Report: Magpies 3-0 Taunton Town

 

Maidenhead United advanced through to the FA Cup First Round Proper under the floodlights at York Road with a 3-0 victory over Taunton Town on Tuesday night. Goals from Tobi Sho-Silva, Ruben Carvalho and Sam Barratt secured United’s progression in the Fourth Round Qualifying Replay. 

 

Inside the opening two minutes, United had their first chance of the game through Shawn McCoulsky. The in-form striker was found in behind the Taunton defence by Jayden Mitchell-Lawson, but McCoulsky saw his effort tipped onto the crossbar by Adam Parkes. 

 

Just two minutes later, Maidenhead again found joy in the space behind the visitor’s defence. This time Reece Smith found Tobi Sho-Silva who slotted home a composed finish into the near post to give the Magpies the lead. 

 

United were applying some real pressure on the Taunton defence, this time Smith and Mitchell-Lawson with the former whipping a dangerous cross through the six-yard box that just lacked a finishing touch. 

 

Sho-Silva nearly doubled his and United’s tally on the night, attacking McCoulsky’s looping cross only to see his header cleared off the line. 

 

An all-action Maidenhead start continued as on the 18th minute Will de Havilland was taken down in the penalty area. McCoulsky stepped up, but saw his effort saved by Parkes. 

 

After the penalty save, the game became more even with the visitors starting to find their feet without having any chances of note. 

 

With 42 minutes on the clock, the Peacocks had their first effort on goal. Tom Smith whipped a powerful free-kick into the stanchion – luckily hitting the outside of the net. 

 

 

Second half substitute Sam Barratt’s first action after coming off the bench was to whip in a dangerous corner. His cross nearly turned to goal as he forced Parkes into a strong save to prevent it nestling in the side netting. 

 

Aysa Corrick nearly had an immediate impact for the visitors at the other end of the pitch. He played a neat pass on the turn to set up Smith, but his shot was too powerful and flew over the bar. 

 

Tom Smith and Corrick again linked up well on the edge of United’s area, creating an opening for Smith to shoot, but Craig Ross was there to pull off a superb save down to his right. 

 

With little goalmouth action for long periods of the second half, McCoulsky came close to extending Maidenhead’s lead. He cut in from the left looking to bend his shot into the far corner, but Parkes was more than equal to it. 

 

McCoulsky, determined to continue his fine scoring form, tried his luck again from the far right-hand side of the box. This time he beat Parkes but was denied by the upright. 

 

As we entered added time, United made it two through Ruben Carvalho. Reece Smith again with the assist, delivering a delightful ball across the face of goal and again all it needed was a touch, which this time it got. 

 

It was two in as many minutes for United, as Barratt’s powerful shot took a little nick off Eddie Jones leaving Parkes no time to adjust, and he had to watch the ball squirm past the near post. 

 

 

The result means Maidenhead United will host Crawley Town in the FA Cup First Round Proper on the weekend of the 1st of November. 

 

Maidenhead United: Craig Ross ©, Will de Havilland, Kevin Lokko, Thierry Latty-Fairweather (Massey, 73’), Shawn McCoulsky, Jayden Mitchell-Lawson (Barratt, 53’), Tobi Sho-Silva (Carvalho, 70’), Casey Pettit, Reece Smith (Uwakwe, 90’), Miles Welch-Hayes, James Golding 

 

Taunton Town: Adam Parkes, Eddie Jones, Opi Edwards (Brain, 59’), Ollie Woodhouse, Toby Down (Corrick, 59’), Tom Smith, Archie Ferris (Duru, 59’), Jake Hodgson, Alfie Moulden, Harris Feltham (Purrington, 59’), Morgan Lewis 

 

Attendance: 596