Magpies knocked out of Setanta Shield

Maidenhead United FC were knocked out of the Setanta Shield on Tuesday night as Havant & Waterlooville ground out a gritty 2-1 win at York Road.

An own goal in the first-half and a thumping set-piece header from Gary Elphick 15 minutes from time put the visitors through although the Magpies did pull one back at the death.

There was little to choose between the two sides in the opening 15 minutes before the Hawks struck to take the lead.

Charlie Henry made great progress down the left and delivered a superb cross which midfielder Grant Cooper could only turn past goalkeeper Shane Gore into his own net.

On the stroke of half-time, Gore turned a terrific Matt Gray strike over the bar but there was little he could do 15 minutes from time when Elphick powered home his header from a Gray corner.

Maidenhead pulled a goal back in the final minutes when Nathan Ashmore made a good save but powerful striker Mustafa Tyriaki followed up to net the rebound.

There was still time for the Magpies’s Jermaine Hinds to get himself sent off for a bad tackle on Shaun Wilkinson.

United manager Johnson Hippolyte used the fixture as an opportunity to field his fringe players and was disappointed to have been knocked out of the competition which could have brought TV revenue to York Road in the later rounds.

He said: “Don’t get me wrong, a club of our size like to progress in cup competitions and get the money on offer.

“Yet I saw it as a chance to give other players an opportunity and also the chance to rest those who’ve played every game.

“The guys who have spent a lot of time on the bench got a game. I rested Dale Binns, Richard Pacquette, Ty Smith, Ashley Smith and Narada Bernard.”