United outshine lacklustre Grays

TWO goals either side of the break sealed an emphatic victory for Maidenhead United on Saturday, as they trounced star-studded Grays Athletic.
In truth, the hosts can count themselves fortunate, as in-form striker Lawrence Yaku could have completed a hat-trick – or two – before half-time.
Yaku’s first chance came on 13 minutes, when he sprang the offside trap and left the sluggish defence flapping in his wake.
Unfortunately, he showed too much of the ball to Mel Capleton, who dived bravely at his feet to pull off a fine save.
Denied the opener, the silky striker turned provider on 24 minutes, when he sprinted onto Andy Cook’s weighted through-ball and squared to the unmarked Ryan Ashe, who cheekily chipped Capleton from the edge of the box to open the scoring.
On 26 minutes, Yaku again found himself in space but scuffed his attempted half-volley straight at the keeper.
However, he only had to wait another three minutes to get his name on the scoresheet, as he raced onto Paul Kelly’s defence-splitting pass and dinked the ball over the stranded keeper.
Just a minute later, Yaku broke away once more, but was unceremoniously up-ended by Lee Goodwin on the edge of the box, with only the keeper left to beat.
Grays should have been down to 10 men, but the rather lenient referee decided a free-kick was punishment enough – and it very nearly was, as Capleton was forced into another stunning save to turn Ashe’s low, curling effort round the post.
With half-time looming, Grays were finally blessed by Lady Luck, when midfielder Wayne Burnett hit an audacious lob over Richard Barnard’s head and into the back of the net from a full 40 yards.
However, Yaku was still on the prowl and twice went close in injury time.
The first chance was all of his own making, as he robbed Steve Robinson on the edge of the box and fired the ball goalwards.
The early shot took Capleton by surprise, but he managed to get a touch to deflect it upwards, before rushing back to claim it before it crossed the line.
Then, in the last move of the half, Yaku skinned the defence for pace and tried to place the ball into the far corner.
Capleton got a hand to it to keep it out of the net but had to rely on his increasingly shaky defence to prevent Ashe smashing home the rebound.
Serious words were clearly exchanged during the break, as Grays exploded out of their blocks after the restart, only to be denied by United’s dour midfield combination of Kelly, Cook and Ashe, and the well organised back three of Dean Coppard, Orlando Jeffrey and Adam Durrant.
And, having seen off the initial onslaught, the Magpies secured all three points on 74 minutes, when substitute Adrian Allen cut in from the wing, fired the ball goalwards, then blasted the rebound into the roof of the net.
Yaku pounced two minutes from time to conclude the scoring, when he ran away from his markers and slid the ball past the beleaguered Capleton.
However, it hardly registered with the dispirited Blues, who looked thoroughly beaten long before the final whistle.
Having lost 6-0 to Canvey Island on Tuesday night, Grays will no doubt be pondering their hefty wage bill and whether it represents real value for money.

Grays Athletic: Capleton, Robinson, Nutter, Keeper, Goodwin, Burnett, Miller, Stimson, Essandoh, Vaughan, Carthy. Subs: Cooper, Lunan, Leaburn (for Essandoh, 33), Broom (for Goodwin, 46), Maxwell (for Keeper, 39).
Maidenhead United: Barnard, Rose, Coppard, Cook, Jeffrey, Elsegood, Ashe, Yaku, Hunter, Kelly, Ulasi. Subs: Allen (for Hunter 65), Glynn, Channell, Connor (for Coppard 65), Elsegood (for Rose 75).