Coley’s goal seals huge win in the Dragon’s den
Maidenhead United FC: Magpies give fans a glimpse of their potential in televised match
Wrexham 0, Maidenhead United 1 Maidenhead United gave fans a tantalising glimpse of their potential this season as they beat one of the promotion favourites with a fine goal by Josh Coley.
United went into the clash at the Racecourse Ground having lost their three opening fixtures, shipping 11 goals in the process, but there was a resilience about their display in North Wales which bodes well for the rest of the campaign.
Two of the club’s new signings combined midway through the first half to score the game’s only goal. Shaun Donnellan, who later injured himself in a clash with the Wrexham keeper, sent in a lovely ball which a diving
Coley headed home.
They may have scored more than just the one, with Ryan Upward and Remy Clerima missing good chances either side of the half-time interval. But the single goal proved enough thanks to a determined defensive display and the sort of grit and spirit that’s been missing from their first three matches.
The win lifts them off the bottom of the table and up to
17th in the table, ahead of Tuesday night’s matches.
Next up for Alan Devonshire’s men is an equally tough trip to Notts County on Saturday.
Devonshire rang the chances for the trip to Wales following Saturday’s 4-0 defeat to Hartlepool United. Manny Parry, James Comley, Sam Barratt and Coley were all restored to
the starting line-up and United looked much more solid from the outset. They also had to contend with a number of injuries on the night with Nathan Blissett and Donnellan forced off with knocks.
Despite these setbacks Maidenhead didn’t just sit back in the first half. Wrexham were the first to threaten with Luke Young’s free kick clipping the top of the crossbar, but the Magpies bounced back with a shot from Donnellan that Lainton had to push away.
They then took the lead through the vision of Donnellan and the predatory instincts of Coley.
Devonshire felt that Ryan Upward should have done better with a chance which fell his way in the latter stages of the first half, while Clerima’s header was somehow gathered in by Lainton in the opening minutes of the second.
Wrexham became more of a threat as the game wore on, with Kwame Thomas heading a decent chance wide of the target, while Jordan Ponticelli thought he’d levelled matters with 10 minutes to go, but his fine strike was ruled offside. The visitors navigated six tense minutes of injury-time, but in truth, other than a handball appeal against Twumasi, they didn’t really threaten.
MAGPIES: Ashby-Hammond, Wells, Donnellan (Sub Twumasi '64), Parry, Clerima, Coley (Sub Sparkes '82), Comley, Blissett
(Sub Orsi '46), Upward, Massey, Barratt. Subs not used: Wiltshire, Smile.