Poor Bishops let off the hook (21.02.06)

UNITED let two points slip from their grasp on a cold Tuesday night at York Road, as Bishop's Stortford twice came from behind to grab a share of the spoils.
A much weakened Stortford side, featuring both the manager and his assistant as substitutes, produced just one shot on target in a one-sided first half, as the Magpies dominated their guests in all departments
The chances started flowing as early as the fourth minute, when Ryan Ashe tried his luck with a shot from the edge of the box, which keeper Andy Young spilled before gathering at the second attempt.
Two minutes later the keeper dropped the ball from a Matt Glynn free-kick and United scented blood.
Ashe fired wide with another speculative effort on 10 minutes, and Nana Badu missed a sitter five minutes later, after excellent approach play by Yashwa Romeo.
Hughes missed the target with a free-header soon after, but this was followed by Stortford’s best chance of the half, when Roy Essandoh lashed a half-volley straight at Scott Tarr.
Having spurned a hatful of chances, United finally took the lead on 36 minutes.
Glynn created the opening with an excellent pass to the feet of Hughes, who rolled off his marker before curling a delicate shot round Young and against the foot of the left-hand post. With the defence standing watching, Romeo streaked in and rifled the ball home from six yards.
However, a one-goal lead at the break was scant reward for a dominant home display.
The game was more evenly balanced after the break, as Stortford finally secured a foothold in the midfield, largely thanks to a huge injection of pace down the right flank from substitute Duane Jackson.
The youngster’s speed immediately caused problems for the previously impervious Maidenhead back line.
Nonetheless, United continued to enjoy the majority of the chances on goal, with Glynn stinging Young’s hands with a crisp shot, and Hughes lifting an instinctive chip over the bar from two yards out, under pressure from the keeper.
However, the balance of power then began to shift, with Steve Morison forcing a good block from Tarr, and the defence having to scramble the ball away from the ensuing corner.
Almost inevitably, the equaliser arrived in the 74th minute, when Tom Champion cleared the ball downfield to David Rainford, who in turn picked out Morison on the right wing.
He crossed low into the box and Essandoh was on hand to convert at the far post.
Parity lasted just six minutes, as a quick throw in from the left created space for Hughes, who fired a shot straight through the Stortford keeper from an acute angle to retake the lead.
Confident they could go on to win the game, the Magpies ran rampant for the next five minutes. But joy turned to bitter disappointment three minutes from the end, when Rob Gillman poked the ball past Tarr following a goalmouth scramble.
Disappointment almost became despair right at the death, but the home stopper made a vital save to deny Essandoh a late, late winner.

MR RELIABLE: Steve Dell turned in another strong performance on Tuesday night. Ref:91849/23

Maidenhead United: Tarr, Dell, Parsons, Bunce, Wild, Bruce, Romeo, Ashe, Hughes, Glynn, Badu. Subs: Bradshaw, Lewington, Saeed-Osman, Whiteman, White.
Bishop’s Stortford: Young, Jones, Gwillam, Rainford, Champion, Gillman, Ward, Maxwell, Essandoh, Morison, Martin. Subs: Jackman (for Ward, 50), Thanda, Hayes, Joynes, Hussey.