COMMUNITY TRUST MANAGER: Helen Preedy (helenpreedy@maidenheadunitedfcorg)
MAIDENHEAD UNITED IN THE COMMUNITY: Mark Nisbet
The Club operates its commercial activities through Maidenhead United FC Ltd, York Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6 1SF Company No: 05691046, VAT No: 442328173 The Club is a member of the Vanarama National League and is therefore subject to the league’s rules and regulations The persons of significant control in the Club as defined in National League rule 213 are Peter Griffin and MUFC Ltd
CLUB NEWS
The Magpies Academy suffered a cruel late defeat in their National League Youth Alliance Southern Division derby at Slough Town on Wednesday 29th January. The match at Arbour Park was goalless going into injury time when a deflected effort put the Rebels into the lead and as United tried in vain to hit back, they were hit by a sucker-punch second goal
The home side will feel that they deserved the points having dominated much of the play in a first half which was devoid of clear chances and early in the second half Rebels defender Christopher Ozougwo slammed a clear opportunity over the crossbar after the ball fell kindly to him at a corner. Wyatt Marin later struck the crossbar and was subsequently denied by Magpies ‘keeper Joseph Hybert who pulled off a smart save to make up for his own miss hit goal kick
Maidenhead gave as good as they got in the second period, but struggled to fashion clear openings despite plenty of balls played into the danger zone by wide men Ryo Kanishiro and his later replacement Rylan Withers The scoring was opened past the ninety-minute mark when a patient move saw the ball worked to Guy Davies whose low shot took a wicked deflection to give Hybert no chance and spark a delirious pitch invasion by members of the Slough bench and squad. Maidenhead did not feel sorry for themselves, hitting back with plenty of the ball in the remaining moments but there was to be no equaliser for their efforts and before the final whistle was blown Soul Hale’s back pass under pressure was under hit and allowed Withers in to secure the three points for the home side
The Under 19s are currently in tenth place in the thirteen-team division, albeit they still have in effect half of their league season to play and eight of their remaining 12 games are at home. United were due to host Southend United at Berkshire College of Agriculture on Wednesday 5th February, a match played prior to our print deadline. They have enjoyed another good FA Youth Cup run this season, reaching the First Round Proper after victories over Wealdstone and Eastbourne United Academy graduates in recent seasons include Reece Smith and Brad Keetch, with four further ex-Academy boys –Messrs Davies, Dundas, Johnson and McMenemy – currently spending time on loan at Step 4 clubs Thatcham Town and Binfield respectively
RYAN PETERS
Assistant manager Ryan Peters had choice words to describe Maidenhead United’s performance following an unsuccessful trip to The Hive last time out The Magpies struggled against a side which went top of the league following the 3-0 result For much of the game, Barnet held onto possession in United’s half, and Bees 'keeper Owen Evans was hardly troubled throughout the 90 minutes.
“[It was] terrible,” said Peters on the performance. “I’m trying to find some positive words to say, but unfortunately at the moment we seem to be going upand-down, up-and-down in terms of performance levels Last week [versus AFC Fylde], we were very, very good. This week? Dreadful. We got taught a lesson today; 3-0 flatters us – it could have been five or six Whether we press, or whether we sit off, at some point someone seems to switch off, and at the moment it's costing us”
United’s form guide echoes exactly that. The highlights of the last five games include a 3-1 and 4-1 win over Wealdstone and AFC Fylde respectively, but those results are joined by three away trips which have seen ten goals conceded and one scored. “I could make all the excuses in the world,” Peters responded when asked about the current inconsistency “I could talk to you about the fact that we’re parttime in a full-time league; I could talk to you about budgets; I could talk to you about everything. We’ve been doing this for a long time. We know we have periods of indifference This is the third period of indifference, and it needs to change We’re working as hard as we can on the pitch, we’re trying to get as many boys back fit as possible to understand the Alan Devonshire way, and we’re hoping for a change really quick”
The Barnet game saw Bradley Keetch step in for the injured Reece Smith, while Miles Welch-Hayes’ time on the treatment table also paved the way for Owen Cochrane's return to the starting XI. Peters noted that both had been impressive during midweek training “Miles and Reece both had to come off in the game [against AFC Fylde] because of injuries – we’d hoped that they’d be okay for today,” Peters said, “But also, Owen and Brad have been training well, so it was an opportunity for those two to come in It wasn’t a game where any of our players stood out today, so unfortunately it didn’t help them.”
