Devonshire hails Magpies 'hard work and ability' after Boreham Wood victory

Josh Kelly. Photo by Darren Woolley

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Alan Devonshire highlighted the hard-work and ability which characterised his team’s performance against Boreham Wood on Saturday and hopes to see it replicated against every side they play between now and the end of the season.

The Magpies have beaten some of the best teams in the National League over the last couple of months in a run that’s seen the side lose just one match in nine.

Devonshire now hopes to see the side raise their level in every match they play – not just against the big guns at home – starting with 13th placed Yeovil Town at York Road tomorrow evening (Tuesday).

United are in remarkably good form for a side sitting fourth from bottom of the table. They’ve managed to reel in a host of sides above them in recent weeks and have moved nine points clear of the bottom three in the process.

Since Christmas they’ve hosted and beaten promotion contenders Bromley, Chesterfield, Halifax Town, and Boreham Wood, while also scoring a last-minute equaliser to deny Wrexham all three points when on the road.

While the Magpies boss won’t rest easy until they’ve passed the 50-point mark, he’ll surely feel much more confident of their survival prospects than he did a couple of months ago. Now the collective goal is to dominate the teams in and around them in the table in the same way they have the sides at the top of the table.

“We’re getting boys back from injury and it’s just the way the fixtures have worked out,” he said of the side’s fine form against the league’s top sides.

“It’s the worst season I’ve had in terms of injuries, but now I’ve only got two boys out so that’s really why we’re performing like this.

“I think we’ve now had nine games and we’ve lost just one and we’ve played all the top teams, so it's pleasing but it’s also something we’ve got to move and progress now.

An alternative look at Saturday’s victory over Boreham Wood #WeAreMaidenhead pic.twitter.com/dtAHkblq26

— Maidenhead United (@MUFCYorkRoad) February 21, 2022

He added: “I put it (our form) down to hard work and ability.

“When you score a goal like Josh Kelly scored, that’s down to quality finishing.

“We’ve got quality in the side, but, at the end of the day, it’s about harnessing that ability.

“We’ve got Yeovil on Tuesday and we’ve got to back this up now.

“I want us to play like that and show the same intensity against all the teams we’re playing, not just the bigger teams.
“This was our first game for two weeks; we’ve now got to back it up on Tuesday.”

Kelly was on target again in Saturday’s 2-0 victory, firing the hosts in front with a wonderful effort from just outside the area and, while Devonshire believes he’s capable of playing at a higher level, for now he’s set his in-form striker a little motivational goal-scoring target.

“He’s got a lot of talent,” he said. “But this season I want him to push on and get 20 goals.

“That’s what I’ve said to him. He needs to get 20 goals and everything else will take care of itself.

“He’s just got to play the game as he sees, and we’ll help him in certain areas. There are areas he needs to improve on and if he does that. He can go as high as he wants really.”