Mens 3rd XI lost to Henley 3s 2 - 3

With both sides residing closely together in mid-table obscurity Maidenhead travelled to Henley knowing that the game would be tight, even before the rain began making conditions trickier. They were hampered in their preparations by the withdrawal of captain Alex Bagehot, but Dave filled in more than competently in defence, while Mark again led in exemplary fashion, refusing to allow dubious umpiring to affect his game. Maidenhead took the lead midway through the first half from a close range finish by Ian. However Henley struck back soon after and the teams were level as they headed into the break as Maidenhead were unable to capitalise on scrambles in the D, and Henley were denied from short corners by fine saves from Martin.

Following the restart Maidenhead coped better with the Henley playmakers, but were unable to avoid going behind and took their time in conjuring their reply through Raffa, who was perhaps fortunate with the umpires unable to spot a bit of football on his run through the Henley defence. Although Maidenhead crafted further opportunities, a combination of wayward passes and stout Henley defending prevented them from reclaiming the lead, and as the game entered the final 10 minutes tired legs were at fault as Henley claimed the game’s deciding goal. Despite switching to a hopeful 2 – 4 – 4 formation in the last couple of minutes following a brief interruption due to floodlight failure, Maidenhead were unsuccessful in their bid to grab a last gasp point.

Maidenhead 3s face a tricky home fixture against OMT on Saturday 28th November.