“The Gaffer’s been clear that it’s not good enough” Peters concluded United take on Southend today and then a distraction from the rigours of the National League when Southampton Under 21s visit “It’s another game we’re going to be taking as seriously as possible. It’s another game where we’re allowing individuals to have another chance to show their qualities.”
AROUND THE LEAGUE
There were some significant late goals scored at either end of the table in the six Vanarama National League games played last weekend
Floundering York City looked set to drop points for the third time in four games as they were level with Dagenham & Redbridge and down to ten men at the LNER
Community Stadium thanks to the dismissal of Ollie Pearce. However, three minutes into stoppage time, big-spending City’s latest signing Junior Luamba went to ground in the box and Alex Hunt slotted home the winner
At the Rare Breed Meat Co Stadium, hosts Braintree Town looked set for a third consecutive victory until the seventh minute of injury time when debutant Jamie Miley – a recent signing from neighbours Newcastle United – gave Hartlepool United a share of the spoils It was heartache also for AFC Fylde who led Oldham Athletic in their Lancashire derby before former Magpie Mike Fondop turned the game around, his winner coming in the third minute of injury time Wealdstone were another side in the lower reaches who couldn’t make a home lead stick Alex Reid, making his second appearance since returning to the Stones on loan from Oldham, needed only four minutes to put the hosts in front as he went one-on-one and beat goalkeeper Killian Barrett Solihull Moors drew level on the stroke of halftime, Alex Whitmore heading in at the back post from Jamey Osborne's corner to earn Matt Taylor a point on his return to his former club
The other results on Saturday saw leaders Barnet triumph by the odd goal at Tamworth whilst FC Halifax Town secured a comfortable home win with a goal in each half against basement side Ebbsfleet United. Into midweek, Forest Green Rovers turned on the heat in the title race with a 2-0 victory at a Dagenham side who have now lost three league matches on the spin, a far cry from their preChristmas form when they knocked two EFL sides out of the FA Cup. Fondop’s good form continued as Oldham won the A627 derby at Rochdale to make it backto-back victories which seem to have banished their recent sticky patch
In the lower reaches of the division, Beck-Ray Enoru won an important three points for Tamworth at Grosvenor Vale that puts Wealdstone back into the drop zone after the home side saw Max Kretzschmar sent off for two yellow cards Meanwhile, AFC Fylde leapfrog the Magpies ahead of today’s matches – they won 2-1 at FC Halifax Town on Tuesday night thanks to Nick Haughton’s decisive penalty kick.
WOMEN’S TEAM
Maidenhead United Women may be going through a rare dry-spell in front of goal but they returned from Somerset last Sunday afternoon with another valuable point in a goalless draw with Portishead Town which boosts the Magpies hopes of extending their stay in FAWNL Division 1 South West (Tier Four of women’s football in England) into a remarkable eleventh successive season competing with sides with increasingly significant playing budgets that United manager Ed JacksonNorris can only dream of.
The match at Bristol Road was a
slow-burner, and with Maidenhead frustrated by the weather the previous weekend when they saw their match at Bournemouth Sports postponed for a second time, United showed some understandable rustiness after a fortnight of inaction. The first thirty minutes of this game were largely dominated by a home side sitting second bottom of the table Maidenhead however had the best two chances in the first 45 minutes; Freya Meadows-Tuson (pictured) –voted ‘opposition player of the match’ by the home club – arrived late at a corner and could only bundle the loose ball at the top before Isacc Gregory screwed an opening wide after good work resulted in a cut back by Nat Cowell.
