Old favourite Owen Goal came to the rescue at Stamford with a goal in either half to enable the Magpies to grab all three points by the skin of their teeth on Saturday.

On a beautiful autumn bathing the picturesque town of Stamford in sunshine, Maidenhead were quickly out of the blocks, taking the game by the scruff of the neck to dominate the start of the match.  As early as the second minute Dwain Clarke signaled United’s intent with a long shot which went narrowly wide.  The Magpies took the lead three minutes later when a pinpoint Ashley Smith cross from the right wing was met by a bullet header from Stamford defender Mark O’Dea who, under pressure Richard Witt, powered the ball into the net past his helpless keeper Ian Pledger.  In the ninth minute a Clarke cross from the left led to  a Craig O’Connor shot hitting the stanchion, as a rampant United looked to press home their advantage.  However a solid rearguard action from Stamford kept the deficit to one, and slowly their kick and rush tactics began to apply pressure on the United backline, right wing back Wayne Jones hitting both posts with a wicked shot on the quarter hour mark.  With half time in sight Jones went one better finishing with ease at the far post to equalize, following a mazy run down the left by Martin Wormall.  Just before the break Witt almost restored United’s lead only for his shot to hit the upright.

After the interval Stamford ripped into Maidenhead, with half time substitute Rob Harris leading the charge.  With 51 minutes gone, Harris pounced on a weak back pass to leave him with the goal at his mercy, only for his shot to go wide.  Six minutes later Harris was through on goal again, this time he was stopped in his tracks by United keeper Chico Ramos.  However with the Daniels fans screaming for a penalty, referee Graham Drury waved play on and the action swiftly moved to the other end.  The ball found its way to Yashwa Romeo on the right side of the penalty area.  Romeo fired the ball into a packed six yard box, and under pressure from O’Connor, Stamford debutant Steve Julian put the ball into his own net to return the lead to Maidenhead.

On a pitch with a big slope and unpredictable bounce, both sides tired in the latter stages which opened up the game and made a fourth goal look inevitable.  In the 71^st minute a superb move led to Romeo missing from close range following good work from Rob Hughes and Ashley Smith.  With twelve minutes left an O’Connor shot was too hot for Pledger to handle only for Lee Newman to put the loose ball over the bar.  In the 85^th minute Wormall split the United offside trap to go one on one with Ramos who saved well.  In the last minute a Clarke shot drew an acrobatic one handed save from Pledger.  With the referee adding six minutes of stoppages there was plenty of time for someone to have the last word, and this was left to Ramos in the 96^th minute with  good block from Wormall to preserve Maidenhead’s lead to make it three wins in a row for the managerless Magpies, and four straight victories on the road.

Daniels: Pledger, Bowater, Julian, Matthews, Jones, O’Dea, Kennedy (69 Wilson), Marshall (45 Harris), Childs, Wormall, Angel (61 Foster).  Unused subs: Sparks, Firman.

Goal: Jones 35.  Bookings: Jones 25.  Gate 251.

Magpies: Ramos, Smith, Parsons, Sterling, Nisbet (72 Bunce), Hughes, Witt, Osman, O’Connor (83 Haule), Romeo (72 Newman  L), Clarke.  Unused subs: Lewington, Newman R.

Goals: Owen Goal 5, 58.