Magpies clip Wings (11.03.06)

A LAST-GASP equaliser from Yashwa Romeo salvaged a point for Maidenhead in a thrilling match at Welling.
Maidenhead put in a big hearted performance to hang onto the coat tails of a Welling side who looked every inch promotion contenders, the Magpies showing the sort of fight required to win the relegation battle.
The home side, boosted by two midweek signings, attacked Maidenhead from the off, taking the lead in the sixth minute when Che Stadhart pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area and fired home.
The Wings then set up camp in the Maidenhead half, laying siege to the penalty area with numerous dangerous crosses which begged to be converted.
Stadhart was a particular thorn in the side of the Magpie defence, frequently embarrassing captain Nathan Bunce with his lightning pace, but Maidenhead somehow weathered the Alamoesque offensive and began to counterattack.
This swiftly bore fruit ten minutes before the break when a Steve Dell throw found its way to Stephen Hughes on the right who went on a tricky run along the byline, finding Dean Bradshaw with his cross.
Bradshaw met the pass with a torpedo of a shot which flew into the back of the net to equalise with a contender for goal of the season.
After safely negotiating the rest of the half, Maidenhead stunned the crowd three minutes after the interval when a Mark Graham free kick on the right was met by a firm header from Chris Wild which hit the back of the net.
This goal however, merely provided the cue for another Welling blitz. Scott Tarr pulled off his own season best moment in the 55th minute with a top class one handed save from Martin Carthy.
A minute later Welling upped the ante with a double substitution, which almost immediately led to the ball hitting the back of the net only for the linesman’s flag to rule it out.
The equalizer eventually arrived from the penalty spot in the 73rd minute when a Craig Lewington push on Carthy, entitled Conference South player of the month Danny Kedwell to step up and send Tarr the wrong way with his penalty kick.
A minute later Welling were again denied by a linesman’s flag but it now seemed like a case of when not if they regained their lead.
The inevitable happened with eleven minutes left when with Wild down injured Kedwell crossed from the right to Stadhart who gleefully slotted the ball in.
However Maidenhead were not dead yet, they dug deep and with great spirit pressed for another equalizer.
The chance came with seven minutes left when great work from Dell and Graham found Hughes in space in the penalty area only for the striker to hit his shot just over the bar.
Deep into injury time the Magpies launched one more attack down the left and won a corner which found its way to Romeo on the far post who headed home to level the score for the final time, the referee blowing the final whistle just after the kick off.

WILD ABOUT CHRIS: Man of the match Chris Wild fires a bullet header into the back of the net. Picture by Nigel Keene.

Wings: Turner, Perkins, Solomon, Guest, Moore C, Bodkin (56 Owen), Carthy, Kedwell, Clarke (56 Pinnock), Stadhart (90 Jjunju), Day. Unused subs: Rowland, Moore D.
Magpies: Tarr, Dell, Parsons, Bunce, Wild, Lewington (85 Romeo), Ashe, Hughes, Osman, Bradshaw (85 Badu). Unused subs: Whiteman, Kwakye, Stevenson.