Maidenhead United Women secured a first-ever top half finish in the FA Women’s National League Division 1 South West and are heavy favourites to finish as high as fifth in the division following an exciting 2-2 York Road draw against fourth place Bristol Rovers. Victory in their final league game at Bournemouth Sports would also secure a club points record at Tier 4.
The Magpies started this game brightly and led after six minutes after Katie Akerman won a corner. The set piece was delivered by Akerman to the near post where long-serving midfielder Alex Dover was gleefully able to nod the ball firmly into the roof of the net. The visitors however were level within ten minutes after tall midfielder Amelie Gould ghosted into the six-yard box to nod a right-wing cross low beneath the exposed Kenny Clarke. The visitors thereafter dominated much of the first half and saw an assistants flag deny them twice from adding to Gould’s goal; firstly when Chloe Bassett was sent through to go round Clarke and later when Chloe Snook’s header from a long free kick by Ellia Hilliard met with the same fate. In between times Clarke made an outstanding save with her feet after Bassett’s cross found the dangerous Gould.
At half time manager Dave Kitson was forced into a change and a tactical reshuffle as an injury to captain Simone O’Brien saw Megan Harper - who missed the midweek Combined Counties League Cup quarter final victory over Reading - introduced to the fray with Akerman dropping a little deeper. Within six minutes of the second half, Martha Riley - on for the influential Aaliyah Charles who was forced to withdraw with a dead leg - fed Harper on the edge of the box who received the ball back after a neat one-two with top scorer Izzy Stockton before lifting the ball right-footed over the advancing goalkeeper Alex Madden.
The Magpies thereafter largely held the visitors at arm’s length, but a moment of unnecessary urgency saw Rovers gifted a way back into the match. With a Pirates attack having floundered, Clarke had the ball in her hands and with no fewer than five Rovers players still in the Maidenhead defensive third they were able to win the ball back from Dover with Snook nudging the loose ball through to Gould who had time to compose herself before levelling it up.
Snook was played in down the right channel but could only put her effort the wrong side of the near post and with time running out substitute Grace Clark received a pass with a suspicion of handball only to be denied by a comfortable save from Clarke. With hailstones greeting the end of United’s York Road season referee Mr Hetherington brought proceedings to a close and a useful point for Maidenhead against the third most prolific attack in the division.
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