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Maidenhead’s first
home game of the season ended in a goalless stalemate to extend their
unbeaten run to seven games, and take a point off the Romans for the first
time.
Following a downpour in
the hour preceding kick off, the ball zipped off the surface as both teams
tore into each other from the kick off. Their pride stung by an opening day thrashing
at home, Bath
had a point to prove and perhaps slightly shaded the first half. Certainly they came closest to scoring when
a Scott Rogers shot flashed across the box and was tipped wide by a fully
stretched Shane Gore in the Magpies goal.
Bath
maintained their reputation as hard working, well organised outfit that
proved tough to break down, with Matt Coupe working like a Trojan in the
centre of defence. Maidenhead’s
best line of attack was the cross from the wing and it was from one such
effort after a quarter of an hour from Narada
Bernard that a Richard Pacquette header was
deflected wide.
After the break,
Maidenhead gradually took control of the game, although ubiquitous threat
of Bath
front pair Darren Edwards and Sekani Simpson
meant that the result remained in the balance. United visibly grew in confidence as the
game went on but were unable to take advantage of the half chances which
arose. Having had a howler on the
opening day, Romans Keeper Paul Evans was anxious to restore his reputation
as one of the division’s best and with two minutes left on the clock
he preserved the stalemate with a fine save to parry a snapshot from Pacquette. The
game then finished goalless.
Magpies:
Gore, Smith T, Bernard, Hinds (71 Surey), Sterling, Nisbet, Smith A (78 Behzadi),
Nicholls, Pacquette, Newman, Binns. Unused subs: James, Bradshaw, Carter. Crowd: 369.
Romans:
Evans, Jones G, Rollo, Coupe, Holland,
Jones S, Hodge (68 Slocombe), Rogers, Edwards,
Douglas, Simpson (83 Paul). Unused
subs: Cochlin, Badman,
Caldwell.
Caution: Coupe 56.
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