| Spitfires force Magpie surrender (08.03.08) |
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MAIDENHEAD UNITED 0 |
EASTLEIGH 5 (0) |
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A strong wind again influenced affairs but this
time the Magpies could not capitalise on this advantage which when
coupled with the slope meant the change of ends was a prelude to a
massacre by an Eastleigh team set fair for promotion. An inkling of the disappointing afternoon to follow for the long suffering Magpie faithful came when top scorer Manny Williams was forced to withdraw minutes before kick off through injury. This compounded the absence of centre backs Grant Cooper and Dominic Sterling, whilst Dwane Lee and Lee Newman were only fit enough for a seat on the bench. In contrast Eastleigh were able to strengthen their team of a week ago with new signings from Weymouth: Goalkeeper John Matthews and Ashley Vickers was a commanding presence in the centre of defence all afternoon. Maidenhead briefly threatened to take the lead twice with ten minutes to go before half time. Firstly a long shot by Ashley Smith was too hot for Matthews to handle but James Hamsher was not quick enough to pick up the loose ball which was cleared only as far as Jermaine Hinds. The tall midfielder struck a rocket of a shot from distance, a fingertip save from Matthews being enough to divert it over the cross bar. A heavy challenge from Vickers on Carl Wilson-Denis led to calls for a penalty in the 41st minute which were waved away and so it was that Eastleigh went in the break level with the best of the conditions to come. Maidenhead started the second half brightly but once Karl Murray was given the freedom of to run through the midfield then pick his spot to score in the 56th minute it was very much a case of après Murray, la deluge. Five minutes later only the woodwork stopped an Andy Forbes header, but the free scoring striker was given a second opportunity in the 66th minute which he gratefully accepted to double the lead. Two minutes later it was game over when Louis Wells came charging out of his goal to clear on the right wing only for the ball to fall to Paul Sales who deftly placed the ball into the empty net. Forbes used his head again to make it four in the 73rd minute. Eastleigh went nap with ten minutes remaining, Warren McBean scoring with his first touch of the ball after he had come on as a sub a minute earlier. |
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Magpies: Wells, Bradshaw, Bernard, Hinds,
Nisbet, Kersey, Smith, Daly, Hastings (68 Newman), Wilson-Denis (82
Lee), Hamsher (71 Sealy). Unused subs: Clarke, Hudson. |