UNITED showed dogged determination to battle back from a goal down to claim all three points at York Road on Saturday afternoon.
Maidenhead has never been a happy hunting ground for the Eagles, who have lost on every trip to the town and are yet to beat United in eight meetings.
Last season they came agonisingly close, only for Lawrence Yaku and Mark Nicholls to strike twice in the last two minutes of normal time to snatch a thoroughly undeserved 3-2 win for United.
This time, however, United just about earned the points.
The early exchanges definitely favoured the Eagles, who might have been 3-0 up in the first five minutes.
In the opening move of the game, Nick Hart was forced to turn a deflected shot round the post, after Aaron Cavill and Drew Roberts both had close-range efforts blocked.
Andy Jennings then had to intercept a dangerously flighted free-kick and, just a minute later, Brian Connor had to clear from the edge of the six-yard box, after Roberts managed to squeeze the ball past Hart from a one-on-one.
With the chances mounting, the Eagles finally took the lead on 17 minutes, when a good cross and a friendly bounce allowed Roberts to fire the visitors ahead from close range.
To their credit, the Magpies picked themselves up and went on to dominate possession and territory for the rest of the half.
Martyn Lee was kept particularly busy, as United won corner after corner and free-kick after free-kick, but without finding the all-important equaliser.
The second half began in much the same vein, with United pushing up in search of an equaliser.
Steven Hale twice went close in the first four minutes but it was fullback Brendon Gallen who got United back in the game, when he smashed the ball home at the far post, following another beautifully flighted corner from Lee.
Hart gave the home supporters a scare on the hour, when he went down to field a low cross, but allowed the ball to ricochet off his face and straight to the feet of Louie Evans on the edge of the six-yard box.
Taken by surprise, the luckless Evans scuffed his shot well wide of the post with the goal yawning wide, to loud cheers from the home fans.
Hart gave United another scare on 65 minutes, when he was carried off with a self-inflicted back injury, sustained when kicking the ball down field.
With no spare keeper on the bench, play was held up for five minutes, while Hale changed into the No.1 shirt.
The long delay worked to United’s advantage, as directly from the restart, Boyce broke forward and drew a fine diving save from Paul Sheridan, with a rasping shot from the edge of the box.
Two minutes later, and with the Bedford defence visibly flagging, the Magpies finally took the lead, when man of the match Ryan Ashe popped up to head the ball home from yet another Lee corner. United still had some work to do, particularly Hale, who had to make two vital interceptions to prevent the Eagles bagging a late equaliser.
However, the Magpies held on to secure the win, which briefly lifted them to eighth place in the table.

DUCKING AND DIVING: Combative midfielder Ryan Ashe gets stuck in during Saturday’s clash with Bedford Town at York Road. Ref:83438/21