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Maidenhead United 2-2 Hungerford Town

Steve_PeartSteve_Peart
in Football

Maidenhead United kept their seven point lead at the top of National South, after coming back from two goals down to draw against mid-table Hungerford Town in an exciting Berks derby. Just after the Magpies had an early shot cleared off the line, the visitors went down the other end and took a 3rd minute lead when Louie Soares found himself unmarked on the six yard line to fire home. Town’s front line of Nat Jarvis, Stefan Brown and Soares impressed throughout the first half, with their speed and mobility on the break. United pressed hard without creating many chances. They came out after the break fired up but fell further behind on 53 minutes, when Soares shot into the bottom corner against the run of play. The home team ramped up the pressure, striker Sean Marks headed home a free kick on 59 minutes, and Dave Tarpey equalised seven minutes later with a penalty, his 20th goal this season. United had the chances to go on and win the game as the game became niggly, culminating in Hungerford having a player sent off for a second yellow. Tarpey is clearly a very influential player, his quick feet and scampering style, with his twists and turns, reminded me a little of the great Steve Thompson, but not quite in that class.

Maidenhead have been serial strugglers in the South Division in recent years, narrowly missing relegation several times, but the return of manager Alan Devonshire last season saw them finish five points from the play-offs. Hungerford are playing in Step 2 for the first time in their 130 year history, after gaining promotion from the Southern League via the play-offs. Situated in the far west of Berkshire, Hungerford tend to go under the radar a bit. I remember well our humiliating B & B Final defeat against them in ’82, when they were managed by Jim Kelman. A better memory is our B & B win there in ’89 against Slough, Saint Martin’s first trophy win with us. In midfield for them today was new signing James Harper, who played five games for us on loan in 2012. Now 35, the game largely passed him by and he was subbed on 70 minutes.

The crowd of 1004 generated a good atmosphere, they really got behind the team in the second half. I heard supporters ask when was the last time they had over a 1000 for a league game, the days of 10,000 crowds for B & B Finals there are long gone, when fans lined the embankment up to the railway line. The York Road ground is much smarter these days, since the new 550 seater stand was opened in 2014, and only £10 to get in.

We should be grateful that the ground is still there, sitting on prime real estate bang in the centre of a prosperous town. Too many non-league clubs have been shafted by their greedy custodians selling up their prime asset, particularly prevalent in Middlesex. I read that attempts to sell up York Road and move to a new ground have been thwarted by no suitable sites being available in green belt land. Incidentally, I don’t hold with the club’s claim that they were founded in 1870, I think the club was founded in 1919 as an amalgamation of Maidenhead and Maidenhead Norfolkians. When two clubs amalgamate, a new club is born, otherwise it would have two different histories.

Looking at the league tables, with a third of the season gone, there is a real chance that we could be playing the Magpies in the league next season. I hope very much that doesn’t happen but what a game that would be, at York Road. After stirring league encounters with Slough, Windsor and Aylesbury United over the years, Maidenhead could be our new local rivals!

I shall attempt to insert a couple of slightly blurry photos here…
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