Magpies look to be all but safe after battling back against the Bees

Will De Havilland. Photo: Maidenhead United FC

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Maidenhead United 1, Barnet 1

Maidenhead United look all but certain to be playing National League football again next season after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Barnet at a sun-drenched York Road this afternoon.

On what was a tense, somewhat unsettling, afternoon for the home side and their supporters, their survival hopes were reinvigorated by a pile-driving equaliser from Charlee Adams in the 82nd minute, and a late leveller from Altrincham in their game with United's relegation rivals, Torquay United.

Barnet had taken the lead just four minutes earlier, when substitute Harry Smith rose well to send a towering header from distance into the top corner of Alexis Andre Jr's goal. It was such a good goal - and from so far out - that Barnet fans couldn't quite believe the ball had crossed the line and not bounced back off the bar.

The late twists and turns in the relegation scrap mean Maidenhead hold a three-point advantage over the Gulls – with a plus seven goal difference - heading into their final game of the season at Gateshead next Saturday.

Fourth-from-bottom Torquay, who've fought valiantly to put themselves in with a shout of survival, currently occupy the last of the relegation places. After winning five on the bounce, they were beaten 5-1 at Chesterfield in mid-week before letting slip a 2-1 lead in injury time to draw 2-2 at Altrincham this afternoon. They finish their season with a home game against Wrexham who can wrap up the title with a win at home to Boreham Wood this evening (Saturday).

Maidenhead came into the game off the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Oldham Athletic last week and were also beset by injury problems that became a whole lot worse before the afternoon was out. Alan Devonshire was already without the likes of Kane Ferdinand and Remy Clerima, but he must have been cursing his luck when Zico Asare pulled up in the warmup and had to be replaced by Temi Eweka at right back. The injury problems continued to mount up as Ashley Nathaniel-George and Will De Havilland were also brought off after picking up injuries, but United’s spirit never sapped and the home side fought on for what proved a very valuable point.

In a similar pattern to recent home games, Maidenhead started slowly, with the Bees setting the early tempo despite creating few clear-cut chances.

Sam Beard had the best of the early openings, plucking a high ball out of the sky well before turning and smashing a shot just wide of Andre Jr's upright. Emmanuel Fernandez was carded for a lunge on Ryan Upward midway through the half, and the Magpies' bench were adamant he should have been sent off when he tripped up Reece Smith as the young player tried to dart into the area later in the half. The midfielder got away with a talking to from referee Stephen Parkinson, and he was substituted at half-time by the visitors.

In terms of chances, Emile Acquah dragged a shot wide from a tight angle in the 30th minute while Sam Barratt hammered another decent chance over the bar after the ball bounced kindly to him from an Adams' corner kick. Nathaniel-George steered a first-time attempt into the arms of Walker in the 36th minute and was replaced by Dan Sparkes a few minutes later due to injury.

At half-time, with Torquay losing 1-0 at Altrincham, Maidenhead fans were in a chipper mood, however, that optimism began to evaporate at the start of the second half.

First, Maidenhead missed several gilt-edged chances to take the lead. In the 46th minute, Acquah tried to bustle his way through, and the ball broke kindly for Sparkes, but he rolled his shot just wide of the mark with only Walker to beat. Then, a minute later, Barratt weaved his way into the box but failed to keep down his shot before the best chance of the game fell to Barratt in the 51st minute.

Idris Odutayo did brilliantly to beat his man and drive his way into the box. He pulled a cross back for Barratt who fired wide when he really should have been finding the target. Torquay then equalised at Altrincham before taking the lead a few minutes later and a hushed silence descended on York Road.

The players must have felt it as their performance seemed to tail off for a few minutes. First, the former Burnham striker, Nicke Kabamba fired in from close range in the 72nd minute as the ball fell to him from a long throw, but - thankfully - the linesman raised his flag for offside.

Then, with 12 minutes to play, the Bees took the lead in sensational fashion. Cropper launched a diagonal ball forward and Smith rose well to direct a fabulous header from distance beyond the reach of Andre Jr and into the back of the net. The form they've been in of late, Barnet would have expected to hold on, but Maidenhead once again showed their character with Adams firing home from the edge of the area, Walker at fault for flapping at the ball and letting it squirm into the net. The Bell Street end exploded with limbs going everywhere.

While there was no more drama in the final minutes and injury-time at York Road, Altrincham's late equaliser from the penalty spot for a 2-2 draw with Torquay was celebrated just as heartily by Maidenhead fans as it means their side is now all but certain to stay up.

Only a heavy defeat at Gateshead, coupled with a similarly big win for Torquay over Wrexham next weekend would see the Magpies relegated, however, it's perhaps worth noting Devonshire's United did lose 7-1 at the International Stadium in March 2018, so maybe we shouldn't all count our chickens just yet.