Maidenhead United secured a place in the Emirates FA Cup First Round Proper on Tuesday evening at York Road. 
 
The Magpies beat Southern League Premier Division South side Taunton Town with goals from Tobi Sho-Silva, Ruben Carvalho, and Sam Barratt. 
 
Tuesday’s game took place following a 1-1 draw in Somerset at the weekend, with many supporters feeling a sense of déjà vu until the closing stages of the game – something assistant manager Ryan Peters noted as well. 
 
“[It was] similar to Saturday's game where we started really well, scored a great goal, had the opportunity to score a second from the penalty. [We] didn't take it, and the performance dropped for some reason,” Peters said after Tuesday’s win. 
 
“We managed to get to half time, had those conversations, then for some reason - again similar to Saturday - we just didn't come out in the second half, and for 25 minutes we were up against it. We defended really well, managed to break off of Reece Smith, and score few goals to make a life a little bit easier for us.” 
 
On the contrasts between Saturday’s draw and Tuesday’s victory, Peters noted the difference in quality between the two sides. 
 
“I think they are a great side; I’ll take absolutely nothing away from them, but when you’ve got the likes of Reece Smith, Ruben [Carvalho], and Sammy Barratt, we know we’re going to score goals,” said the assistant manager. “We’ve been in good form, and the magic of the FA Cup means games are going to be tough sometimes, but I thought quality prevailed and we’re through to the next round. 
 
“We started really well, and we just expected that to carry on in the same vein. Both teams were tired, and a little bit leggy. We made a few changes where we had to. But essentially, you’re hoping that willpower gets you through, and that quality prevails which it did,” Peters added. 
 
Wet weather hampered the conditions at York Road, with the surface becoming increasingly slippery into the second half – something Peters believed both teams used to their advantage. 
 
“The gaffer [Alan Devonshire] always speaks about the magic of playing under the lights and a little bit of zip on the pitch, so we had all of that,” he explained. “At times, it felt like they had the extra man, and they were using that zip on the pitch to their advantage, but then when we got a foothold on the game, we were able to use the ball well – it created a few more chances for us. I thought we saw out the game in the last eight minutes particularly well.” 
 
The Magpies will host League One outfit Crawley Town in the First Round Proper at the beginning of November. Both sides are at the opposite ends of their respective form tables, with the visitors having lost nine of their last ten. 
 
“When we saw it, actually, we were happy about it,” Peters said. “It’s a tough draw of course, but we wanted to make sure it was at home; we wanted as big a club as possible, and we’ve got that. But before that game, we’ve got a few games that we’ve got to make sure we keep performing in. We want to keep this run going for as long as we possibly can, which will set us up for that tie.” 
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