Donnellan and Kelly strike down Weymouth to ensure Magpies' survival

Shaun Donnellan celebrates his opening goal. Photo: Darren Woolley

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Maidenhead United 2, Weymouth 0

Josh Kelly scored a wonderful individual goal to rubber stamp a professional display from the Magpies which mathematically ensures their National League survival while at the same time landing a body-blow to Weymouth's hopes of staying up.

The result was rarely in doubt from the moment Shaun Donnellan rose highest to glance home Kane Ferdinand's 55th minute corner and the seal was rubber-stamped by United's top scorer in the first minute of stoppage time, Kelly impudently pushing the ball past his marker before firing high beyond Ross Fitzsimons.

The result lifts the Magpies 16 points clear of the bottom three with only five matches left to play, while the Terras are staring into the void having fallen 14 points adrift of safety with seven left to play.

This was also a third clean sheet in a row for the Magpies who've moved to within a point of 15th placed Woking and touching distance of a handful of clubs above them heading into Monday's game at 11th placed Bromley.

United's on-loan keeper Nathan Ashmore - who'll play his final game for the club at Bromley on Monday before returning to Boreham Wood - was called into action rarely, but pulled off one spectacular save late on to tip over Haji Mnoga's rising drive when the score was 1-0.

Maidenhead had a measure of control from the outset on a warm day at York Road. They moved the ball well throughout and were only let down by some wasteful finishing in the first half.

Shawn McCoulsky had the best of them, hooking over Sam Barratt's low corner in the 14th minute and failing to turn home Ryheem Sheckleford's low cross, after a lovely drag back from Barratt to find him, a couple of minutes later.

The Terras did have the ball in the net just after the half-hour, but the linesman's flag came to the Magpies rescue as Matt Buse deflected the ball past a helpless Ashmore after Will De Havilland had made a vital block to keep the ball out of the net initially.

McCoulsky then volleyed over left-footed after Donnellan headed Charlee Adams' pinpoint cross into his path, capping off an afternoon on which it didn't quite happen for the Maidenhead man.

Barratt was withdrawn at the interval after picking up a knock but his replacement, Josh Smile, brought renewed impetus to the home side's play down the right-hand side. He linked up well with the impressive Donnellan and Adams and created a couple of half chances for McCoulsky which again went begging.

Then, in the 55th minute, Donnellan got in front of his man to head home Ferdinand's corner, the ball bouncing in off the post, much to the relief of the 2,000 plus crowd inside York Road.

The Magpies should really have killed the game off in the period that followed, however, their final ball or finishing let them down and the visitors - in desperation more than anything - began to create the odd chance of their own. Sean Shields drifted a cross come shot just wide of the far post with the Magpies defence scrambling before Ashmore pulled off an instinctive save to deny Mnoga what could have been a crucial equaliser.

United saved the best for last, however, and - with Weymouth pressing frantically as the game entered stoppage time, the ball was helped forward to Kelly just inside the Terras' half. He helped the ball on with a lovely first touch before pushing the ball one side of Tyler Cordner and running the other. This left him one-on-one with Fitzsimons and the Maidenhead man didn't disappoint, firing unerringly beyond the visiting keeper to round off a thoroughly satisfying afternoon for those of a black and white persuasion. The goal, as one fan remarked, was worth the admission price alone.

Speaking afterwards Magpies boss Alan Devonshire said: “It's nice to get safety mathematically assured.

“I'm pleased and I thought there were some good performances out there today, on a hot, hot day.

“Credit to both teams, I thought it was quite a decent game to be fair. We've ended up winning the game 2-0 and Josh has got another goal. Good.”

He added: “There were lots of good performances and I thought we looked quite comfortable.

“I'm not picking anyone out, they all did all right. the job's done and it's five seasons now in this league which is an achievement in itself.

“I'll make a few changes for Bromley and look at a few different things. We want to finish as high as we can now.”

Maidenhead visit Bromley on Monday, 3pm kick-off, while Weymouth host Yeovil Town in a 1pm kick-off.