United meet their Waterloo (15.10.05)

A SUPERLATIVE one-handed save by towering goalkeeper Colin Matthews in second-half injury-time denied the Magpies a deserved share of the spoils at Havant on Saturday.
With both sides opting for a direct approach, the hosts had the better of the first half, but produced little in the way of scoring chances.
Nonetheless, the Hawks took the lead on 29 minutes, when Neil Davis swung a deep cross in from the right, which was met first time on the volley at close range by debutant Vill Powell, giving Paul McCarthy no chance.
Minutes later McCarthy had to be at his best to deny Brett Poate from distance.
As the interval loomed the Magpies began to get the ball down and play, and after a couple of near misses they got back on level terms in injury-time.
A Brendan Gallen cross from the left wing to the far post was met by the head of Ryan Ashe, who directed the ball back across the face of goal for Robert Traynor to head into the back of the net.
After the break, United again looked strong but the match turned on incidents at either end in the 53rd minute.
With the Maidenhead players appealing for a penalty, after Ashe was bundled over in the box, Havant quickly counter attacked.
Once again, Davis was at the centre of things, finding Poate in acres of space on the left, who made no mistake with a cool finish.
Maidenhead continued to press for another equaliser and came close on 64 minutes, when a Gallen corner was powered goalwards by the head of Dominic White, only for centre back Tom Jordan to clear well off the line.
Manager Carl Taylor then shuffled his pack, making three substitutions.
Wide men Michael Barima and Ryan Parsons both did some sterling work on the flanks and looked to have earned their reward deep in stoppage time, when a Parsons cross found the head of Stephen Hughes.
His effort was blocked on the line but the ball fell loose to Bryan Smith, who shot towards the empty net only to be denied by an excellent full-stretch save from Matthews.



HIGH RISE: Nana Badu rises head and shoulders above the Hawks defence on Saturday. Picture by Nigel Keene.