MAIDENHEAD United gave their fans an early Christmas present on Saturday, as they hit the uncharted heights of ninth spot in the Ryman Premier with a 4-2 win over league stragglers Harrow Borough.
However, this was not one of United’s most convincing performances of recent weeks, although the ability to play badly and win is perhaps a mark of just how far this side has come.
After a scrappy opening, when the ball spent at least 50 per cent of the time in the air, the game finally sprang to life on 24 minutes, when Obinna Ulasi raced down the left wing, leaving the defence for dead.
The speedy wing-back was celebrating his 250th appearance for the Magpies and made it a match to remember with a pin-point cross to Lee Channell, who buried his header from the edge of the six-yard box.
Two minutes later, United should have been two goals up – and Harrow should have been down to 10 men – when Channell was blatantly tripped from behind after rounding the keeper.
However, in the first of a series of bizarre refereeing decisions, the diminutive man in black gave a corner, which the visitors cleared with little difficulty.
Channell was furious but regained his cool to head home United’s second on 31 minutes, again from an Ulasi cross, but this time flicked on from the near post by Ricky Ibe.
The goal was Channell’s ninth in five starts, and there was still an hour of football to play.
At the other end, Harrow were making hard work of getting into United’s box and posed little threat with the odd long-range effort.
Only once did they spring the off-side trap for a clear run on goal, forcing Steve Croxford to bring down the Harrow striker on the edge of the box.
It should have been a sending off, but the referee did not even reach for his cards, instead opting for a free-kick, which United dealt with comfortably.
However, as half-time approached, Harrow finally started to get forward and United dropped back into defence.
Even Channell got back to help out Andy Rose, when Harrow doubled up down the left, and in the dying seconds, keeper Richard Barnard was finally forced into a save, albeit a tame effort from a distant free-kick.
Almost from the restart, Channell went close again, this time seeing his goal bound shot blocked out by a defender’s foot.
And, minutes later, Channell, Ibe and Rob Saunders strung together a slick passing move to put Saunders through on goal. However, the keeper made a rare save to keep his side in touc and on 56 minutes it looked as though his efforts had been worthwhile, when Harrow’s Emond Protain found the net from a tight angle, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside.
Harrow continued to push for a goal, but Channell’s substitution after 78 minutes brought Adrian Allen into the action, who scored within a minute when he flicked the ball past the defence, rounded the keeper and ran the ball into the net.
United were cruising and that should have been the end of the contest.
Harrow were obviously rattled, so much so that midfielder John Hurlock was soon on his way to the dressing rooms for decking Carl Levene.
However, Harrow striker John Lawford then got a soft goal on 87 minutes and bagged a second from the spot in injury time, after Orlando Jeffrey was adjudged to have fouled.
Suddenly an unlikely draw seemed possible, until Andy Rose turned his defender and got a solid strike on goal. The keeper blocked out the shot but spilled the ball to Eamon McConigley, who also saw his shot saved, before Adrian Allen bundled the ball over the line to seal victory.

Teams
Maidenhead: Barnard, Rose, Levene, Kelly, Croxford, Jeffrey, Cook, Ibe, Channell, Saunders, Ulasi. Subs: McConigley (for Saunders, 72), Connor, Allen (for Channell, 72).
Harrow Borough: Karamoko, White, Protain, Haapimaa, Ereritt, Gavin, Hurlock, Grideley, Barima, Lawford, Hunter. Subs: Valentini (for Hunter, 45), Torto (for Protain 64), Mitchell.