MISSED opportunities in the first half meant that Maidenhead United had to share the points with a struggling Heybridge side on Saturday.
United went into the game without striker Adrian Allen and midfielder Ryan Ashe. Injuries also meant that Lee Channell had to start on the bench giving a chance to 19-year-old striker Ibraheem Adeoye.
This contest was never going to be a spectacle with the hard and bumpy pitch making passing difficult.
United seemed to be the first to adapt to the conditions and the Swifts were hardly in the game for long periods of the first half.
It was the Heybridge keeper, the giant-like Darren Picard, who saw most of the action.
Early on he saved a long range effort from Paul Kelly and on the half hour blocked a Lawrence Yaku shot after the striker had left his marker.
The best chance, though, fell to Andy Cook. A Matt Glynn free-kick was delivered to the box and Cook, completely unmarked, glanced his header narrowly wide of the upright.
Swifts’ best chance fell to Kevin Budge after he beat the Magpies’ off-side trap, but the striker, recently returned from Gravesend, sent his shot high and wide of Barnard’s goal.
The home side came out the stronger in the second half and midfielder Daniel Hadrava went close after being sent through by half-time substitute Neil Cousins who, only a few minutes later, saw his shot in a melee cleared brilliantly off the line by Magpies’ defender Andy Morley.
Heybridge, knowing that only three points would do in their battle against relegation, stepped up the pressure still more and Budge set up Hadrava in front of goal but Barnard saved well, punching the ball away to safety.
The pressure continued and again United had to clear the ball off the goalline. This time it was veteran Brian Connor coming to the rescue heading away a Jamie Window effort.
At the other end, the pace of Yaku was still a threat on the counter-attack and on 78 minutes he forced Placid to save well.
There were a few half-chances as the game ground to its conclusion – the best of which saw Placid saving well from a deflected Grant Keywood shot that looked as if it would creep inside the upright.
Of the two sides clearly United would have been more grateful for the point, but in truth they should have put the game beyond Heybridge early in the first half.

Maidenhead United: Barnard, Boyce, Connor, Jeffrey, Durrant, Morley, Kelly, Glynn, Cook, Yaku, Adeyoe. Subs: Channell, Ulasi, Keywood (used).