Magpies go top for first time ever

A first half Ashley Nicholls goal led to a hard fought win at Fisher and propelled Maidenhead United FC to the top of the Blue Square South for the first time ever.

With the games coming thick and fast, Johnson Hippolyte bravely elected to rest Jack Bradshaw, Narada Bernard, Mark Nisbet and Ashley Smith from the team that earned a point on Saturday. With replacements of the calibre of Tyron Smith, Jamal Fyfield, Grant Cooper and Bobby Behzadi, the changes were hardly noticeable as the Magpies took the game by the scruff of the neck from the first whistle.

With little over a minute on the watch a Behzadi cross from the right was met by the head of Richard Pacquette (pictured) who beat the keeper only to see the ball hit the woodwork. With Behzadi and Dale Binns a class apart from their opponents on the flanks a goal never looked far away, and duly arrived on the twenty minute mark when Ashley Nicholls dinked the ball over the keeper from just inside the penalty area, the ball crossing the line before Pacquette followed up to make sure.

As the half wore on, Fisher began to show signs of attacking intent and United keeper Shane Gore had to be at his best in the 41st minute to palm the ball past the post at full stretch from a shot that took a wicked deflection of one of his own defenders.

After the break, the game evened out, but with Dominic Sterling imperious on his 100th appearance at the heart of the Maidenhead defence, Fisher were unable to create a chance to trouble Gore.

Instead, it was Maidenhead who came closest to hitting the back of the net, denied a second thanks to a fantastic save from Chris Lewington who flung himself across his goal to scramble a Pacquette header away to safety. Pacquette worked tirelessly to defend from the front, hardly looking like a player who needed a fitness test prior to the game, typifying the never say die United attitude which successfully
secured the three points and top slot for 24 hours at least.