Report: Maidenhead United 4-0 West Ham United u23

Alan Devonshire’s Magpies made it a perfect five from five in pre-season with a convincing win against Dev’s former club at York Road on Wednesday night. 

 

United dominated most of the game against a youthful West Ham United line up with most of the Hammers senior players – including recent signing and former Magpie Max Kilman – currently on tour in the United States. The impressive Jayden Mitchell-Lawson was a continued threat during his hour on the pitch and his early cross was cleared by Levi Laing. For the Londoners, Elisha Sowunmi curled a powerfully struck effort over the top of the goal occupied by a Magpies trialist before the first clear chance of the game came Maidenhead’s way. Casey Pettit played a neat through pass and Mitchell-Lawson put his shot wide of the far post when well placed. 

 

Tristan Abrahams was looking hungry up top for the hosts and he beat two players before his centre narrowly evaded the lurking Mitchell-Lawson. Will De Havilland warmed the palms of Hammers ‘keeper Awesu before the dangerous Kamarai Swyer cut inside down the right and shot powerfully straight at the Magpie’s ‘keeper. Abrahams was then fouled on the Maidenhead left and Reece Smith’s teasing delivery was nodded wide at the far post by Nathan Ferguson. 

 

Just before the half hour mark Maidenhead took the lead. Again it was Mitchell-Lawson running amok on the right and his firmly hit cross was spilled by Awesu only as far as the onrushing Smith who couldn’t miss. The hosts dominance was such that they were two ahead with their very next attack. Abrahams saw his drilled shot from range turned around the post by Awesu and from the resultant corner taken by Smith a looping header by a Magpies trialist doubled the lead. The only thing missing from an immaculate first half display had been a goal from Abrahams who duly obliged before the turn around – he scored with a clinical first-time finish after Mitchell-Lawson swept the ball into the box having been fed by a jinking run and weighted pass by Smith. It was a picture-book goal. 

 

The second half saw the usual raft of changes for both sides after Nathan Ferguson scored a fourth from a Pettit cut back, the Magpies midfielder having passed up an earlier gilt-edged opportunity to get on the scoresheet. Tyrese Dyce directed a header over the top from an inviting right-side cross, before the threatening Swyer fired a thunderbolt well over after an energetic run. Maidenhead’s own teenage prospect Jadyn Dundas later put an effort over the bar as the clock ran down on another very satisfactory warm up match. 

 

Maidenhead United - Trialist A, Zac Bell, Tyrese Dyce, Will De Havilland, Nathan Ferguson (Christian Johnson 87'), Jayden Mitchell-Lawson (Shawn McCoulsky 60'), Casey Pettit (Jamie Davies 81'), Reece Smith (Trialist D 72'), Tristan Abrahams (Tobi Sho-Silva 60'), Alan Massey, Trialist C (Jadyn Dundas 60')