Josh Kelly: Celebrity guests gave us more of a buzz to try and beat them

Josh Kelly wrestled the momentum back for Maidenhead United in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Wrexham, just when it seemed the visitors might be in the process of penning their owners – Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – a Hollywood-style ending.

Having been completely outplayed in the first half, the visitors found themselves 2-0 down and a man down after Bryce Hosannah was sent off on the half-hour mark. However, Paul Mullin and Jordan Davies struck to drag the 10 men level, and Phil Parkinson’s side were pushing for an unlikely win in front of their A-list owners when Kelly gatecrashed the party.

Picking the ball up midway inside the Wrexham half in the 75th minute there was still plenty for Kelly to do but he skipped inside his man and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner of Christian Dibble’s net. There was no way back for Wrexham after that and Reynolds and McElhenney left York Road via a back exit after the final whistle with a cursory ‘good game’ for waiting supporters.

“We did find out (about Wrexham’s owners) before the game,” said Kelly. “But it didn’t change a lot and, if anything, it gave us more of a buzz to try and beat them. It was a good game and another good result.

“I feel like we were all over them in the first half, we could have scored a few more and killed the game off and probably should have done.

“We let them back into it and something wasn’t clicking in the second half, but sometimes it’s not as easy as you think when the other team goes down to 10 men, but we got through and got the right result.”

Kelly couldn’t remember too much about his match-winning strike, but some words of wisdom from Alan Devonshire – to get the ball back on his favoured right foot – seemed to have had a positive impact.

“I don’t really remember that much about it,” said Kelly. “All I remember is having a similar thought to Saturday. I just wanted to get the ball out of my feet and to get a strike away. I got lucky as there was a little deflection which helped it in.”

Devonshire added: “He’s got two good goals in two games, and I’m really pleased for him.

“He had a terrible season last year with injuries and he’s just getting back to something like he was 18 months ago.

“He’s listening to what we need from him. We’ve slightly changed it for him as well. He’d been getting into positions and shooting with his left foot, so I said to him, ‘son, you’re right footed so get it back on that side’ and he’s finished the last couple of opportunities really well.”