HIGHLIGHTS: Maidenhead United Women progress past Reading to reach Berks & Bucks Cup final

Maidenhead players celebrate Macey-Nikiah Walters’ opener. Photo: Darren Woolley

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Maidenhead United Women are just one tantalizing step away from winning the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup for the first time in their history after defeating Reading FC 3-0 in Sunday afternoon's semi-final at Arbour Park.

United have reached the final four times in their history but have yet to take the cup home with them.

On Sunday, they got the better of a Reading side who were playing WSL football as recently as 2023 but were demoted to Tier 5 and the Southern Regional Women's Football League at the end of last season.

Macey-Nikiah Walters gave Maidenhead the lead with an instinctive first-time strike on the stroke of half-time, while second half goals from Isacc Gregory and Natalie Cowell confirmed the Magpies' dominance and place in the final.

The goals that sent us to the cup final pic.twitter.com/KS7qCm3gPm

— Maidenhead United Women (@mufcyorkroadwfc) February 18, 2025

However, it looks like they'll have another battle on their hands to lift the cup after Tier 6 side Newport Pagnell Town shocked United's Tier 4 peers Chesham United in the other semi-final, defeating them 2-0 at The Meadow.

The final will be played at Beaconsfield Town's Holloways Park (HP9 2SE) at 2pm on Sunday, March 16.

Admission will be £5 for adults, £1 for Under 16s, with Under 5s free of charge.

United managed to overcome early nerves to comfortably progress to the final on Sunday. In the opening minutes, Karima Elouath managed to win the ball back off the Maidenhead defence but shot tamely at Kenny Clarke.

The game's opening goal arrived in the 41st minute when top-scorer Walters held off a challenge from Mollie Dench and tucked the ball home from Katie Akerman's forward ball.

Just after the hour mark, Gregory nodded home at the far post from a teasing, tempting cross from Libby Doyle. Doyle had beaten two Reading players impressively to get to the byline and put in a cross that Gregory directed into the far corner. 

- after just her third game with the club, Libby Doyle was given Opposition POTM from yesterdays cup game against Reading with her fantastic performance pic.twitter.com/sdqFHDjrdM

— Maidenhead United Women (@mufcyorkroadwfc) February 17, 2025

Maidenhead profited from further wing play inside the final 10 minutes when another cross from the right, this time from Walters, was bundled home by Cowell to finish off Reading's hopes.

Manager Ed Jackson-Norris, said: “Any side can have a good season and be a good team for a year and win a competition, but great sides and great groups find ways to win again and that was the aim for this season, following up our Combined Counties Cup win last year by trying to push again for silverware this season.”

Goal-scorer Gregory – who turned 19 on Monday – started the birthday celebrations in earnest with a first goal for the club and admitted: “It’s great to score and get through to the final, it is really nice.”

Looking ahead to the final Gregory said: “We have got the belief; we have got the squad. I think we can go all the way.”

Meanwhile, the Development team saw their BBFA Trophy semi-final at MK City postponed, but they'll try again this Sunday, February 23, for the right to play Burghfield in the final at Beaconsfield's Holloways Park on Sunday, March 23.