CIRENCESTER TOWN 0

A second half Lee Newman penalty gave Maidenhead a hard earned victory over struggling Cirencester.  As would be expected following Saturday's excellent performance Maidenhead started confidently and almost opened the scoring in the fifth minute when a good pass from Darti Brown set Yashwa Romeo free with only the keeper to beat, however the Cirencester custodian Kevin Sawyer continued from his man of the match performance in the reverse fixture in Gloucestershire back in December by saving well at the strikers feet.  Maidenhead went onto dominate the half but despite regularly testing the visitors defence out wide could not find the killer cross to create a goal scoring opportunity.  As the half went on Cirencester began to get a toe hold in the game, a Lee Smith shot in the 26th minute forcing Chico Ramos to save at full stretch.  Shortly before half time Maidenhead finally beat Sawyer with a Grant Cooper shot following a corner only for his effort to be cleared off the line.

The second half saw the Magpies restart with renewed purpose but once again finding chances hard to come by until just after the hour mark when an Errol Telemaque shot from close range was tipped over the bar by Sawyer.  Minutes later Maidenhead got the break they needed when Matt Jones needlessly handled the ball in the penalty area.  Lee Newman stepped up to take the kick confidently planting it in the left side of the net to put United one goal up with 23 minutes remaining.  An incensed Neil Hards, the Cirencester manager, was soon ordered from his dugout for protesting against the penalty but he regained his composure to make three substitutions which revitalised his team.  Substitute Phil Hall wasted a couple of really good chances before Ramos was called into action with six minutes remaining to punch away a Oliver Holder free kick.  The United defence then held firm for the fifth consecutive match to deliver another victory which secures a place in the top half of the table.

Magpies: Ramos, Nisbet, Parsons, Cooper, Sterling, Behzadi, Telemaque (87 Fenton), Brown, Newman (81 Hughes) Romeo (69 Roach), Smith. Unused subs: Lee, Preddie.
Goal: Newman 67 pen. Caution: Romeo 54. Gate: 171.
Centurions: Sawyer, Smith (77 Wallington), Bicknell, Rodgers, Jones, Holder, Etheridge, Jackson, Cowe (81 Horsted), Digebe (77 Hall), McSherry.  Unused sub: Hilder.

Caution: Cowe 57.