Derby Defeat In Trophy

The Magpies Isuzu FA Trophy hopes were blown away by Slough Town as Storm Darragh made conditions difficult for both sides at Arbour Park on Saturday afternoon. 

 

With gail force winds battering the country, this was never likely to be a classic encounter. With both sets of supporters in fine voice pre-match there was very little of note in terms of action in the first half hour, with both sides exchanging cautionable challenges – John Gilbert for the hosts and Aidan Coyne for the Magpies attracting the attention of referee Ryan Atkin. 

 

With a little under ten minutes remaining before the break, Slough scored the opening goal. A corner was conceded by United and the flag kick was floated into the wind, holding up under the crossbar for Slasi Spasov to react first and head home at close range at the far post. The United defence complained that goalkeeper Craig Ross had had his shirt pulled before Spasov’s decisive touch but all they earned was a yellow card for Ross from Mr Atkin for his complaints. 

 

Maidenhead struggled to get much rhythm going throughout as they ball continually span erratically in the wind and bounce became unpredictable on the Arbour Park surface. United however had three openings before the break. Firstly, Reece Smith received a short corner and curled a shot that hit the top of Charlie Horlock’s crossbar with the Rebels ‘keeper beaten. Another corner kick saw a header from Nathan Ferguson from point blank range hit Horlock’s body and deflect behind to safety. Then when one of many misplaced passes on both sides saw Slough in defensive trouble, Shawn McCoulsky and Reece Smith combined to set up Tristan Abrahams who missed the target at the far post with only Horlock to beat. 

 

Dev made a half time change with Joseph Ajose replacing Coyne, but the former QPR youngster wouldn’t be able to mark his mark before Slough punished the Magpies profligacy by adding a second goal. Defender Lexus Beeden cut in from the right and hit an accurate left footed drive to give the hosts parity. Inside seven minutes Maidenhead were suddenly back in this contest when Smith’s teasing ball across the box was clinically finished by Ajose, but thereafter quality chances and flowing football were at a premium as the wind and rain worsened. The best of United’s chances saw an Abrahams corner glanced wide by will De Havilland before another Smith cross narrowly evaded a telling McCoulsky cross at the far post. 

 

With the storm blowing the ball back in their faces, United were unable to get up the pitch in the closing stages as Slough used all their game management expertise to keep the ball away from danger and they saw out four minutes of time added with only a Sam Barratt free-kick to concern them as they deservedly added the Magpies to their growing list of National League victims which includes the likes of Ebbsfleet United and Sutton United in recent seasons. 

 

Magpies: Craig Ross, Will De Havilland, Thierry Latty-Fairweather, Nathan Ferguson (Sam Barratt 87), Shawn McCoulsky, Casey Pettit, Reece Smith, Owen Cochrane, Aidan Coyne (Joseph Ajose 46), Tristan Abrahams, Alan Massey. Subs not used: Harvey Collins, Ruben Carvalho, Brad Keetch, Manny Onariase, Miles Welch-Hayes.