Greene brings in more new faces (24.12.04)

MAIDENHEAD United’s new manager Dennis Greene continued to add depth to his squad this week.
Having initially brought three players with him from Windsor, Greene attracted three more to York Road this week, with the signings of midfielder Matthew Fox on loan from Wycombe, and winger Peter Adeniyi and goalkeeper Ademole Bankole from Lewes.
Bankole has a particularly strong pedigree, having played for Crewe Alexandra, Leyton Orient and Queens Park Rangers, as well as gaining international caps for Nigeria.
This means regular stoppers Nick Hart and Mel Capleton have gone to Kingstonian and Windsor & Eton respectively, while Andy Goldman has returned to Australia. The initial personnel changes appear to have had the desired effect on the pitch, with United keeping just their third clean sheet of the season on Saturday, at home to Weston-Super-Mare.
Greene said: “Saturday went well. We tried to keep a clean sheet and we achieved that.
“The lads gave a good response, good determination and effort.
“To win would have been nice, but it’s the first step towards moving up the table, and it’s something to build on.”
Club chairman Jon Swan was also pleased with progress, saying: “He (Greene) had obviously done his homework before he took the job, because he knew exactly where we had problems that needed addressing.
“Dennis said his first target was to keep a clean sheet and in that it was job done. He set his stall out not to concede and Nick Hart was a virtual spectator.
“We would have liked three points at home, but let’s not be greedy.”
One huge bonus to emerge from the game was the instant success of the new central defensive partnership between Andy Dugdale and Lee Kersey, although that partnership will now have to wait to be cemented, as Dugdale will be unavailable for a month.
Swan said: “I thought Duggie had a superb game, but none of the lads can really be faulted. And we could have snatched it.”
The building process continued on Wednesday night, when the Magpies overcame Conference League opponents Dagenham & Redbridge in a midweek friendly.
Greene said: “We took a squad team to Dagenham and it was much the same as Saturday.
“We only conceded one goal and we’ve gone on and won the game.”
Meanwhile, Windsor & Eton seem to have come to terms with the loss of their manager, several of his assistants and three key players.
Greene said: “I’ve taken three players and the chairman seems happy with that.
“Initially we didn’t have enough contact to smooth things through, but now its fine.”

United are away to Basingstoke Town on Monday, kick-off 3pm, in the first of leg of a double-header over the holiday period.
Greene said: “Windsor played them in the FA Trophy and beat them 4-0, so I know a little bit about them.
“If they play like that again we’ll beat them.
“But they wouldn’t be second in the table if they did that every week.”
“If I got one win out of two, I‘d be happy."