The case for the defence
Magpies lock the back door and throw away the key in gritty but deserved 1-0 win
A solid defensive base is the hallmark of an Alan Devonshire side, and those traits were once again on display in Saturday’s narrow, but just about deserved, 1-0 win over Woking.
They didn’t deserve to win because they carried the greater offensive threat, had more shots on goal, or dominated possession.
They deserved it because they rolled their sleeves up after going five games without a victory and steadfastly refused to be beaten.
No tackles were ducked, runs were tracked and shots were blocked, while at the other end, a forward line that haven’t played many minutes together began to show signs of a developing understanding. The home side created just one or two good chances across the course of the 95minutes, but when they did get their offensive game together, they were ruthless and clinical.
Koby Arthur picked up the ball in the centre of Woking’s half in the 75th minute, slipped the ball wide on the left for Ashley Nathaniel-George, whose low cross was tracked by Emile Acquah for a tap in at the back post.
Having spurned several good chances of their own, United's goal seemed to knock the stuffing from Woking and their challenge in the final 20 minutes collapsed, well, like a pack of Cards.
This was a victory built on resolute defence and tigerish play from the likes of Ryan Upward and Kane Ferdinand in midfield. The coaching staff are still trying to get a bit more from their front line, however, if they can get a tune from those players, Maidenhead will be a much more competitive outfit going forward.
“If we look back over the course of the season, Notts County and Southend are the only games where we’ve looked vulnerable,” said assistant boss Ryan Peters. “Other than that, most of the games, regardless of win, lose or draw, we’ve had a solid base. That’s an Alan Devonshire team.
“We’ve now got some creative players that have come in, and are giving us that moment of brilliance, to be able to score. Now we need to keep that
solid base while adding a few more chances to score a few more goals.
“We were well worthy of our win today.”
He added: “When I look back at games like Dagenham, where we had several very good chances but just couldn’t score. Sometimes, you just need that one chance, and one person getting on the end of something, especially if our base is going to be as solid as it is. We need points, and we had the chances to put Halifax to bed in our last game here and we didn’t, but we have today and it’s about building momentum now.”
Maidenhead came into Saturday’s game off the back of a deflating run of five matches without a win, with only one goal scored in the process.
In a few of those matches, Dagenham, York City, Halifax Town, Boreham Wood, they’d battled well and were in the games without necessarily getting what they fully deserved. Saturday was different in that they didn’t play particularly well offensively, but they showed the kind of resilience they’ll need if they’re to survive once again in an ever more competitive division. Peters added that it will take time for their attacking players to gel, but he’s confident more opportunities and chances will come their way in the coming weeks and months.
“We’re looking at small wins, but we’re one of only two part-time teams in this league, it’s going to be tough,” added Peters. “To run Boreham Wood as close as we did on Tuesday and feel like we should have come out with something, says everything about us. We have to turn losses and draws into wins, but we’re not far away.
“It’s not an excuse, the realism of it is that we are one of two part-time teams so it’s going to be a lot tougher for us. But the gaffer has a team that goes out there and puts their shirt on the line every single time, and they will carry on doing so.”
If the Magpies are to survive, or perhaps aspire even higher than that, home form is going to be crucial. This was their third win at home this season and, had fortune favoured them in their other encounters against York City (0-1) and Halifax Town (1-1) they might have had more points in the bank.
They’re looking to build York Road into a fortress and the next team attempting to storm those barricades will be Gateshead in front of the BT Sport cameras on Saturday.
“Long may that continue,” said Peters. “If your home form is good then you’re looking for points here and there away from home, but if your home form isn’t right and your away form is indifferent, it becomes a lot tougher. This is a place where no one wants to come, and we want to keep it that way.”