Magpies finally up and running (25.08.03)

AFTER 306 minutes of goalless endeavour, Maidenhead United finally found the back of the net in a 1-1 draw at Ford United on Monday.
Ford United is not the easiest of away matches and their 3-0 win over Bishops Stortford the previous week was testament to that.
The Magpies went into the game with Martin Williams being preferred up front to Lawrence Yaku and young keeper Nick Hart selected ahead of Phil Wilson.
Ford should have taken an early lead on five minutes but Alan McLeod fired straight at Nick Hart with the goal at his mercy.
The first chance for the visitors came on 11 minutes in a good opening spell, when Michael Currie found plenty of room but fired tamely at Jamie Lunan in the Motormen’s goal.
Six minutes later Martin Williams fired over from a Currie cross.
The early season defensive injury problems continued on 20 minutes, when Adam Durrant limped off to be replaced by Gareth Paxton.
However, United comitnued to dominate and nearly opened their account when the lively Ryan Ashe connected with a Craig Farley cross but his header looped just over the bar.
Four minutes later United again missed a good chance when Kelvin McIntosh fired agonsingly wide of the upright from a corner, and on the half-hour a shot from Williams was deflected by a defender and saved.
It had been virtually all United up to this point and it was little surprise when they finally took a deserved lead.
Ryan Ashe took a throw-in from the right touch-line which, inexplicably, no Ford defenders made an attempt to clear.
The ball bounced invitingly to the unmarked Currie, who nodded home over the beaten Lunan.
It was not the prettiest of goals but the reaction of the players showed how important it was.
Ryan Ashe could have made it 2-0 right on half-time but his 20-yard shot went narrowly wide.
If the first half belonged to the Magpies then the second definitely belonged to Ford.
Manager Craig Edwards made two changes, importantly bringing on live-
wire striker Mervyn Abrahams.
The pressure was soon on the United goal and Hart had to be on his toes to deny first Poole and then Edwards.
On the hour Ford equalised, when Abrahams got free down the right and sent in an awkward cross, which midfielder Sam Cooper blasted past a helpless Hart.
It should have been 2-1 to Ford on 77 minutes, when veteran striker Robbie Reinelt, famous for his goal that kept Brighton in the Football League several years ago, was put clean through as the United offside trap failed.
It seemed only a formality but Hart had either ideas and the big keeper smothered the ball at the second attempt and got the ball away for a corner.
At the other end United still were creating chances and Williams had a
goal-bound shot deflected by what suspiciously looked like an arm for a corner.
With the clock ticking down Michael Currie, with his back to goal, lost his marker but fired over the bar.
On paper a useful point for the rebuilding Magpies, but they will look back on the first half and believe they most should have wrapped the points up by half-time.

Ford United: Lunan, O’Sullivan, Harvey, Lewis, Chandler, Cooper, McLeod, Edwards, Reinelt, Poole, Perkins. Subs Abrahams, Watson, Fiddes, Perkins, Wood.
Maidenhead United: Hart, Sanders, Connor, McIntosh, Durrant, Ashe, Cruse, Currie, Williams, Lee, Farley. Subs Gray, Dreyer, Paxton (for Durrant), Yaku, Wilson.