Magpies rewrite the script
Unrivalled local sports coverage both in print and online
Maidenhead United FC: Devonshire’s men are the real stars of the show as Reynolds and McElhenney watch
While most of the York Road crowd – and maybe some of Wrexham’s players – were distracted by the arrival of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney before kick-off, Alan Devonshire and his Magpies squad were fully focused on winning another game of football.
Having gone eight league games without a victory, Maidenhead were desperate to build on their encouraging 3-2 win over Woking at the weekend and they sensed an opportunity.
Wrexham’s American-based owners, who haven’t been able to watch their side play yet because of COVID restrictions, were trailed into the ground by a camera crew and flashbulbs were popping on the far side of the stadium as Devonshire delivered his final teamtalk. You can bet he was telling them not to let a couple of A-list Hollywood stars and their entourage derail them from claiming another precious league win.
After having a brief go, Wrexham were torn apart by a rampant Magpies side, led by the likes of Jay Mingi, Josh Kelly, and Reece Smith. After 22 minutes they were already 2-0 down after Kane Ferdinand and Mingi struck for the hosts, and worse was to follow, with Bryce Hosannah shown a straight red card for elbowing Mingi just after the half-hour mark.
The Wrexham owners then witnessed a remarkable comeback, as the visitors fought back to 2-2, but they were denied a Hollywood-style ending when Josh Kelly smashed home a fantastic Maidenhead winner with 15 minutes to play.
Reflecting on the side’s second straight league win, Devonshire said: “If you want to see goals and end-to-end action then you come to York Road.
“We were excellent tonight and in the first half we passed the ball well and looked sharp. We were just too mobile for them and could have scored more than three goals.
“I think we tired a little in the second half, and we’ve had lots of injuries. Shaun (Donnellan) hasn’t trained for four weeks but he had to go on and Nathan Blissett pulled up before the game. We were down to the bare bones but, listen, I’m pleased for the boys that we got the result and now we go again.
“I think a lot of the players knew about it (Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney being in the ground), but listen, that didn’t make any difference for us. It wasn’t a distraction for us at all.”
It was a fully deserved victory for the Magpies, who controlled matters in the opening 45 minutes and had the wherewithal to get back on track when they seemed to be losing momentum. They stay 16th in the National League but move to within striking distance of a clutch of clubs, including Saturday’s hosts Eastleigh, who feature a certain Harry Pritchard in their ranks.
Recent league and cup wins have also drastically altered the mood around the club after a disappointing and winless spell. Speaking afterwards Devonshire said he felt the criticism of the club – from the press and on social media – was harsh and hadn’t considered a variety of mitigating factors.
“Listen in this league you might not win in 10, and then you win three or four matches on the bounce,” said Devonshire.
“We didn’t win in eight games, and everyone was on everyone’s backs. But then you win two games, and everyone is happy again. That could change very quickly again, but that’s the nature of this league.
“There were reasons for our bad form, and no one was looking at those. I just felt it was unfair on us as a club to be dug out because the players were still giving me everything.
“If they weren’t giving me everything, then I could understand it, but they were. We just weren’t good enough during that period and we’re still only 10 games into the season.
“We’ve got lots of new players and it takes a bit of time for to bed them all in and for them to get used to the way we play.
“It’s easy for people to dig people out. Social media is great for certain things, but when it comes to people just digging out for the sake of it, it’s not great.
“I’m here all the time, if anyone wants to come and talk to me, they can just come and talk to my face.
“It doesn’t bother me because I’ve got broad shoulders, but the players are young and they’re learning, and they need help. I try to help them; my staff try to help them, and the crowd also helps them when they get behind them like they have in the past couple of games.”