For the home side, Imogen Jones and Mia Blazey both tested United ‘keeper Kenny Clarke, Portishead captain Shannon Holloway save a firm angled drive well handled by Clarke and Kelly Jones might have given the hosts the lead when she glanced a header wide following a corner Manager Jackson-Norris was more pleased with his team’s endeavours in the second half with United dominating large chunks of possession Alanna Torrington shot wide when well-placed for Portishead, as did Emily Lindsay before Holloway hit the sidenetting. Substitute Libby Doyle forced a save out of hone ‘keeper Isobel Spence, who later denied Megan Halfacree twice – the second a remarkable save to tip the ball onto the crossbar. Then there was nearly drama at the death, but a Portishead shot from range crashed off Clarke’s crossbar.
Meadows-Tuson – at the end of only her second game back at the club after a spell in the United States – reflected that “credit goes to the girls for coming out and performing how they did in the second half, as our first half wasn’t up to standards.” She added: “We were unlucky to come away without the win, but it is momentum we can take into Moneyfields on Sunday” The visit of the league leaders will take place at Holloways Park, home of Beaconsfield Town FC with a 2pm kick off tomorrow afternoon.
ON THE ROAD
Maidenhead United suffered a defeat at the hands of league leaders Barnet at the Hive
Alan Devonshire made two changes to the side which bea AFC Fylde last week Bradley Keetch came in for the injured Reece Smith, while Owen Cochrane replaced Miles Welc Hayes in defence
From the get-go, the hosts pu an attacking performance
symbolic of an outfit which tops the scoring tally in the National League. A persistent, possession-dominant for Barnet meant much of the first 45 was played in the United half Despite an abundance of opportunities, a mixture of poor finishing and solid defence by United kept the game goalless for the first 25 minutes Danny Collinge and Idris Kanu both fired over the crossbar, while Craig Ross punched away Callum Stead’s header as Barnet ramped up the pressure.
A goal was due, however, and Barnet would break the deadlock in the 27th minute Ross made a solid save to force a corner during a one-on-one with Lee Ndlovu, and the resulting set piece ultimately saw Ryan Glover head towards goal A dramatic goal line clearance from Nathan Ferguson momentarily denied the Bees, but Stead was in the right place at the right time to hammer home the opener. Ross did well to keep the hosts from doubling their lead, particularly with his diving punch to deny Anthony Hartigan’s 20-yard free kick on the stroke of half-time
The soon-to-be league leaders didn’t wait long to cement their advantage as the sun began to set on the Hive. With less than two minutes on the clock for the second half, Kanu played a low cross from the right-hand side of the pitch to an unmarked Mark Shelton, who tapped home in the 47th minute
Barnet continued to pepper the United goal, and two would become three in the 70th minute as Kanu added a goal to go with his earlier assist. Zak Brunt, who had enjoyed little success in front of goal throughout the second half, calmly set Kanu up after receiving a low cross from Stead The midfielder placed his shot just to the left of Ross, and Barnet would dismiss any inclination of a Maidenhead comeback.
Nevertheless, a change in formation and tactical changes gave the Magpies hope of eating back into the -22 goal difference Shawn McCoulsky’s effort from five yards out was deflected over the crossbar for another corner, the result of which saw the returning Tobi Sho-Silva head towards Owen Evans in between the Barnet uprights. Sadly for United, there would be little cause for celebration as the final whistle blew for a 3-0 defeat
Full-time: Barnet 3-0 Magpies
MEET THE OPPOSITION
Shrimpers fans have become too accustomed to low-points in recent years, but exiting the Isuzu FA Trophy at the fifth round stage last Saturday to Step 4 side Sittingbourne would have been another blow to their loyal supporters as Anthony Church scored a 96th-minute winner for the Isthmian League Division 1 South East side at Roots Hall
With the Shrimpers missing a plethora of chances to beat their visitors, Church deflected in an attempted clearance from Macaulay Bonne in front of Sittingbourne’s travelling fans to advance to the last eight of the competition. Having dispatched Brentwood and Southport in the previous rounds, Southend came into the tie off the back of five wins in their last six With penalties looming, Sittingbourne snatched it. In attempting to clear from the back, Bonne’s clearance struck sub Anthony Church and ricocheted in off the inside of the post to send the visitors through.
