United thwarted by heroic Duck

THE Magpies were held to a goalless draw by close rivals Aylesbury United at Buckingham Road on Saturday afternoon, as neither team turned up in their shooting boots.
However, the main talking point of this clash was the stout-hearted performance from the Ducks’ vertically challenged skipper Greg Williams, who took over between the sticks when Adam Wheeler dislocated his shoulder stretching for a rebound off the woodwork.
And, while it was not the prettiest display of goal-keeping you will ever see, it was an extremely effective one.
One stop in particular – a dramatic diving save to push Adrian Allen’s point-blank header round the post – had most if the ground on its feet, including – dare I say it – a few of the travelling Magpies’ fans.
That said, United really should have made it harder for him and will see this result as two points lost, rather than one point saved.
Carrying the air of a team embroiled in a bad run, United were effective rather than sparkling in the first half, and were obviously short on confidence.
However, after a see-saw opening, it was the visitors who emerged on top, with Mark Nicholls going close on five minutes with a vicious volley into the side-netting.
Aylesbury replied five minutes later, when the league’s leading goal-scorer Craig Maskell took advantage of a fortunate bounce to turn three defenders and lash the ball across the six-yard box.
None of his team-mates were on hand to poke it home, but the ball took another strange bobble and appeared to strike Obinna Ulasi’s hand.
Thankfully, the referee waved play on, and United emerged with the ball.
Midfield dynamo Ryan Ashe then tested Wheeler with a swerving volley from the edge of the box, but this was shortly followed by Aylesbury’s best chance of the match, when a mistake by Orlando Jeffrey put Adam Campion clean through on United’s goal.
Scampering away from the retreating defence, Campion tried to steer the ball past Richard Barnard, only for the young keeper to save the shot with his legs.
The game then began settling into an evenly matched stalemate, before that stomache-churning injury to Wheeler tipped the balance back in United’s favour.
The incident itself began innocently enough, with the keeper misjudging a header from Andy Cook and having to watch in horror as it struck the inside of his post and ricocheted back across the face of goal.
Desperate to atone for his mistake, Wheeler stretched backwards and sideways to intercept, simultaneously dislocating his shoulder.
The team physio managed to manipulate his arm back into place, but the whole stand winced in unison as it popped straight back out with a nauseating crunch.
With no substitute keeper on the bench, Williams was forced to take his injured team-mate’s jersey – and so began the skipper’s glorious last stand.
Initially, United looked reluctant to take advantage but that all ended on the stroke of half-time, when Ashe struck a sweet free-kick from just inside the halfway line.
Williams got his body in the way but was knocked backwards by the force of the impact and had to spin around to make sure his defence had cleared the rebound.
Wary of Williams’ lack of composure, the Aylesbury defence did their utmost to protect their skipper after the break.
However, scenting a win, Alan Devonshire introduced Phil Goss, Matt Glynn and Adrian Allen into the fray, with Allen making an almost instant impact, as he rose unmarked at the back post to hammer a close-range header towards the top corner.
Williams flung himself at the ball and dramatically tipped it round the post, before confidently intercepting the ensuing corner.
But his heroics were not over yet, as Allen returned four minutes later to test the keeper again – this time with a low shot from the edge of the box.
Unfortunately, Allen failed to inject any real venom into the strike, allowing Williams to claim the ball at a second attempt.
And on 90 minutes, Williams saved the day yet again, getting down to save Allen’s weak shot, when a simple pass to the back post would have found Glynn unmarked.
Time was running out for the Magpies, but not for Aylesbury’s man of the moment, who pulled off one final save in injury time to earn a share of the spoils and a permanent place in the hearts of ardent Ducks fans.

Aylesbury United: Wheeler, Williams, Houghton, Horner, Gordon, Campion, Risbridger, Mauella, Bangura, Maskell, Baker. Subs: Joe (for Campion, 80), Hunter, Ibe (for Maskell, 66), Sloma, Dicker (for Wheeler, 25).
Maidenhead United: Barnard, Rose, Connor, Cook, Jeffrey, Elsegood, Ashe, Kelly, Yaku, Nicholls, Ulasi. Subs: Allen (for Yaku, 70), Glynn (for Nicholls, 70), Boyce, Croxford, Goss (for Ashe, 64).