Mitchell-Lawson backs Maidenhead United to bounce back against Solihull Moors

Jayden Mitchell-Lawson says Maidenhead United are keen to right some of the wrongs of their opening day defeat to Eastleigh when the team travels to Solihull Moors this weekend.

The right-sided midfielder was involved in a lot of the Magpies’ positive early play against the Spitfires, but they failed to make the most of those opportunities, and then struggled to find a way back into the contest once Will De Havilland turned the ball past Craig Ross for an own goal in the 32nd minute.

Jake Vokins’ free kick from wide out on the right then sailed straight through a crowded Magpies area and nestled in the back of the net six minutes later, giving Kelvin Davis’s side a stranglehold on the game that they never looked like relinquishing.

“We started off for the first 25 minutes and I thought we were the best side,” said Mitchell-Lawson. “We created chances, but we couldn’t take them. And then after the first goal the momentum was with them. We didn’t create enough and didn’t really have a chance on goal in the second half.

“It was more long balls and chasing the game really.

“A couple of people have held their hands up (to take responsibility) for the goals. They could have been cleared and we could have done better with them. But, at the end of the day, it is a disappointing result.

“I feel like the way our pre-season has gone, we could have done a lot better today. But it’s the first game of the season. The gaffer has said we have to roll our sleeves up and go again now.”

Having won six of their seven pre-season matches, scoring plenty of goals in the process, United would have expected to carve out a few more chances on the opening day of the campaign - especially on home turf at York Road. But the Spitfires defence did a great job of nullifying them in a stop-start second half which was dominated by fouls and injuries – including one to the referee Jamie O’Connor.

One of their only second half chances fell to Mitchell-Lawson from Reece Smith’s cut back in the 52nd minute, but he wasn’t quite able to adjust his feet to a ball that was fractionally behind him and the opportunity went begging.

“The ball came behind me,” he said after the final whistle.

“I tried to control it, but it just got away from me. That’s what I’m saying, it was fine margins on that one.

“It’s a shame we didn’t score in the first 25 minutes when I thought we played well.”

United did have the ball in the net after 11 minutes, when Ruben Carvalho’s header back in was forced over the line by Tristan Abrahams, however the referee felt Abrahams had impeded Eastleigh’s goalkeeper Joe McDonnell in knocking the ball home.

“That’s just football,” added Mitchell-Lawson. “The referee said he barged into him and that’s why he gave the foul. Sometimes you get those ones and sometimes you don’t.”

Solihull Moors also went down to an opening day defeat on Saturday, losing 3-2 at AFC Fylde, and both teams will be looking to bounce back at the ARMCO Arena this weekend (August 17). United beat Moors 2-1 both home and away last season, with Tobi Sho-Silva - currently injured - scoring in both clashes.

Looking ahead Mitchell-Lawson said: “There’s always going to be another game, every Saturday or Tuesday, so we’re always going to have the opportunity to put a result right. We’ll go Saturday and look to create a lot more chances and score more goals.

“We had a lot of set pieces today and we were a threat from them last season, but we weren’t for whatever reason today. There’s another game Saturday and we’ll make sure we put this performance right at Solihull.”

Assistant boss Ryan Peters' thoughts on Saturday's opening day defeat. 

️Ryan Peters full assessment of this afternoon's defeat is now available!

— Maidenhead United (@MUFCYorkRoad) August 10, 2024