STOCKPORT COUNTY 2 MAIDENHEAD UTD 2 Dev ups the revs to hit Hatters
BOSS Alan Devonshire admitted he was disappointed to only settle for a point after his Maidenhead United frustrated promotion chasing Stockport County.
Devonshire’s men led twice, through Manny Parry and striker Danilo Orsi, only for the Hatters to hit back with minutes both times thanks to goals from Harry Cardwell and Paddy Madden.
“I thought we deserved it,” Devonshire said. “We had more chances in the second half.
“It was a very good second half but we’ll move on and take a point. We’ve got 12 games to go and a tough game on Tuesday [against Wealdstone].”
County counterpart Simon Rusk also took the positives and was pleased with his team’s resilience in grinding out a point on an off-day.
“I don’t want to be too down about it. We expected another tough game and we got one,” Rusk said.
“We got a point after going behind twice and not being at our best, so we have to take the positive element.”
Maidenhead started the brighter, in particular winger Sam Barratt, who looked dangerous with crosses into the area, while also going close with a flick header.
At the other end, fantastic interplay between Alex Reid and Cardwell saw the latter fire a low effort just wide of Taye Ashby-Hammond’s
far post from the angle.
The opener came when Ryan Upward progressed onward and a lazy strike forced Hinchliffe to tip over the bar. From the resulting corner, the ball found its way to centre-back Parry, who side-footed home.
The Hatters struck back almost immediately with a moment of quality. A barn-storming run by Tom Walker saw him play in Reid. At the crucial moment he fed Cardwell who side-footed past the diving Ashby-Hammond.
Maidenhead responded well with Parry nodding wide from a James Comley corner just after the break and Barratt’s pot-shot flying over from range.
County then wasted a three-on-one opportunity when Reid held onto the ball for too long allowing a flurry of Maidenhead players to dispossess him.
Reid shot wide from close range as Stockport stepped it up, while Ashby-Hammond was forced to smother Madden’s close-range effort.
The Hatters were looking the most likely to bag a winner but Maidenhead still posed a real threat. Rooney became the next to fire over after good work from Macualey Southam-Hales. And that threat turned into a second goal when a flowing move ended with Orsi firing low into the bottom corner.
County, though, hit back immediately and it was soon 2-2 – Ash Palmer receiving a corner at the far post and played it back into the path of Madden who made no mistake from close range.
Maidenhead could have won it in the closing stages, Sam Minihan produced a goalsaving challenge on Upward after a defensive mix-up.