MAIDENHEAD UNITED 3 (1)

New St Albans City manager Steve Castle has spent the last few weeks reassembling the 2006 team which won promotion to the Blue Square Premier in a bid to escape relegation, but a comfortable win for the Magpies suggests his plan maybe all in vain.

On a chilly afternoon in Hertfordshire, Maidenhead manager Johnson Hippolyte continued with his attacking outlook by giving a Blue Square South debut to Gavin James and the youngster veritably fizzed with energy in his left wing position to revitalise the United frontline.
Linking up well with the tireless Ashley Smith, James was instrumental in many of the Magpies' attacking moves in a first half which they dominated without really troubling Nick Eyre in the Saints goal.  This was partly due to man mountain Ryan Frater in the centre of the Saints defence effectively cutting off United's attacks.  Frater also acted as a launch pad for his own side's forward ambition, a more direct approach at least offering the threat of unsettling the United defence, although the alarm bells only sounded once in the 32nd minute when Louis Wells needed two attempts to gather a shot from James Archer which bobbled in the penalty area.
United took the lead on the stroke of half time.  A Smith free kick from the left touchline midway into the Saints half was met by the head of Lee Kersey on the edge of the penalty area despite the attentions of his St Albans counterparts.  The ball fell loose to John Hastings six yards out and he coolly slotted the ball into the net.
The lead was doubled within three minutes of the restart when Eyre made a hash of a clearance by the right corner flag; Manny Williams was first to the ball and showed great composure to create a better angle for himself before shooting into the empty net.
The game could have been all over four minutes later but this time Saints had a stroke of luck.  A penetrating run down the right from James saw him unselfishly cut the ball back from the byline to Hastings only for his close range shot to hit the post.
Saints then had their best part of the game but despite much industry failed to create a clear cut chance and it was left to Maidenhead to secure the three points with twelve minutes left. A Jack Bradshaw cross from the right was helped on by Carl Wilson-Denis and Williams to Smith at the far post who took advantage of two goes to fire home and win the game 3-0.