Leaky defence takes the blame (Story posted 17.01.02)

MAIDENHEAD United have failed to score in their last two outings and, as a result, have lost two games they probably deserved to win.
However, manager Alan Devonshire claims the problem does not lie with his strikers.
And, in all fairness, Adrian Allen and Lee Channell are both among the top ten marksmen in the league.
So what exactly is the problem?
Devonshire explained: “We have had two games where we haven’t scored but we are still creating chances. The strikers aren’t really the problem.
“The Chesham keeper played really well last week and it was the same on Saturday.
“It wasn’t as though we were missing chances. We hit the target nine times out of 10 but the keeper kept pulling off good saves.
“We can’t do a lot about that. The reason we didn’t get anything from the game was because we gave away a sloppy goal.”
His words may seem a little harsh, as it was a very minor mistake which allowed Carl Drew to get a shot away.
However, looking back over the season it is easy to see how Devonshire reached the conclusion that his defence is costing him points.
The last time United kept a clean sheet in the league was way back in September, when they beat Enfield 2-0 away from home – some 14 games ago. Devonshire added: “There are going to be days when their keeper has a blinder and there’s nothing we can do about that. But we should still be able to get something out of the game. On Saturday we made one sloppy mistake and we came away with nothing.”
Devonshire was also keen to take the pressure off his front runners, by calling on the rest of his team to up their strike rate.
He added: “We can’t keep putting the pressure on the front two the whole time. We need to get our goals from other positions.
“We have to find them from the midfield or from defenders when they come up for corners and free-kicks.”
He also defended Ricky Ibe, who missed a host of sitters against Chesham last week, saying: “You have to look at what else he’s doing. He’s only scored one goal for us but he’s creating them for other people.”
However, United’s familiar tactic of defending deep and hitting the opposition on the break does make it difficult for the midfield to advance.
And, while pushing players forward may produce more goals, it will also put an already leaky defence under even greater strain.
Tomorrow (Saturday), United welcome Boreham Wood to York Road.
Boreham won 2-1 in the reverse fixture earlier in the season, but have now lost eight league games on the trot, their last win coming against Aldershot in early November.
Devonshire said: “We’ll be looking for all three points, but it’s dangerous when you see that.
“They are going to win some time, so let’s just hope it’s not against us.”
Tuesday night’s game against Gravesend & Northfleet has been postponed again, as the Kent side are cup tied.