Magpies edged out in dour encounter (18.02.06)

DESPITE the mild spring weather and pleasant surroundings, a heavy pitch produced a game lacking in creativity at Sparshatts Stadium on Saturday.
With Maidenhead further hampered by the loss of winger Mark Graham through injury, the first half produced little incident for the SKY TV cameras filming supersized Eastleigh goalkeeper Wayne Shaw.
Perhaps distracted by the cameras, the home stopper was almost embarrassed in the 37th minute, when he dropped a Matt Glynn free-kick on the line, only to recover the spill.
Scott Tarr was called into action as early as the eighth minute, saving well with his legs from Andy Forbes, but that was that in a dour first half.
After the interval United looked more purposeful going forward, but it was the hosts who took the lead just after the hour mark.
Good work from David Town on the right was followed by Danny Smith helping the cross onto Neville Roach, who produced an exquisite finish to curl a shot from the edge of the penalty area inside the post.
Maidenhead continued to chase the game, Carl Taylor making a triple substitution with a quarter of an hour left.
Unfortunately, almost immediately, Eastleigh doubled their lead when David Hughes took a quick free-kick in the centre circle, allowing Stuart Douglas to catch the United defence unawares and coolly lob the helpless Tarr.
Glynn threatened to spark a Magpie comeback with a minute of normal time left when he produced a sublime finish.
A driving run from midfield was capped by a shot which Shaw could only follow with his eyes into the top corner.
However, the remaining minutes passed without incident, sentencing the Magpies to their third consecutive defeat on the road.

Eastleigh: Shaw, Smith, Oliver, S Forbes (for Town, 50), Collins, Marshall, Smith, Forbes A (for Douglas, 57) (for Thomas, 90)), Roach, Hughes, Ashford. Unused sub: Walker-Harris.
Maidenhead United: Tarr, Dell, Parsons, Bunce, Wild, Bruce, Lewington (for Badu, 76), Ashe (for Romeo, 76), Hughes, Glynn, Bradshaw (for Osman, 76). Unused subs: Whiteman, White.