MAIDENHEAD United’s season kicked-off with a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Brentford on Saturday, as the Division 2 outfit strolled to victory at York Road.
However, it was not all bad news for the Magpies, as they turned in a very respectable performance and can count themselves unfortunate not to have scored.
The first half in particular gave some hint of the potentially exciting league campaign which lies ahead.
And, with the plethora of new signings on show, manager Alan Devonshire certainly has the ammunition to damage a few high-flying Premiership rivals.
That said, it was a very familiar looking United which kicked-off at 3pm, with midfielder Ryan Ashe the only new player to start the match, covering for the absent Paul Kelly in front of the defence.
And, in keeping with a familiar line-up, United also kept a very familair shape, as they sat back and hit Brentford on the break.
This allowed the visitors to dominate possession but, for a while, it looked as though the Magpies might just stand firm.
Richard Barnard was in particularly fine form, making a vital intervention to tip the ball over the bar on eight minutes, before making a stunning double save eight minutes later to deny Eddie Hutchinson and Leon Constantine, both from close range.
But United were also causing their guests a few problems up front and should, arguably, have taken the lead.
The Brentford keeper had to make a very brave challenge to prevent Ashe poking home Obinna Ulasi’s defence splitting pass on 14 minutes, and had to be on his toes again to smother a dangerous cross from Andy Rose a minute later.
But perhaps the best chance of the half fell to Rob Saunders, on 23 minutes, when he stretched the keeper to full length with a stinging volley from the edge of the box.
The scare seemed to galvanise the visitors, who began pressing forward in search of a goal. And they did not have to wait long.
With half an hour gone, the impressive Scott Marshall latched onto a long corner, beat Ulasi and lobbed a perfectly weighted cross to the far post.
It was just too good for United’s defence, who could only stand and watch as Hutchinson buried his header in the back of the net.
To their credit, Untied hit straight back, with Allen’s shot on the turn testing the Brentford keeper a minute later, and Matt Glynn and Ashe forcing a desperate clearance a few minutes after that.
However, with half-time looming, Brentford finally wrapped it up, when Mark Peters’ Beckham-esque free-kick curled over United’s wall and in-off the post.
The game was effectively over, a fact confirmed by an avalanche of substitutions on both sides after the break.
On the up side, this did allow the York Road fans to see some of Devonshire’s new signings, but it ruined the game as a spectacle, as it degenerated into a shapeless, chanceless stalemate.

Teams
Maidenhead United: Barnard, Rose, Connor, Jeffrey, Croxford, Glynn, Ashe, Saunders, Channell, Allen, Ulasi. Subs: Paris (for Saunders, 56) , Pritchard (for Glynn, 56), Keywood (for Croxford, 56), Webster (for Rose, 60), Yaku (for Allen, 60), Ibe (for Channell 60), Levene (for Ulasi, 73).
Brentford: Gottskalksson , Lovett, Anderson , Marshall, Smith (J). Somner, Hutchinson, Dobson, Peters , Constantine, Evans. Subs: Tabb (for Lovett, 45), Williams (for Anderson, 45), Marshall (for O’Connor 56), McCammon (for Constantine, 56), Hunt (for Evans, 73).