Magpies rescue last-gasp point
Devonshire’s men put on second-half show to pull back two goals and secure draw in injury time
Bromley 2, Maidenhead United 2
In a role reversal of the first match between the sides this season, Maidenhead United came from two goals down, and equalised deep into injury-time, to rescue a point at Bromley on Saturday.
When the sides met at York Road before Christmas it was Maidenhead who surrendered a two-goal advantage as Reeco Hackett-Fairchild and Chris Bush cancelled out strikes from Danilo Orsi-Dadomo and Shaun Donnellan.
But the boot was firmly on the other foot at Hayes Lane last weekend as Ryan Upward and Jerry Wiltshire cancelled out Bromley’s comfortable half-time advantage.
The Magpies came into the game looking to build on their goalless draw against Stockport County, in the 150th anniversary of their first match at York Road. But the defensive resilience which characterised that performance was missing in the first half as Bromley scored twice inside the opening 33 minutes.
Their first followed a defensive mix up between Manny Parry and goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond, and Luke Coulson took full advantage of the miscommunication, firing the Ravens ahead after 12 minutes.
United’s response was fairly low-key, but Dan Sparkes pressed the Bromley keeper Cousins into action with a long-range effort in the 25th minute.
Alan Massey managed to deflect a shot from Liam Trotter behind for a corner, but the home side doubled their lead a few minutes later when Michael Cheek tapped home from close range.
United could have fallen further behind before the break, but Ashby-Hammond produced a great save to deny Cheek a second in the 38th minute and Billy Bingham rattled
the post shortly before half-time.
Maidenhead looked a beaten and bedraggled side as they trudged off at the interval, but a few choice words from manager Alan Devonshire spurred them into action for the second half.
They got the lift they were looking for when Upward got up well to glance home a header from a great cross in the 49th minute. It was a goal that wrested momentum from the hosts and the Magpies pushed hard for a leveller in the second half.
A few minutes later Sparkes was played in on goal but his strike was blocked by a Bromley player. Sparkes was heavily involved as he whipped in another great ball which Upward very nearly headed home just after the hour mark.
Bromley remained a threat on the break and fired a decent chance over in the 68th minute, but the impetus remained with the Magpies as they probed for openings.
Bromley held firm until the final stages when Devonshire made an inspired substitution, bringing on defender Wiltshire for striker Orsi-Dadomo with a few minutes to play.
Eyebrows must have been raised on the Magpies bench but, going for broke as the game entered stoppage time, the Magpies produced one more quality move and Wiltshire was in the right place at the right time to smash the ball beyond Cousins.
The result left Maidenhead in 10th place, three points off the play-off places with games in hand over many of the sides above them ahead of Tuesday evening.
Maidenhead United: (4-4-2): Ashby-Hammond 6, Sheckleford 6, Massey 6, Parry 6, Wells 6, Sparkes 7, Comley 6 (70' Coley 7), Ince 6, Upward 8, Orsi-Dadomo 6 (87' Wiltshire 7), Blissett 7 (74' Kelly 6).