Goalless draw with Larkhall secures Magpies their highest ever finish
Maidenhead United Women were held to a goalless draw at Larkhall Athletic on Sunday but a point in their final FA Women’s National League match of the season was enough to secure a highest ever finish of sixth place in a competitive Division 1 South West.
That clean sheet in Somerset was a club-record seventh of the season in the FAWNL, the team having already secured a best-ever tally of away victories in the fourth tier of women’s football with four wins on opposition soil. The Magpies have also registered their fewest FAWNL defeats suffered in a season and a joint best-ever FAWNL points tally.
Two crucial first half saves from teenage 'keeper Gemma Harvey ensured United recorded their most frugal FAWNL defensive season with a mere 32 conceded. Maidenhead then dominated the entirety of the second period but couldn’t score against a young Larkhall outfit much improved from the side well-beaten at York Road before Christmas.
United had their chances in an open and attacking first half. The visitors forced a succession of corners with Chrissy Nazif heading a chance which was gathered by Larks goalkeeper Abi Footner before centre-back Sarah Thompson got under a Nicole Barrett corner and contrived to glance the ball over the roof of the net from pointblank range.
Long-serving Tina Brett headed wide from another corner but it was the Magpies top-scorer Barrett who missed the best chance of the game in the second period. Brett pulled the ball across the box only to see the ball hit a divot on a bobbly end-of-season pitch which meant Barrett could only scuff her effort wide.
There was a sense of frustration at the end that United didn’t come away with the three points that their performance deserved but their season has been an undoubted success.