Maidenhead United made it a satisfying start to the new calendar year as they came from behind to record their first league double of the season, defeating Horsham FC on their own 4G surface. It was the second time this campaign that the Magpies have turned around a half time deficit to record three valuable points and ironically the last time they did so was against the same opposition at York Road back in August. The match at the Fusion Aviation Stadium on a bitterly cold third day of 2026 was similar to that which had unfolded at York Road back at the end of the summer, when a dominant second period by United made amends for an uncertain first half performance.
United dominated the early exchanges, winning a number of corners and pinning Horsham back. However, the home side came back into the game and Manny Onariase had to be alert to pinch the ball away to end a threatening road from former Magpie Shamir Fenelon. With just under half hour played of a scrappy half Horsham were awarded a penalty by referee Mr Swan. There was some careless play by Maidenhead in the build-up, but the contact by Onariase on the home player looked minimal. James Hammond stepped up to sweep the ball into the corner of the net. With the home side proving increasingly adept at smothering United’s attacks, it came as something a surprise when an injury time penalty was awarded at the other end for a foul on Josh Popoola. Liam Dulson stepped up but saw his spot kick saved low in the corner by home goalkeeper Carey.
After an unsatisfactory first 45 minutes an early attacking substitution in the second half changed the face of this game, as Josh Umerah replaced Owen Cochrane. This allowed Liam Dulson to operate in a more familiar wider role with Remy Clerima reverting to a defensive position. United thereafter ramped up relentless pressure, roared on by good numbers behind the goal travelling from Berkshire. An equaliser followed ten minutes of one-way traffic. Popoola was on familiar tricky form and he gained half a yard down the left and sent over a delicious cross for Miles Welch-Hayes to bury into the roof of the net with his forehead.
Popoola was making openings on seemingly a minute-by-minute basis, a delivery to the far post saw captain Will De Havilland drive a volley off target before Mr Swan decided against a third penalty award of the game as the Magpies forward slalomed into the box and looked to have been stopped by illegal means. Carey – later named sponsors player of the match for his heroics – pulled off a point-blank saved from Umerah and the luckless United top scorer then turned in the area and pulled his instinctive shot just wide of the far post.
It felt like one of those days where something special would be needed to win the game and that moment came in the first of four minutes of stoppage time. Matt Robinson received the ball square from Popoola on the edge of the box, took a touch with his right foot and with his second touch instinctively fired home a bullet of a strike into the top corner before Carey could even move, earning United a third win in five league games under Ryan Peters and sparking wild scenes of celebration.
Magpies: Van Stappershoef, De Havilland, Welch-Hayes, Yearwood, Mitchell-Lawson, Robinson, Dulson, Cochrane, Clerima, Popola, Onariase. Substitutes – used: Headman, Umerah, Celestine-Charles. Not used: Collins, Ferdinand, Pritchard, Barratt.
Hornets: Carey, Elliott, Sparks, Philpott, Hammond, Barker, Rodgrigues, Brivio, Myles-Meekums, Fenelon, Gravata. Substitutes: Strange, Murphy, Ogunwamide, Pattenden, Gorman, Aguiar, Ferber.
Attendance: 1,449
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