Magpies on track after dust settles (Story posted 28.02.02)

THE DUST has finally settled at York Road following last week’s dramatic sacking of club captain Tim Cook.
And it seem as though there will be happy endings all round.
Cook himself has now signed for local Premier rivals Chesham, and immediately broke into the squad for Saturday’s 2-0 win over Billericay, albeit on the bench.
He also proved there were no hard feelings over his dismissal, by turning up at York Road on Tuesday night to support the Magpies.
United manager Alan Devonshire is also keen to bury the hatchet with his former skipper, saying: “I’m not going to knock Cookey. He’s given me years of good service and I wish him all the best.
“It wasn’t a decision I wanted to make, but when you are manager sometimes you have to make tough decisions. That’s the end of the matter.”
Club chairman Roger Coombs also put his weight behind Devonshire, saying: “I think it was something that had been building up for a while. But I’m right behind the manager’s decision.”
Rumours of unrest in the United camp have also been relegated to the sidelines this week, and it now seems that the current squad will see out the rest of the season.
Devonshire has scotched rumours of Barry Rake’s imminent departure, saying he hoped the midfielder would be back in the starting line-up soon.
Chris Ferdinand, said to be on his way to Oxford City, was back in action on Tuesday night, playing a key role in taming St Albans.
So, Maidenhead are back in the top half of the league, and the players and staff are firmly behind the manager.
Suddenly, everything looks rosy for the Magpies. Even the notoriously cautious Devonshire was thrilled with his team’s performance on Tuesday, especially as it came on the back of three very disappointing defeats.
He said: “I thought we deserved it after what happened at Sutton and Aldershot.
“To come back and work as hard as they did was a credit to the players, and they got their reward.”
“Everyone did their part and I was delighted. It was a tremendous win and I couldn’t have asked for more.”
On top of all this, tomorrow’s (Saturday) home tie with Enfield looks like the most winnable match in months.
The visitors are firmly embedded in the relegation zone and have failed to win in their last five outings, while United have only lost one home game since September.
However, there was a note of caution back in Devonshire’s voice.
He said: “I saw them up at Chesham and they have a whole new side. They are very mobile and although they’ve had a few blips they are not a bad side. It’s going to be a tough game.”
However, even if Maidenhead manage to clear this relatively low hurdle, Tuesday sees them travelling to Kent to take on title-chasing Gravesend, kick-off 7.45pm.
Devonshire said: “Gravesend will be really tough. We beat them there last year and they will be out for revenge.
“They are going for the title, but we sometimes find we have the ammunition to hurt teams, so we’re still in with a shout.