WOOD HAVE NO ANSWER AS MAGPIES START TO FLY
MAIDENHEAD UNITED picked up a hugely important win in their battle to avoid the drop as James Akintunde came off the bench to score the winner against Boreham Wood.
The Magpies thoroughly deserved their win, having pinned Wood inside their own half for much of the second period and restricted their visitors to half chances. They even saw out the final 10 minutes with ten men after Harold Odametey was shown a second yellow card for a late challenge on Kieran Murtagh.
Victory keeps the Magpies’ noses above the relegation zone on 34 points while Wood won’t be sitting all that comfortably in 15th position on 39 points.
The Magpies shaded the first half in terms of chances with Sam Nombe forcing George Legg into a save in the seventh minute before Wood claimed the upper hand. Gozie Ugwu’s effort, from a Murtagh free-kick, was blocked inside the box after 19 minutes before Odametey got back to make a crucial block to deny Murtagh, whose attempt looped over the bar on 28 minutes.
Adrian Clifton hooked Odametey’s cross from the left wide at full stretch on the half-hour mark. The Magpies then saw two chances go begging at the end of the half when Alfie Kilgour’s firm header was clawed behind by Legg, while Ryan Upward stabbed over.
The game improved after the interval. Femi Ilesanmi’s shot on the turn was well held by Pentney before United took control. Kilgour’s header from a James Comley corner drifted wide in the 55th minute and the ball bounced off the Wood post a few minutes later as the visitors’ goal led a charmed life. Akintunde should have scored with his first touch when his flicked attempt from close range was kept out by Legg in the 64th minute, but he made amends 10 minutes later when Clifton brought the ball down well and threaded through a clever pass for the striker to beat Legg with a cool leftfooted finish. Odametey saw red a few minutes later, but the Magpies comfortably held on. Afterwards Magpies assistant Sam Lock said: “I thought we dominated the second half. We had one cleared off the line, we hit the post. But we got the three points and I couldn’t care less how it came about. The most important thing today is we got the points.” Boreham boss Luke Garrard added: “Maidenhead did everything they said they’d do on the tin. They played this pitch superbly, but I thought we were underpar. I don’t think many had a good game. We carried far too many passengers and got exactly what we deserved. Nothing.”
STAR MAN: Rene Steer (Maidenhead United) ATT: 1,113 ENTERTAINMENT: REFEREE: Declan Bourne 6/10