorts but was clad in denim. Not a problem as I was only there for the football so hastily made my way pitchside where I ate a first class hot dog from the well-appointed tea bar behind the goal.

As kick off drew near the theme from 633 squadron blasted out of the PA, presumably to herald the aerial blitz about to be launched on the Maidenhead defence. This proved to be an accurate reflection of Dartford’s approach to the game as for the first hour they sought to get the ball forward as quickly as possible, switching to 4-2-4 when they had the ball in an attempt to swamp the Maidenhead defence. This tactic was doubtless behind their impressive strike rate of 48 goals in 18 home league games but centre back pair Jon Scarborough and Mark Nisbet were well up for the battle, snuffing out the early threat.

Instead it was Maidenhead who drew the first save, with a neat passing move which was to prove a template for their attacking play throughout the game, Martel Powell being switched into the centre of midfield at least in the first instance enhanced this style, although it was the unlikely figure of Bobby Behzadi who cut inside to shoot from the edge of the penalty area.

Dartford soon found a reply when a Tom Bonner volley was tipped over the bar by Billy Lumley and the first half continued in much the same vein with the home team having the lion’s share of chances with Maidenhead nevertheless showing much attacking promise.

The Dartford frontline was led by the lumbering Jacob Erskine who tested Lumley on more than one occasion, the Maidenhead keeper having a great half, also saving well from Lee Burns. All in all Maidenhead were good value for their first half clean sheet, Dartford wasting the talent of James Rogers in the centre of midfield whose passing ability may well have exposed the lack of pace in the Maidenhead defence if he had been given permission to keep the ball on the deck.

Going forward Maidenhead’s lack of confidence in front of goal was plain to see as frequently good approach play on the flanks was not finished with a strike.  A defence marshalled by the impressive centre back Bonner was always going to be a tough nut to crack but when presented with an opportunity to go for goal the Maidenhead players appeared to be too careful for fear of fluffing a chance. This difference in mental approach was the real difference between the two teams, one flying high, the other scrambling for form and led to the decisive action at the start of the second half.

Although Maidenhead started brightly, after five minutes Dartford took the game by the scruff of the neck and set up camp in the Magpie half. Initially Maidenhead were able to resist, Lumley pushing a Lee Noble free kick round the post whilst one effort which did find the back of the net was disallowed. However it was not long before Erskine broke the deadlock with a shot from the edge of the penalty area which beat Lumley at full stretch.

With Dartford lifted on and off the pitch, the goal only increased the pressure on Maidenhead and the lead was doubled just after the hour mark when Lumley failed to deal effectively with a free kick allowing Luke Wilkinson to poke the ball into an empty net. Just when it looked like game over Maidenhead gained a toe hold in the game when a powerful run by Paul Semakula saw him follow the ball through the Dartford defence and finish from close range. Hopes of a point were then raised when the running battle between Mark Nisbet and Danny Harris ended when the attacker was shown a second yellow card.

Going down to ten men changed the nature of the game with Dartford taking the obvious option of leaving just one man up front and paring back their attacking ambition. Any chance of making the extra man count though was removed with twenty minutes to go when, within two minutes of entering the fray Jermaine Hinds was sent off for a challenge which left two Dartford players sprawling across the turf.

Maidenhead continued to push for an equaliser but could not find the composure to create a chance allowing the Darts to edge home. The fact that Maidenhead left Kent pointless was not a surprise given the clubs relative positions at the start of play but the nature of the United performance gives rise to the expectation that the points required to ensure safety can be won over Easter.

Carpetmen inspire Magpie relegation fears

A beautiful sunny day and a half price promotion at York Road set the scene for the Magpies to take the three points which would take them to the brink of safety from relegation. Needless to say a disciplined performance from visitors Salisbury turned this scenario on its head, once again exposing United's impotence in the opposition penalty area as for the third game in a row the Magpies drew a blank. 

A whiff of Premier League glamour was given to proceedings by referee Sian Massey but in contrast to previous weeks she never looked likely to display a red card to anybody in a black and white shirt. 

Maidenhead started positively. Kicking down the York Road slope, with Jermaine Hinds sat in front of the defence the rest of the midfield was able to assist the attack, but for all the admirable approach play United were unable to conjure up a decent chance. Thus as United's dominance faded Salisbury took charge of the game scoring in the twentieth minute when Stuart Sinclair burst into the penalty area and beat Billy Lumley with a shot which initially hit the post before ending up in the back of the net.

With sole striker Robbie Matthews causing United's defence enough problems for two frontmen, only the save of the season from Lumley kept the deficit to one at the break, the stopper pulling off a superb diving save when seemingly unsighted from a Ben Adelsbury long shot.

After the break Maidenhead showed great endeavour in their quest for an equaliser but as they committed more players forward Salisbury looked as likely to score on the counter attack. The best opportunity for a Maidenhead goal came just after the hour mark when a corner led to a goal mouth scramble. The ball was scraped off the line twice and this rearguard action proved to be enough to secure all three points for the Whites as despite continuing attacking intentions, Maidenhead only went close once more when Mark Nisbet diverted an Alex Wall free kick past the post.

