Maidenhead Utd – Away – Sat 26 Nov

We are in FA Trophy action this Saturday (26 Nov) when we make the relatively short journey to National League South rivals Maidenhead Utd for a third round tie, kick-off 15:00.

The Competition this season is being sponsored by  ‘Buildbase’  the local Builders Merchants who are  also sponsoring the FA Vase Competition.

Our hosts are flying at the moment in the League siting top of the pile 9 points ahead of 2nd placed St. Albans City, last Saturday they won 3-2 at fourth placed Ebbsfleet Utd.  In the FA Cup they bowed out in the 3rd Qualifying Round stage going down 1-2 away to Ryman Premier side Staines Town.

The Stones management team and squad will be looking to remedy the current run of form which has seen some indifferent performances on the field.  Eddie Oshodi should return following his one match suspension, with Wes Parker, Tom Hamblin and Sam Cox coming into the reckoning to be involved come Saturday.

Admission prices to York Road: Adults £10, Concession £ 6 (over 60’s + students) & U18`s £ 3.

Should a replay be required this will take place at The Vale on Tuesday 29th November, Kick-Off 19:45 (Admission prices:  Adults £13, Concessions £8 & U18s £3 – All Pay).

Digging back into the  ‘Come-to-Wealdstone-FC. Com’ website archives I have unearthed the match summary(s)  when we last met in the FA Trophy on a wet and miserable Tuesday evening back in 2004  …….

Wealdstone Website: Not a performance Stones will look back on fondly, but it could have been so different as they were dominant for the first half hour, both Jolly and Beckford unlucky not to score, while the home keeper also made an excellent save from a deflection and another at the feet of James Duncan.

The match changed when Stones already depleted attacking options were reduced still further as Beckford limped off and Dave Ryan came on. within two minutes, Maidenhead had broken forward and Hale had opened the scoring.

Stones never really settled into the changed formation, and without Jermaine’s movement up front options were limited – this allowed the home side to get on top of the game and two goals at the start of the second half effectively killed off the tie.

More changes saw Stones take off Courtnage and Shaw for Tilbury and Julienne but they struggled to get on top of the game, Ryan though managing to scramble the ball home to give Stones some hope.

As the half progressed it was inevitable that Maidenhead would score again as Stones three man defence was stretched by the pace of the home attack, although a final 5-1 score line did flatter the home side a little.

Maidenhead Utd website:  Aldershot Town and Burton Albion of the Conference, plus Stalybridge Celtic from the Uni Bond Premier, booked their places in the last 16. So did Maidenhead United of the Ryman Premier, who knocked out Wealdstone in our featured match at a wet and windy York Road.

The Stones were Gola League (a former name of the Conference) and FA Trophy “double” winners in 1985. Now, as a Ryman First Division North club that hasn’t had its own ground since 1991, their aspirations are more modest. But last night at Maidenhead they had a great chance to rekindle some former glories by winning a place in the Trophy’s Fifth Round.

Stones were so up for it at the start that the referee had to ask them to break up their bonding “huddle”. For the first half-hour of the tie, playing down a considerable slope and with a strong wind behind them, they completely dominated proceedings. With the home side, mid-table in the Ryman Premier, barely able to get out of their own half, corners and free-kicks rained in on ‘keeper Nick Hart without a break. He spilled a couple of efforts, with the ball like the proverbial bar of soap, but Wealdstone simply couldn’t turn their obvious superiority into goals. Then, on 33 minutes, the near impossible happened and Maidenhead took the lead. Mark Boyce sped to the right touchline and pulled the ball back, Stones’ defence stood strangely immobile and Steve Hale had time to pick his spot from about eight yards. The visitors were shell-shocked and all the confidence they had shown in the opening 30 minutes seemed to ebb away.

There was no further score before half-time but the soaring Magpies had made it 3-0 within ten minutes of the restart. Right-back Steve Sanders was within touching distance of a corner flag when he floated in a cross that the swirling wind helped over Hart’s head and Lawrence Yaku coolly chipped in another shortly after. Then burly Stones substitute Dave Ryan reduced the arrears with the third goal in just seven minutes. Stones’ lone striker Richard Jolly rushed to retrieve the ball from the back of the net but there was to be no fight-back. United went on to scoe twice more through Yaku again, and Brendan Gallen.

Both teams finished the match with 10 players as  Ryan Ashe and Tommy Williams were given their marching orders for what appeared to be a bout of handbags………

Get behind the lads from the off, make plenty of noise, be constructive and not destructive  as we go in search of the  win to get us into the 1st Round of the 2016/17 ‘Buildbase’ FA Trophy competition on Saturday 10 December.

‘Website Admin’

Our record versus Maidenhead United since 1923