IF UNITED had converted just one chance in five on Tuesday night, they would have come away from Chesham with all three points.
Once again, the Magpies started brightly and could have been two goals up after five minutes.
Ricky Ibe was the main culprit, taking too long to get his shot away when clean through on goal, and then finding himself one-on-one with keeper Delroy Preddie and hitting it straight at him.
However, the signs were promising for United, until they were caught by a sucker punch on nine minutes and found themselves trailing 1-0. A long ball out of defence found Richard Graham free on the left wing and his pin-point cross found the feet of Victor Boyle-Renner, who slamm- ed the ball into the roof of the net.
Chesham then dominated play for the next 30 minutes, as Maidenhead struggled to cross the game line.
Richard Barnard had to be on his toes to prevent the hosts extending their lead on 14 minutes, as he blocked the ball out in a goal mouth scramble.
However, despite a lack of possession, United were making occasional counter attacks. Ibe was again through on goal on 20 minutes, but lost the race to Obinna Ulasi’s through ball, and, on 24 minutes, Adrian Allen and Ibe went two-on-one with the Chesham keeper.
Unfortunately, Allen telegraphed his square ball to Ibe and the keeper blocked out the resulting shot with his feet.
Chesham piled the pressure on again and United fell back into defence, only emerging again as half-time approached, when Chris Ferdinand forced another good save from Preddie, before Orlando Jeffrey turned a tame side-foot shot wide of the post.
The second half began at a frenetic pace, with the game flipping from one end to the other with very little coherent play in between.
Barnard was called on again on 53 minutes, when he blocked out a close range shot.
But United were clearly on the ascendancy and should have levelled proceedings on 57 minutes, when Kelly released Andy Morley down the right wing, whose perfect cross fell at Ibe’s feet.
However, the hapless striker skied the ball from six yards out and another gilt-edged chance was gone.
Meanwhile, Chesham were struggling to string passes together and began trying their luck from range, with Ernie Cooksey and Graham both blasting shots over the bar.
Morley then tried his luck from 35 yards when the keeper’s fluffed clearance left the goal mouth gaping. But, once again, the keeper proved to be Chesham’s main asset, as he sprinted back and intercepted the ball before it crossed the line.
It was not going to be United’s day and, with the clock ticking down, Devonshire decided to risk new signing Anthony Alleyne in place of Ibe.
His first few touches were sheer class and his pace immediately caused panic in the Chesham defence. But, the acid test came when he found himself alone in front of goal.
Ten yards out, with only the keeper to beat, he lost his standing leg, missed the ball and crashed to the floor in an undignified heap.
To their great credit, United did not give up the chase and created their best chance in added time, when Ferdinand's dipping cross was slammed onto the underside of the bar by Morley. Paul Kelly then volleyed the rebound goalwards only to see it fly inches over the bar.
Chesham will count themselves very fortunate to have scraped a win, while United will be ruing their strikers’ lack of composure in front of goal.

Teams
Maidenhead United: Barnard, Morley, Levene, Kelly, Jarvis, Jeffrey, Cook, Allen, Ibe, Ferdinand, Ulasi. Subs: Alleyne (for Ibe, 74) McConigley (for Levene, 67), Rose (for Ulasi, 79).
Chesham: Preddie, Watts, Pratt, Hall, Kersey, Cooksey, Bryce, Spiller, Andrews, Boyle-Renner, Graham. Subs: Brown, Wotton, King.