The result leaves Maidenhead three places and three points clear of relegation, looking forward to a tumultuous Easter Saturday fixture at Staines. With scoring the key problem for the Magpies it looks like being a tense drawn out end to the season unless they continue where they left off in March against their two toughest opponents Dartford and Woking.

Magpies Fall in One Ton Dupe

A solitary Tonbridge goal settled the game yesterday on a humdrum day in Kent notable only for the pleasant Spring weather.

This was in contrast to the Magpies' first visit to Longmead back in the dog days of Alan Devonshire's reign. This FA Trophy tie was full of incident with the result leading to rancour on and off the field, all set to a gloomy backdrop of teeming rain straight out of a Ted Lewis novel. The day was accompanied by a pub crawl the length of the long walk up the High Street from the station to the ground, with a visit to the pubs on the west side of the street on the way there and the east on the way back. Memories are naturally hazy as there was no shortage of stopping points in either direction. Ten years later a similar expedition would have been a more sober experience with many of the watering holes shut down and inevitably a Wetherspoons being one of the few survivors. This at least provided the opportunity for pre match refreshment with a taxi taking us out of this rather down at heel part of town past the more auspicious sites of the Castle and public school before entering the housing estate which enveloped the football ground.

For a relative new build Longmead reflects much of what is good about non league grounds. A clear case of piecemeal development as finance allows, the highlight is the two steep covered terraces behind each goal which ensured that the 591 crowd created a better atmosphere than at Kingfield last week. Unfortunately the game itself produced less incident.

Despite Tonbridge's opening day humbling of the Magpies with a 4-0 win, the teams were as well matched as their midtable positions suggested. Tonbidge tore into Maidenhead from the kick off but after this opening blitz the Magpies gradually got back into the game and as half time approached were applying enough pressure to suggest they were gaining the upper hand. Throughout the half a clear area of United advantage was their delivery into the penalty area from set pieces but sadly there was no one able to apply a finish, the sole save being a Lee Worgan block from a Harry Pritchard shot from a tight angle.

The second half followed a similar pattern only this time Tonbridge sustained their opening burst and were rewarded with a goal, ironically from a set piece. In this case a looping Sonny Miles cross found an unmarked Ollie Schulz who headed home with what was one of the few genuine goal scoring attempts of the whole game. The rest of the game saw Maidenhead throw everything forward coming closest to an equaliser when Jermaine Hinds was well placed in the penalty area only for the rangy midfielder to be harshly penalised for handball. For the most part the Tonbridge defence proved unbreachable, marshalled by captain Ben Judge who has proved a regular stumbling block to Magpie progress since his time in the Croydon defence at the end of the last century. 

As the United commitment to attack naturally increased this inevitably produced opportunities for an Angels counter attack but there seemed little danger of this being anything other than a one goal game. Indeed they merely showcased Maidenhead man of the match Mark Nisbet's ball skills, the captain often recovering the ball then leading the charge back up the pitch. He seemed revitalised following his recent return from injury, adding much needed pep to the flagging Magpie cause as the game drew to a close.

So Maidenhead now face an odd set of four games, with Saturday fixtures against Hampton and Salisbury offering great opportunities for points whilst Tuesday nights see an uphill struggle against promotion chasing Dartford and Welling. Tonbridge seem to have adjusted well to their new level and with a series of announcements yesterday about contracting well established Angels players for next season look to be setting themselves up for a promotion push in 2013.

Magpies survive Fishtank

Much against my better judgement I found myself trudging across London at lunchtime, heading for the Hotel ground, Thurrock, a shoe in for one of the slots in a footballing Dante's Inferno. With hindsight I should perhaps be grateful that ITV's scheduling prevented me from contemplating a trip to Sunderland, and after three weeks without live football even the best efforts of London Transport to disrupt my journey by closing half the District line couldn't put me off heading for the Thames estuary.
Thus after ninety minutes of travelling I arrived in Fishtank country, so called after the award winning film which so beautifully captured the untamed fragility of the area. The mix of industry and wilderness twixt station and ground summed up by the plastic bags fluttering on fences confining feral horses on scrubland. As the bus headed down the hill from Aveley on the long descent to the ground, it overtook that rarest of sights, a couple of young home town scarfers en route to the game, before dropping me off at the Hotel.
Of course these days you can go for a pre match pint inside the ground, when previously supporters would  uncomfortably mix with guests in the Hotel bar, all surrounding a TV to watch Football Focus or Final Score.
Kick off necessitated the usual migration to the far end, our steps hastened by the onset of rain. Disappointing Thurrock seem to be ignoring the ground regulation that requires that supporters can access the entire perimeter  by shoving a bin in the way of the bit that goes in front of the changing rooms. I wonder if that will be wheeled away when the grading inspectors are on site?

