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16.09.2003 at 19:45 Clarence Park

Attendance : 220

St Albans City

1 - 2

Maidenhead United

Referee : Andrew Osborne

Ryman Premier League

Goalscorers

Nic McDonnell (90)

Ryan Ashe (38)
Larence Yaku (90)

Opening squads

Richard Wilmot
Lee Gledhill
Derek Brown
Steve Castle
Nic McDonnell
Graeme Tomlinson
Simon Martin
Matt Glynn
Greg Deacon
Jay Murray
Chris Seeby

Nick Hart
Steve Sanders
Brian Connor
Ryan Ashe
Andrew Jennings
Brendan Gallen
Mark Boyce
Phil Gray
Larence Yaku
Martin Lee
Craig Farley

Substitutes

Barry White
Miguel De Souza
Mark Graham
Gary Wraight

Adam Durrant
John Dreyer
Gareth Paxton
Michael Currie
Phil Wilson.

Substitutions

Gary Wraight -> Greg Deacon (60)
Mark Graham -> Matt Glynn (60)
Miguel De Souza -> Simon Martin (69)

None

Yellow cards

None.

None

Red cards

None.

None

Match report

At Clarence Park for the visit of Maidenhead Utd. Their fans have the largest Union Flag in the Ryman Premier League and they now have the largest banner at some 65 feet long. Very impressive. The Magpies have struggled this season but are out of the bottom 4 following two successive home wins. They have yet to win on the road.

For tonight Cookie selected an unusual formation with Wilmot in goal; 4 at the back: Gledhill, Brown (C), Seeby and Murray; 3 in the midfield: Glynn, Oakes and Deacon, Tomlinson in the 'pocket' (that means in front of them and behind these) and up front: Martin and McDonnell. On the bench: De Souza, Graham, Wraight and White.

Well there was some goalmouth action at each end in the opening 10 minutes. Tomlinson forced a sharp save and then a Deacon shot was saved one-handed at full stretch. Yaku was denied by Wilmot. But it soon deteriorated.

Both sides played a tight offside trap and the football was compressed into the middle third of the pitch and the action stopped on a regular basis by the linesmen's flags. The visitors were the more threatening and opened the scoring on 10 minutes before the break when a mis-hit back heel by Ryan Ashe after fluid approach play left Wilmot stranded. 0-1.

The most attractive football of a poor game came in the following period before half time. Saints forced several corners in quick succession without threatening the keeper and the visitors tested Wilmot on the break. No real scent of a goal, however. H.T. 0-1.

The second half offered much the same. On the hour, Deacon, who had a sound game tonight was stretchered off with damaged knee ligaments, to be replaced by Wraight and Graham came on for Glynn. 10 minutes later De Souza replaced Martin who had worked hard tonight. City pressed with both Graham and De Souza showing their fresh legs but it wasn't happening in front of goal.

Into injury time and The Magpies scored on the break when a long ball found Gray wide on the left who crossed first time for the speedy Yaku to hit firmly first time past Wilmot. The visiting striker celebrates with acrobatics which was impressive. 0-2. Well into injury time and City scored a late consolation within a minute when McDonnell coolly beat the keeper but it was too little, too late. F.T. 1-2.

This was a poor game of football and a disappointing performance in attack by The Saints. The back 4 were solid tonight but few of the rest emerge with credit. Martin worked hard and Deacon did well. The substitutes tried. Maidenhead will be delighted with the 3 points of course, which they merited. I noticed that the sponsors didn't make a MotM award. I expect they drunk the champagne themselves. I would have done.

Entertainment 4/10. Technical Merit 4/10. Referee 6/10. Atmosphere 3/10.

Match report by Homer