Today’s visitors however do arrive in Berkshire this afternoon with three league wins out of four in 2025. Maidenhead were grateful to see AFC Fylde come a cropper on their midweek trip to Essex the week before last, Josh Walker breaking the deadlock just before the break with a fine individual goal after he won possession in midfield and, after a driving run to the edge of the penalty area, arrowed a shot into the bottom corner Visiting defender Emeka Obi headed a dangerous 66th-minute cross from Gus Scott-Morriss into his own net as the visitors slipped to a 12th league defeat on the road. Prior to that, Scott-Morriss added to Bonne’s opener to win the Essex derby at Dagenham
Today’s game gives Maidenhead the opportunity to complete a league double over this afternoon’s opponents Back on 5th October in front of 6,774 mainly disappointed spectators, Kevin Lokko’s double earned us a third successive National League win Maidenhead took the lead after 13 minutes when Lokko rose highest to head in Nathan Ferguson’s free-kick
Craig Ross made a brilliant save to deny Jack Bridge and preserve Maidenhead’s lead after 23 minutes before the goalkeeper also kept out Josh Walker’s effort. Walker had another opportunity after the break but fired over and Maidenhead made them pay It was the same combination - Ferguson’s whipped corner headed in by Lokko on 68 minutes.
The Gaffer – Kevin Maher
Maher returned to Southend United to take over as Head Coach in October 2021, having skippered the Club to promotion as a player, making over 450 appearances for Blues A midfield technician in his playing days, he started his career in Tottenham Hotspur’s Academy before moving to south Essex in 1998. Maher soon established himself as an ever-present in the side and a mainstay in the team. Two visits to the Millennium Stadium for Football League Trophy finals signified the start of a successful time for the club and Maher played a vital role in that
It was third time lucky in the Welsh capital for the League Two Play-Off final in 2005, which saw Kevin captain the club to glory, and the following season he and Blues went one better by winning the League One title After that hugely successful period, Maher's playing time moved him on to Gillingham, Oldham Athletic and Dagenham & Redbridge before seeing out his career at Bray Wanderers, Whitehawk and Chelmsford City. His move into coaching saw him manage Chelmsford City and coach at Bristol Rovers, before his homecoming when offered the Head Coach role at Blues
THREE TO WATCH
James Golding joined on loan from Oxford United and is well known to Magpies fans after two loan spells here in successive seasons after previous loans at Banbury United, Dartford and Maidenhead United. James initially played for AFC Wimbledon’s academy before joining Oxford in 2020. He’s played nine times for the U’s across League One, the EFL Cup and the EFL Trophy He appeared in 10 National League games for United last season before re-joining the Magpies this term, scoring twice in seven games.
Gus Scott-Morriss is an attacking right-back who is in his third season at Roots Hall Gus joined Hemel Hempstead Town from Royston Town in 2021 and went on to make over 40 appearances for the Tudors in 2021/22. He became the fourth addition to Kevin Maher’s squad in the 2022 summer transfer window after agreeing a two-year deal He played 35 league games in his first season at Roots Hall and scored five goals
Josh Walker is a dangerous forward with previous goalscoring form against Maidenhead Joining from League One side Burton Albion in the summer of 2024, Walker returned to Essex having previously been with Dagenham & Redbridge and Barnet, having appeared 106 times in the National League, scoring 32 goals.
LAST TIME OUT
A remarkable performance from Maidenhead United paved the way for a 4-1 win over AFC Fylde in the DAZN televised fixture. Alan Devonshire made two changes to the side that travelled to Altrincham on Tuesday night. Miles WelchHayes returned from suspension following his red card at Woking, while Manny Onariase made his first start
since the 3-1 win over Wealdstone on Boxing Day
Fylde got the game underway, and it would be the Coasters who had the first opportunity to open the scoring Ethan Mitchell latched onto the ball in the centre of the penalty area, forcing Craig Ross into an excellent one-handed save which ricocheted off the crossbar Half-chances and exciting runs characterised the first half, but neither ‘keeper was kept too busy until United ramped up the pressure. Soon, their efforts were rewarded when Reece Smith made a low cross to Tristan Abrahams who calmly slotted home past Ben Winterbottom. Less than two minutes had passed before the Magpies doubled their lead. Shawn McCoulsky made a fantastic run along the left-hand side of the pitch, beating his man to fire a low bullet into the bottom right corner of the Fylde goal.
