| Happy Magpie ending to Thurrock pantomime (22.12.07) |
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THURROCK 2 (1) |
MAIDENHEAD UNITED 3 (1) |
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Two late goals gave Maidenhead a most welcome
three points to lift them up three places in the table, with
Thurrock twice ignoring the warning "he's behind you" to let the
Magpies back into the contest and ultimately win the game. Following the repercussions of last Saturday's poor performance, United manager Johnson Hippolyte was forced to make changes, but also took the opportunity to tinker with the team. In defence Dwane Lee and Jamal Fyfield took the right and left full back roles with Mark Nisbet moving into the centre of defence alongside Dominic Sterling. In midfield Ashley Smith and Serge Makofo played in the wide slots with Darti Brown moving into the centre of the park next to Wes Daly. The Magpies took a little time to get used to the new structure and seasoned striker Che Stadhart did not need to be asked twice when given room on the right to come up with a superb finish to put Thurrock ahead in the fifth minute. It was then the turn of Daly to save the day by clearing off the line with goalkeeper Chico Ramos beaten. Daly then almost levelled the score at the other end, an acrobatic volley from outside the penalty area crashing off the underside of the crossbar with the Thurrock defence standing agog as the ball bounced away to safety. From the resulting counter attack though Thurrock missed a great opportunity to increase their lead, Michael Malcolm's shot resembling a back pass. Maidenhead continued to push for an equaliser and their pressure began to tell, a Smith corner from the left being met with a glancing header by Manny Williams, the ball flashing just past the post. With five minutes to go until half time, United at last found the net when a Lee ball into the box was picked up by Brown who drilled his shot through a forest of defenders into the right hand corner of the goal. After the break events followed a similar pattern to the first half with Thurrock dominating the early stages. Stadhart missed a sitter five minutes into the second period, but redeemed himself just short of the hour mark by setting up Thurrock's second goal. A free kick from inside Thurrock's half was hit long, Rob Swaine flicking the ball onto Stadhart who passed to strike partner Malcolm to allow him to fire the ball home. Thus the final third of the game saw Maidenhead again pushing hard to get back in the game, and hopes faded when United were denied a clear penalty with eighteen minutes remaining when Williams was upended. As the last act drew to a close it was time for all the characters to take their place for a thrilling denouement. With seven minutes remaining a Makofo surge down the left was crudely ended just short of the penalty area by Swaine forcing the referee to reach for a second yellow card. This led to a bizarre series of events as the defender tried to hide whilst his team mates approached the referee, pointing to their bench which was pleading for a substitution. Swaine eventually departed straight for the dressing room, whilst the referee headed to talk to his assistant who had apparently been abused by one of the Thurrock bench team. This led to manager Hakan Hayrettin's dismissal from the dugout. With 87 minutes on the clock Maidenhead attacked again, this time Williams' endeavours were ended by the hand of Tim Cole, allowing the referee to redeem himself for his earlier mistake by awarding a penalty. Lee stepped up to convert the spot kick, and with plenty of stoppage time ensuing from earlier events which had left Thurrock in disarray, the Magpies sensed a chance to snatch victory. The winner duly arrived, like the hero to rescue his damsel in distress, just in the nick of time. As the game entered its 94th minute a Daly free kick from the left corner was met by the head of John Hastings who flicked the ball into the back of the net for the first time in United colours to snatch an amazing victory, and allow the tiny flock of watching Magpies to leave truly believing in the magic of Christmas. |
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Thurrock: Blackmore, Swaine, Flynn, Clark,
Paine, Lettejallow (90+3 Hughes), Plummer, Anderson, Malcolm,
Stadhart (84 Cole), Bodkin. Unused subs: Samuels, Read, Bryant. |