Report: Maidenhead United Futsal 3-3 Derby Futsal

An end-to-end encounter earns United a point. 

 

Maidenhead United earned another point to add to their NFS Tier One tally after a 3-3 draw against Derby Futsal on Sunday 24th September. 

 

Derby came into the game off the back of a 5-2 opening-day defeat to Loughborough Students. United had a better start, winning 5-1 against York on the same day. A long trip down the M1 would not make it any easier for Derby. 

 

The game started slowly with both teams feeling each other out, there were a few chances at both ends but nothing to cause either goalkeeper significant trouble. 

 

It took until just over halfway through the first half for the deadlock to be broken, United’s Harry Tozer was the man to do so. Tozer received the ball near the corner, touched inside, and then proceeded to open his body up and place the ball into the far corner from a tight angle. 

 

A fightback from the visitors came instantaneously, winning a succession of corners after shots were blocked or saved by Ben Lazarus in United’s goal. Derby looked well-rehearsed in their corner kick routines and eventually equalised from a set piece. Some quick interplay in the area resulted in the ball being laid back to the edge of the box where a waiting Derby player was left to fire into the bottom corner. 

 

For a short period after the goal, with the score being level, the game went back to being as cagey as it was at the start. United were probing to retake the lead but some resolute Debry defending prevented any promising moves coming to fruition. 

 

The Magpies were able to get back in front through Tozer again. The returning academy graduate cut in from the right and smashed his shot across goal and in off the crossbar, the goalkeeper couldn’t get close to it. Tozer’s double gave United a 2-1 lead at the break. 

 

Soon after halftime, Derby found another equaliser rather fortuitously. A shot from range took a huge deflection off a Maidenhead defender and completely wrong-footed goalkeeper Tom Dutton. 

 

Maidenhead had a great chance to take the lead for the third time, but the chance was wasted. James Grant broke forward with only the goalkeeper to beat but he failed to find the target when passing to Jordi Caus, who had made a great supporting run, may have been a better option. 

 

With just a couple of minutes left to play, Derby took the lead for the first time in the game. Again, it came from a set piece, this time a kick-in was smashed toward goal and initially well-saved by Dutton. However, Derby’s attacker reacted quickest and tapped in from all of two yards out. 

 

Yet there was still time for United to grab an equaliser of their own, this time Tozer turned provider. His driven pass to the back post found Josh Gillespie open to flick it into the corner with his back heel. 

 

The draw meant Maidenhead continued their unbeaten start to the season while Derby were also able to get some points on the board. United will welcome Wessex to Gunnersbury Sports Hub next week, another side who are still yet to have a point in the league.