Maidenhead United’s season reached its nadir on Saturday with a sorry defeat at home to the division’s bottom club Corby Town. Yet the game started perfectly for the Magpies when they took the lead in the fourth minute. A perfect through ball from Dean Fenton put Errol Telemaque through on the left, the striker brushing off the attention of Corby central defender Mark Burrows before cutting in and applying a deft finish to beat the keeper from close range and score his first goal for United.
However with the Maidenhead supporters anticipating a rout, it was the away team who lived up to their “Steelmen” nickname by clawing their way back into the game. Their tactic was simple, get the ball forward quickly at every opportunity where diminutive front pairing Kevins Byrne and Ward eagerly chased down every lost cause like terriers. This approach really unsettled United who at one point were left arguing amongst themselves as another attack foundered on the rock of Corby’s packed defence. Corby equalised in dramatic fashion in the 19th minute when hotshot striker Byrne hit perhaps the goal of the season at York Road. Making good use of time and space on the right Byrne picked his spot and unleashed a devastating shot which flew over the head of the helpless Delroy Preddie in the Maidenhead goal, before dipping under the crossbar. Eleven minutes later Corby took the lead in circumstances as farcical as the first goal was sublime. Maidenhead were caught playing the ball across the back line, the loose ball ending up at the feet of Brett Darby 30 yards from goal. Darby instinctively looked up, speculatively shot straight at Preddie, only for the keeper to commit the howler of the season by pushing the ball into his own net.
After the break it was Corby who looked most likely to add to the score, their attacks causing panic in the Maidenhead penalty area, Steve Towers going closest to scoring with a shot that was deflected wide. United were then revitalised by substitutions in the final quarter of the game Stephen Hughes coming off the bench forcing David Clarke into an flying acrobatic save with virtually his first touch. Telemaque then missed a golden opportunity to equalise when he beat Clarke with a lob only for the ball to land the wrong side of the post. Corby then applied the coup de grace with twelve minutes remaining, Robbie Maddox sprinting down the right wing to the byline where he cut the ball back to Byrne who finished the job from six yards.