Mens 1st XI beat Staines 4 - 3

Maidenhead saw off a fighting Staines side to secure their 13th win of the season. The 4-3 victory keeps Maidenhead in third place in the league, behind Chiswick and Eastcote who also recorded wins over the weekend.

Despite sitting mid table Staines have shown they possess a considerable goal threat, with the second highest scorer in the league. It was not long before they extended their goals scored with a scrappy short corner. The set piece seemed to have been broken down until a miss-hit shot wrong footing the Maidenhead keeper and crept into the corner.

As has so often been the case this season, the goal seemed to push Maidenhead into gear and they had equalised within a few minutes. Maidenhead’s attack continued to put pressure on the Staines defence, leading to a string of short corners. Maidenhead felt hard done by when one strike was stopped on the line by a defender’s foot which was missed by the umpire but the equaliser soon came when another short was flicked into the net by Dan Bradley.

A second goal followed within a few minutes after some fine work from Scott Craig pushing up from right-back. He collected the ball in the Maidenhead half and carried it towards the Staines goal, taking it past two defenders, before slipping a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Dan Bradley who controlled well and lobbed the onrushing keeper. Pat Knight was on hand to ensure the ball made it into the back of the net as he continued his fine goal-scoring run after a slow start to the season.

However, the momentum shifted again as Maidenhead’s concentration slipped in the second half. A Staines forward found space in the D and finished from a tight angle with a reverse stick shot into the far corner. Staines then pulled ahead for the second time in the match when a quick counter attack reached the top of the D and the forwards shot slipped between the keeper’s legs.

Maidenhead really pushed on once again, realising defeat would almost certainly end their promotion hopes. They began to hold possession well and build attacks, eventually resulting in a short corner. In an almost identical incident to the first half, a Stained defender illegally blocked the ball on the line. After initially missing the block, the umpires consulted and awarded a penalty flick. Dan Bradley stepped up and coolly rolled the ball under the diving Staines keeper.

Maidenhead continued to push for the winner and were rewarded shortly before full time when Carl Ferrand put a well disguised pass towards the back post where Scott Craig was on hand to divert the ball around the keeper and into the corner.

The victory means Maidenhead still have the opportunity of promotion but go into a crucial weekend with two games, against West Hampstead and Oxford Hawks, knowing they need to keep getting results.