United’s two-goal advantage soon became one of three as the teams emerged for the second half McCoulsky held the ball up in the final third, allowing Thierry LattyFairweather to make a threatening run down the left The York loanee took his time to strike straight into the net on his right foot, and the Magpies had three on the scoreboard with just over 50 minutes played The Coasters got a goal of their own as the game approached the hour mark when substitute Nick Haughton’s free kick clashed into the post in the 59th minute. The rebound was first reached by Lincoln McFadyen, who tapped home to claw one back.
Any nerves were soon rested when Maidenhead’s three-goal lead was restored just over a quarter of an hour later A defensive mishap from the visitors ultimately led to Abrahams collecting the ball in the final third, and the striker wasted no time in firing home his second of the game With victory inevitable, the Magpies faithful rang through the jukebox of chants as the clock wound down, and there would be little left to report as the Magpies capped off a fantastic evening under the lights at York Road
Full-time: Magpies 4-1 AFC Fylde
THE ISTHMIAN BOYS
May 2025 will mark 25 yea since Alan Devonshire led Maidenhead United to th Isthmian League Premier Division In the first of a se of articles celebrating this milestone, United director Steve Jinman penned ‘Pa One’ of his memories of th historic season
Determined to take the cl into the Premier Division f the first time, Alan Devonshire made a slew o signings to upgrade the
squad. Goalkeeper Garath Ormshaw was signed permanently. Joining Chris Ferdinand in midfield was playmaker Barry Rake. Centre back Steve Croxford returned to his alma mater to create a formidable defensive bulwark with Tim Cook and Brian Connor, whilst upfront Chuk Agudosi would now be partnered by ‘Boy’s Own’ Centre Forward Billy Cove Craig Webster had impressed as a combative midfielder towards the end of the previous campaign and would now be Obi Ulasi’s opposite wing back on the right flank. The promotion team was completed in October with the arrival of iron man midfielder Tom Hickey
United shrugged off an opening day defeat to go unbeaten until the leaves started to fall in October. A 3-1 win over eventual runners up Grays Athletic in August served notice that the Magpies were stepping up to the challenge of maintaining a promotion bid By the turn of the year there were only two additions to the ‘L’ column in the table
The first two matches of the new millennium demonstrated the team’s indefatigable spirit,a deep well from which to be drawn when the pressure was on. A home match against Braintree saw the Magpies bogged down on a wet pitch, only for Croxford to literally dig his team out of the mire with two late goals to secure a win by the odd goal in seven. This was followed by the ‘Battle of the Yeading’, an away trip to the Warren which saw the home team finish the game with only four of the players who started it
Four games without a win followed and on a Tuesday night in February at York Road United were trailing again. Once again though they turned it round in the latter stages of the match to beat Bromley 3-2, the first of six straight wins. Off the pitch the Canal End was soon to be out of bounds as it was resurfaced and capped with a roof To support the fundraising for the new structure, 28 supporters including Chairman Roger Coombs walked to the match at Staines on April Fools’ Day, also raising £2,000 for the British Heart Foundation. As well as a League Cup run, wet weather had created a late season fixture pile up. With eighteen days of the season left, United still had to play seven league fixtures and the League Cup Final
MAIDENHEAD UNITED SUPPORTERS GROUP
Maidenhead United Supporters Group (MUSG) is the name of the new fan-led group dedicated to enhancing the experience that MUFC supporters have with their club and supporting the club in all its endeavours We wish a very happy Christmas to all MUFC supporters and wish everyone connected with the club the very best of fortune and health in 2025
MUSG have already seen a 50% increase in membership this season, which is really positive MUSG is now looking to grow representation across all teams operating under the MUFC banner.
The MUSG-coordinated supporters coach allowed us to bring a healthy following to The Silverlake Stadium, Eastleigh - one that is not the easiest to reach via public transport – before Christmas and then on New Years Day a fully booked coach boosted the travelling numbers at Woking to over 200. The noise made on an afternoon where the boys didn’t have one single iota of luck was tremendous and the home spectators were easily out sung
The coach to Forest Green Rovers – a ground we last visited nearly 15 years ago –will run at a cost of £20 for adults, £15 for Under 16s MUSG members will be prioritised. Book up with us today, visit our stall opposite the Kelme club shop.
