| Ref Makes Magpies Pay For Overtime (06.10.07) |
|
MAIDENHEAD UNITED 2 (0) |
NEWPORT COUNTY 3 (2) |
|
Another second half fight back by the Magpies
alas came to naught due to a winning goal for Newport in the seventh
minute of a mysteriously long passage of stoppage time. The twilight zone of stoppage time aside, this was a stereotypical game of two halves and a great advert for non league football. Maidenhead started brightly with penetrating runs from Manny Williams and Errol Telemaque worrying the Newport defence in the first five minutes but it was the Welshmen who drew first blood. A sixth minute corner from Richard Evans on the left was neatly directed towards the waiting head of man mountain Julian Alsop at the near post who nodded the ball in. The lead was doubled in the 23rd minute, again from a corner. This time it came from the right, Jason Bowen playing the ball short to Evans on the edge of the box. He adroitly chipped the bal into the space between the mass of players and the goalkeeper, Charlie Griffin charging in to seize the opportunity to score with his head. Stung by the deficit United attempted to play themselves back into the game and almost scored when Dwane Lee put Lee Newman through only for goalkeeper Glyn Thompson to makea good save. Maidenhead then had the woodwork to thank to avoid going further behind with four minutes left of the half when another Alsop header rattled the crossbar when it seemed easier to score. After the break, as has been so often the case this season, the Magpies looked a different class. With Wes Daly pullilng the strings in the midfield the Newman and Williams strikforce regularly shredded the flatfooted Exile defence. Enough chances were produced to not only equalise but take the lead. In the 50th minute Newman latched onto a long ball from Lee and danced through the defence to score. Six minutes later it was Daly who invited Newman to repeat the trick but this time Thompson was able to save. On the hour mark Daly allowed Williams and Newman to exchange passes in the Newport box, Williams applying the coup de grace to equalise. With the atmosphere now reaching fever pitch, both teams had a chance to win the game. With ten minutes remaining a superb shot from Errol Telemaque was touched onto the inside of the post by Thompson who then was a mite fortunate when the rebound struck him on the back of the head and flew to safety. The action then swung to the other end, Griffin latching onto a mishit back pass from Dominic Sterling to race clear, only to be denied by a great save from Louis Wells. As time arrived on the watch, a draw seemed to be the conclusion of this exciting game, with the therapist only coming onto the field of play once in the second half, however referee Tony Power somehow found plenty of stoppage time. In the fifth extra minute Craig Hughes hared forward and was stopped outside the box by Bobby Behzadi. Power decided this was a foul but then bizarrely elected only to caution the Iraniand defender despite judging him to have illegally stopped a goal scoring opportunity. From the free kick Lee Jarman struck a firm shot which was parried by Wells, Hughes reacting quickest to pick up the loose ball and score to send the Welsh fans delirious and leaving their United counterparts despondent. |
|
|
Magpies: Wells, Behzadi, Sterling, Lee,
Nisbet, Cooper, Telemaque, Daly, Williams (86 Brown Da), Newman (76
Romeo), Fisher (67 Clarke). Unused subs: Makofo, Ramos. |