Report: Magpies Down the Town in 3-0 Win

The Magpies strengthened their Enterprise National League South play-off push with a composed 3-0 victory over Enfield Town at York Road on Saturday, thanks to Liam Dulson’s second-half strike and a late brace from substitute Sam Barratt. 

 

The opening exchanges were cautious, with both sides trading early corners that failed to trouble either goalkeeper. Maidenhead’s first notable moment came when Enfield defender Xavier Benjamin was cautioned for halting the lively Josh Popoola in midfield following a sharp passage of passes down by the lively visiting dugout. 

 

After a very evenly poised first quarter of the half with both sides counting each other out, the Magpies found the offside flag denying them an opener in the match, but it was Enfield’s Billy Leonard who came closest to an opener, failing to convert a close-range volley after an enticing in-swinging cross from the left-hand side. 

 

New signing Jaiden Celestine-Charles was inches away from opening his account for the season after a low driven cross from Dulson down his left-hand side, and the slightest of touches goal-bound could only be seen out for a Maidenhead corner after a slight deflection from the Enfield defence. 

 

The game swung decisively in Maidenhead’s favour eight minutes before the interval, with the match coming alive after a red card was awarded to Enfield Town midfielder Ruaridh Donaldson as he picked up two yellow cards in quick succession. After a bright spark from Asher Yearwood on the halfway line, his tidy piece of footwork caused the midfielder to trip up Yearwood and receive a second yellow card, leaving the referee with only one choice. A big boost of confidence would have been injected throughout the home side going into the dressing room for the second half as the Magpies looked to capitalise on the ten men of Enfield. 

 

The early signs of the eleven men of Maidenhead taking advantage came after a big chance for Jaiden Celestine-Charles to get the Magpies ahead as he found himself in bundles of space 20 yards out on his favourite right foot, but could only drag it past the post of Joe Wright, who watched it sail past for a goal kick. 

 

Another Enfield Town player entered the referee’s book as number nineteen Adam Thompson committed a foul on the edge of the box, but Popoola failed to pounce on the opportunity to convert from close range as his curling effort was always sailing over the Enfield bar. 

 

 

The second half belonged entirely to the home side, with the breakthrough arriving ten minutes into the half. Liam Dulson, the Magpies’ talisman, collected possession on the edge of the area and drilled his eighth goal of the season into the bottom-left corner, beyond the outstretched Joe Wright. The away dugout was in uproar following protests that the game should have been stopped with defender Adam Thompson down injured at the other end, but the goal stood, easing home nerves against a side threatened by relegation. 

 

The pressure continued to mount on the ten men of Enfield, and with 75 minutes on the clock, Asher Yearwood was tripped in the area and a penalty was awarded, giving Sam Barratt the chance to seal all three points. Barratt stepped up and confidently powered the resulting penalty down the middle to double the lead. 

 

Game. Set. Match. The substitute struck again just five minutes later, reacting quickest at the back post after Wright could only parry Dulson’s driven effort. The play-off push looks to be in clear daylight for Maidenhead, with the Magpies just three points off following consecutive wins, whilst struggling Enfield, who had not properly tested Jordi van Stappershoef between the Maidenhead goals, remain in the bottom four. 

 

 

Magpies: van Stappershoef, de Havilland, Welch-Hayes (Mantle, 57’), Celestine-Charles (Barratt, 53’), Yearwood (Ferdinand, 84’), Mitchell-Lawson (Pritchard, 70’), Robinson (Andrews, 81’), Dulson, Cochrane, Clerima, Popoola. 

 

Enfield Town: Wright, Benjamin, Gallimore, Thompson (Brown, 65’), Hawkins, Donaldson, Adom-Malaki, Leonard, Youngs (Bullas, 76’), Knight, Reynolds (Bartlett-Antwi, 69’). 

 

Attendance: 1,140