City Slicker

One of the constant facets of league football is the ability of lowly teams to up their game when the top of the table side comes to town. Some may feel frustration at the way sides can display hitherto rarely seen depths of energy and creativity but in truth this is purely a natural reaction to the challenge of playing the current number one.

The simple motivation of trying to knock the top boys off their perch is usually enough to produce a tight contest, and yesterday was no different, undoubtedly helped by the usual Conference fixture quirk of the corresponding match in Wiltshire taking place less than a month ago. That game ended in Maidenhead successfully holding out under great pressure to earn a point, meaning both teams had something to prove at York Road.

For once Drax had more than one choice in his attacking options, choosing the re-signed loanee Chris Flood and Reece Tison-Lascaris on the flanks ahead of Lee Barney and Harry Pritchard, whilst Alex Wall got the nod to start alongside David Pratt in the middle. However it was the defence which came under the spotlight in the opening stages with an early Salisbury blitz on the Maidenhead goal. This showed the Magpies had lost none of their resolve from the first game, withstanding the pressure to keep the scoresheet blank, Jesse Joronen making one fantastic fingertip save to deny James White.

As the half went on Maidenhead began to develop an attacking threat of their own exploiting the space behind the right side of City defence but the Magpies could not quite set themselves to challenge goalkeeper Will Puddy to emulate his doppelganger Joe Hart from several promising positions. When the fresh faced Puddy was called into action though he supported his side's title winning ambition with a superb save to tip a shot from distance by Michael Pook around the post five minutes ahead of the break. A save all the more creditable after the ball took a slight deflection off Wall en route to goal.

This effort seemed to boost United's confidence and they started the second half boldly pushing forward only for Salisbury to score the only goal of the game six minutes after the kick off. For all the impressive play of both sides, the goal was a simple affair, a whipped in cross from the left by James Clarke being met by captain Brian Dutton at the far post to power a header home. This had the effect of rousing the sizeable Salisbury support from their impeccably observed first half silence.

The goal did not change an open game, both sides giving their all for another. Both sides enjoyed spells of attacking pressure but with Maidenhead unable to capitalise on a series of corners, the closest to an equaliser was a Pritchard effort from close range which Puddy managed to get just enough of his body on to stop the ball trickling over the line.

At the other end the speed with which Salisbury counter attacked was a constant threat to the Maidenhead defence but the one golden chance which presented itself to City was volleyed over by White with the goal at his mercy.

Thus the final result reflected the teams' relative league positions and confirmed Salisbury's status as the team to beat this season. Their decision to train full time seems to be paying off this season as the speed and quality of the passing and movement means they are the best team I have seen in the division this season. As they are out of both national cup competitions I see no reason why they won't regain their Alliance Premier status which they lost for financial irregularities not so long ago. Maidenhead now hover precariously one place above the relegation zone, as with the previous two seasons their fate will lie in their ability to take points from the teams around them by displaying the hard work and desire that was in plentiful evidence yesterday afternoon.

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.

A Christmas Gift For You

Long suffering is certainly an epithet that can be applied to Maidenhead supporters in 2011 as those of us who follow the club home and away in the league have had to endure two long winless runs in the Alliance South this calendar year. The first in the New Year was only stopped by a miraculous run of results in the Spring to avoid relegation, the second in the autumn at least offered light relief in the form of cup glory regularly punctuating the league gloom. Thus it was in forlorn hope rather than expectation that the Magpies made their way to Wiltshire clutching at the clichéd straws of a Cup hangover for the home team following their arduous but ultimately successful midweek FA Cup replay at Grimsby. There was also the memory of warming performances of Christmas past with the record breaking win at Hayes Lane a year ago still fresh in the memory.

The trip was also something to look forward to at the end of a long week and having managed to convince the ticket staff at Paddington to sell me a ticket for a less than direct route to Salisbury, I met up with five other Magpies at Reading who had just about made it after Mr Late As Usual lived up to his soubriquet. The Logician redeemed himself by relaying his cultural knowledge en route comparing the height of cathedral spires in Ulm and Salisbury. The latter was only glimpsed as we left the station to look for a welcoming pub with only the Wetherspoons' Kings Head providing satisfactory refuge.

Ignoring the comedy ales on offer (Russian Revolution stout?) I decided pre match conversation would be sponsored by Amstel in an attractive glass which sadly proved less than practical in standing up to a glancing blow meaning most of the third pint ended up on the floor.

The excellent 505050 taxis provided an A team style van to transport us to the out of town ground. Salisbury had moved from their centrally located Victoria Park stadium to the new Raymond McEnhill one in Old Sarum. Old Sarum is a place burned into my brain from school history as the most rotten of rotten boroughs abolished by the Great Reform Act of 1832, an iron age hill fort which returned two members of parliament.

Passing this now heritage site we entered the new development which seemed to consist of a growing estate of eminently respectable faux mansions some of which lined the appropriately named cul de sac which led to the ground, Partridge Way.

The stadium was something of an odd construction, a hotch potch of staircases and rooms backing on to a muddled arena. As we ascended the steps up to the social club we were presented with a poster advertising Salisbury's forthcoming Cup trip to Sheffield in a Bullseye style what you could have won moment.

With admission matching that of Fulham last Wednesday night, a seat (£15), a programme (£2.50) a drink and a bite to eat comfortably broke the £20 barrier. Regardless of value this was in keeping with Salisbury's full time status which at least was reflected by a fair playing surface in view of the recent weather.

Supporter accommodation was lopsided with the main stand roof continuing round by behind one goal to provide covered accommodation. The other half of the ground was just bare terracing, bar a regulation complying small seated stand on the halfway line. Bizarrely much of the terrace was prohibited yellow stripe territory.

The game itself offered several parallels to the last Magpies league win I had seen back at the start of September at Truro. It was a trip west to a new ground, the home team's white kit forced Maidenhead to wear their yellow away strip, both teams tried to play football, and Maidenhead were anchored at the back by the reassuring presence of Leigh Henry and Billy Lumley.

Although the Maidenhead performance didn't reach the level of that in Cornwall, it was accomplished enough to be offered up as an early Christmas present to those who travelled to the game and had suffered many of the defeats in between.

The opening goal saw a seemingly innocuous ball into the penalty area by Richard Pacquette send the Salisbury defence into disarray, Martel Powell deftly despatching the loose ball into an empty net in the 26th minute. Two minutes later Pacquette doubled the lead when picked up defence splitting pass from Powell and beat the hapless keeper with a delightful lobbed finish. This double blow seemed to induce panic in the Salisbury ranks leading to a swift double substitution. This turned into frustration by the end of the half as their inability to offer any threat beyond the odd set piece was summed up by one of the Whites bench being sent off.

The second half provided more goal chances with both sides spurning opportunities to score. Maidenhead looked the most dangerous on the counter attack with Pacquette failing to seriously test the keeper when well placed on two occasions then getting into a tangle with Alex Wall at the far post when a point blank header was on offer. At the other end Lumley dealt competently with the Salisbury efforts being most extended by Tom Fitchett, having to use his feet to parry the shot.

It soon became clear though that the only Christmas cheer was to be had at the freezing open end where the Maidenhead fans were gathered, lapping up the rare opportunity to roar the team onto three points and enjoying the winning feeling at the final whistle before heading for home. Let's hope its not another 105 days until the next time.