LEAGUE TABLE
ON THIS DAY
Of the 12 matches played on today’s date only one has seen both sides fail to get on the scoresheet; the odd one out occurred in 1992 when newly appointed manager John Clements saw his struggling side slip to a 2-0 home defeat to title chasing Yeading in an Isthmian League 1st Division match
The Magpies had no problem finding the net 95 years ago when Great Eastern Railway (Romford) were the visitors to York Road for a Spartan League fixture, Jack Palethorpe scoring five goals in an 8-2 win. In blustery conditions Palethorpe scored his first after just three minutes converting a cross from Jacobs then Len Allum made it 2-0 from the penalty spot following a handball. Jacobs was again the provider to set up Mansfield for the third before Palethorpe made it 4-0 with an easy goal Just before half-time Goldsmith got one back for the visitors as United led 4-1 at the break. Ten minutes into the second half Palethorpe completed his hat trick racing through to score number five, the goal was allowed to stand despite protests from the Great Eastern players that he was offside The Romford side fought back to reduce the deficit to 5-2 with a goal from Bell, but then came completely off the rails in the final fifteen minutes as the ‘Maidenhead Express’ added three more goals, two from Palethorpe and one from Parmley Amazingly the Magpies repeated the score line against the same opposition the following season
A last-minute penalty from Paul Kelly secured United their first victory of the year with a 3-2 Isthmian League Premier Division win at Hitchin Town today in 2003 The Magpies failed to muster a shot on target in the first 45 minutes and trailed 1-0 to a Carl Drew goal at half-time Within minutes of the restart Lawrence Yaku equalised after latching on to a long ball from Adam Durrant, however the lead was shortlived after Drew restored Hitchin’s lead heading in a ball from Jon Bone. Maidenhead were back level on 66 minutes, once again a long ball from Durrant found Yaku who fire home a dipping shot over the keeper’s head. A fine save from Trevor Roffey and the woodwork prevented Drew from claiming a hat trick and the home side restoring their lead before Yaku was dragged down in the area; despite an opportunity to claim a hat trick Yaku let Kelly take the all-important kick to snatch the win
By Maurice Cann
MANAGER: Alan Devonshire
HARVEY COLLINS (GK) 1
ZAC BELL 2
TYRESE DYCE 3
WILL DE HAVILLAND 4
KEVIN LOKKO 5
THIERRY LATTY-FAIRWEATHER 6
RUBEN CARVALHO 7
NATHAN FERGUSON 8
SHAWN McCOULSKY 9
KANE FERDINAND 10
JAYDEN MITCHELL-LAWSON 11
BRADLEY KEETCH 12
CRAIG ROSS (GK) 13
TOBI SHO-SILVA 14
CASEY PETTIT 16
REECE SMITH 17
CHRISTIAN JOHNSON 18
OWEN COCHRANE 19
REMY CLERIMA 20
MILES WELCH-HAYES 22
TRISTAN ABRAHAMS 23
ALAN MASSEY 24
SAM BARRATT 25
JAMIE DAVIES 27
JOSHUA McMENEMY 28
JADYN DUNDAS 29
MANNY ONARIASE 30
RICKY KORBOA 31
JOSEPH AJOSE 32
NOAH STEWART 33
MANAGER: Kevin Maher
1 Nick Hayes (GK)
2 Gus Scott-Morriss
3 Nathan Ralph 4 George Wind 5 Adam Crowther 6 Jack Bridge 7 Noor Husin 8 Macaulay Bonne 9 Danny Waldron
Josh Walker 11 Jack Wood
Joe Gubbins
Harry Taylor
Cav Miley
James Golding
Tom Hopper 22 Keenan Appiah-Forson
James Morton
Charley Kendall
Nathan Harness (GK)
Mikey Faulkner
Beau MacDonald
Oliver Coker
Colin Andeng-Ndi (GK)
TODAY’S OFFICIALS
Referee: Elliott Swallow Assistants: Dean Treleaven & Grzegorz Kornasiewicz
