Magpies raid Robins’ nest (17.09.05)

A DOMINIC White goal in first-half injury time gave the Magpies their first win of the season in a bottom-of-the-table shootout at Carshalton Athletic on Saturday.
With both teams desperate for three points, both line ups were much changed, with both captains being new signings, Peter Fear for Athletic and Matt Glynn for United.
From the first whistle both teams went for goal, but it was new manager Carl Taylor’s attacking 3-4-3 formation which produced a rash of early chances for the Magpies.
Ryan Parsons had two gilt-edged opportunities in the opening exchanges, but was inches short of poking home Stephen Hughes’ low cross on eight minutes, and then lost out in a one-on-one with Robins keeper Stuart Searle.
Lee Newman then squandered a real gimme, when he latched on to Hughes’ delightful cross only to rifle it the wrong side of the post.
United’s keeper Paul McCarthy was finally called into action on 21 minutes, parrying a stinging drive from Bradley Pritchard over the bar.
But 10 minutes later it was Searle’s turn to impress once again, as he got down low to push Nana Badu’s close-range shot wide, after Newman had released the rangy striker with a perfectly weighted through-ball.
As the half wore on the game turned ugly, with the yellow card being produced four times, two of these following a melee by the touchline.
But just as the break beckoned United took the lead, following some good work down the left by Parsons, which drew a foul on the edge of the penalty area.
The resulting free-kick was headed behind the goal by the Carshalton defence.
However, they failed to deal with the ensuing corner, which was only cleared as far as Newman on the right, whose raking cross was met perfectly by White, who sent a glancing header into the top left-hand corner.
Hoping to retain their unbeaten home record, Carshalton emerged for the second half in determined mood and went close to levelling the scores on 56 minutes, when Daniel Nwanze hit the under side of the bar with a powerful header.
Undeterred, the hosts continued to push for an equaliser and forced two more goalmouth melees in the space of two minutes, with United riding their luck on both occasions before eventually clearing the danger.
With the Robins committing men forward, however, United substitutes John Bacon and Stephen Omanua, along with the excellent Hughes, began finding gaps at the back.
Having sent a glancing header well wide on 76 minutes, Bacon went agonisingly close to killing the game off five minutes from time, when he rose to meet Glynn’s free-kick, only for his header to go inches wide of the left-hand upright.
Then it was United’s turn to sweat, as Dan Hunt drew a good reflex save from McCarthy with a shot on the turn.
However, after five long minutes of added time the referee finally relented, sparking wild celebrations both on and off the pitch from the Maidenhead contingent.

GOAL HANGER: Dominic White hangs in mid air as he watches his header fly into the top corner during first-half injury time on Saturday.