A quick sprint around the back meant the first task of the afternoon was slightly delayed, the headcount, always a source of entertainment when the official attendance is revealed. Three tallies produced an average of 88, just over half the official number.
By now the game had started to take shape, Maidenhead taking the initiative and pushing hard for the opening goal. In the tenth minute a Reece Tison-Lascaris shot was spilled by youthful goalkeeper David Hughes, with further hope that he might be the source of a goal when he repeated the juggling act from an Alex Wall shot following good work from Martel Powell and Manny Williams. However after this promising start the game got progressively worse resembling the scruffy state of the weatherbeaten pitch.
Forward moves from both sides were comfortably dealt with but in the key moment of the half Maidenhead goalkeeper Billy Lumley suffered a head injury whilst cutting out a Thurrock attack. Initially he was able to continue but as the half drew to a close, a second consultation with Max Bangura saw the physio indicate that he would have to come off. With watching Sam Beasant nursing a dislocated finger, there was no specialist stopper on the bench and so captain Mark Nisbet made his return from injury in rather an unexpected fashion, coming off the bench wearing a blue goalkeeper's shirt.
The cumulative stoppages meant eight minutes were added to the first forty five, Thurrock taking the lead in the seventh of these when an Ahmed Deen free kick flew in to the top corner, an effort that Lumley would have done well to tip over the bar.
Nisbet soon had a chance to prove his aptitude between the sticks after the break, scrambling away a close range effort with his legs, and as the half went on, a game at York Road where Purfleet fielded an outfield defender in goal for the whole ninety minutes came to mind. A game which Purfleet won. Indeed Maidenhead started to increase the pressure on the home side, winning the game's first two corners, heralding an equaliser which arrived in the sixty third minute.
The goal came from a move which saw Tison-Lascaris drive into the penalty area, losing the ball to a defensive challenge. It was picked up by Wall who produced the save of the game from Hughes only for the ball to run free again, this time to Williams who fired the ball into the empty net to level the score.
With Thurrock seeing perhaps their best opportunity to break end their season long winless run at home fading fast, they pushed hard to retake the lead, but Nisbet was equal to everything that got through the defence. The final stage of the game was played in a rain shower of biblical proportions and although the players stuck to their task there seemed little chance of a winner for either side, as shown when Magpie away regular Steve King left early to beat the traffic.
So mission accomplished in part with a point secured despite playing for over fifty minutes without a recognised goalkeeper. Without this mitigation though it would have been two points dropped against a Thurrock side who look to be using their reprieve from relegation as well as Maidenhead did six seasons ago.

Lumley leads relief of the Alamo

With Man of the match Billy Lumley in the John Wayne role Maidenhead worked their socks off this afternoon to earn a point against a powerful Sutton side. With this season's memory scarred by a first half humbling at Gander Green Lane, I approached this match in trepidation of a repeat particularly with Mark Nisbet on the sidelines, the centre back's withdrawal through injury at Havant last week being seen unanimously by those who went as being instrumental in the Magpies' late collapse.

Guided by Paul Telfer at the back, Sutton again looked set to swamp Maidenhead having an early penalty shout turned down, and almost catching Lumley out with a speculative cross come shot, but it was the Magpies who took the lead in the seventh minute. With the Sutton defence pushing up, Alex Wall slipped through the offside trap, haring down the right wing before crossing to Manny Williams who scored with ease. Sutton responded instantly when Anthony Riviere ran through the Maidenhead defence to score.

Sutton then set up camp in the Maidenhead half until the break, the Magpie midfield providing only a buttery blockade for the pacy Sutton knives to run through. With Maidenhead effectively playing two wingers on either midfield flank in the shape of Max Worsfold and Reece Tison-Lascaris, the defence was afforded little protection from the amber onslaught but held up admirably, particularly when full backs Leon Solomon and Bobby Behzadi were switched over.

Despite their penetration up the pitch Sutton lacked a finisher and Lumley dealt comfortably with their frequent goal attempts which tended to be shots from the edge of the penalty area. Thus there was little for the massed scouts from Cambridge, Watford and Wycombe to see in the Sutton front line, the best chance being spurned when Craig Watkins ran clear only for Lumley to save with his legs. 

The Maidenhead forward pairing of Wall and Williams worked like trojans to chase down the Sutton missiles repelled and returned by the defence, Williams applying a delightful finish from distance which unfortunately meant nothing thanks to an offside flag. Wall went close to scoring two minutes ahead of the interval but the overall feeling at the break was one of relief that Maidenhead had hung on to keep the score level.

The introduction of Daniel Brown and Paul Semakula for the second half bolstered the Maidenhead midfield enough to make the game more of a balanced contest albeit one in which Sutton remained on top and so genuine attempts on goal became rarer. The roar of the large travelling support wasn't enough to convince the referee to interpret Michael Pook's last ditch tackle on Moses Odubajo as illegal early on in the half and by the time Harry Beautyman's free kick deep in stoppage whistled past the angle of post and crossbar Maidenhead had done enough to earn a point and continue the Magpies excellent league record against the Us at York Road, unbeaten in the clubs' last six meetings.