Maidenhead United scored some brilliant goals in Saturday’s 4-2 win over Dorking Wanderers at York Road, and the man with the worst view of them in the ground was probably their goalkeeper Craig Ross.
Ross was kept busy enough by a determined Dorking side, who kept themselves in contention with goals from Charlie Carter and Jason Prior.
But all he could do was watch and cheer as a thrilling home victory was secured by goals from Sam Beckwith, Reece Smith, Jayden Mitchell-Lawson, and Tristan Abrahams.
In an open and exciting match, the Magpies’ custodian had to make a number of vital saves to keep the home team ahead.
And as Prior bent to head in James Muitt’s right-wing cross in the 66th minute, there was more than a hint of uncertainty about the outcome.
But in the final minutes, he and the Magpies’ defence held strong until Abrahams pounced on a sloppy pass from Dorking and sprinted through to seal the victory for the Magpies. Ross did not sprint across the pitch to join his teammates in celebrating
“I’m usually down the other end, so I don’t get to celebrate with the rest of the team when we score,” he remarked.
“To savour the victory in the end is a bit of a release for me.”
Since Maidenhead is currently only four points above the drop zone, it appears that manager Alan Devonshire will be validated in his expectation that Maidenhead will require more than the 50 points typically required to survive in the National League.
With eight games remaining, the Magpies are now on 45 points after their crucial victory on Saturday.
“We started like a house on fire,” Ross continued. We attacked at will for the first fifteen or twenty minutes, and each time we took the ball back from them, it appeared as though we would score.
The majority of the time, we handled it well. The goal we gave up in the second half, which gave them some hope, disappointed us. But after we got down to business, Tris (Tristan Abrahams) went and sealed it by nicking one on the break.
“Everyone of them had fantastic finishes, distinct moments of genius. With the first one, it was Jayden, Reece, Tris, and obviously Becks. Thus, it is pleasant that we are able to score a few goals in that manner.
This evening (Tuesday) marks the return of the Magpies to action as Hartlepool United visits York Road. A victory for the hosts would put Hartlepool above their North East league opponents, who are currently two points ahead of them in 11th place.
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