Dulson strike rescues point but Magpies miss chance to close on play-off rivals

Photo credit: Maidenhead United

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Chesham United 1, Maidenhead United 1

Maidenhead United missed the chance to close the gap on play-off rivals as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Chesham United at The Meadow this afternoon.

The Magpies lacked the fluency of their second half display at home to Enfield Town last week as they laboured to create chances in a dull, scrappy first half.

The visitors handed a first start to the on-loan Coventry defender David Mantle, while Sam Barratt kept his place in the side after scoring twice in the 3-0 home win over Enfield.

The hosts arguably shaded the opening 45 minutes. The best of the early chances fell their way, with Remy Clerima deflecting Samson Esan’s left-footed shot just over the bar in the 14th minute.

The closest the Magpies came was in the 22nd minute when Barratt’s cut back flashed in front of the onrushing Liam Dulson who was caught slightly on his heels with the goal gaping in front if him. Jordi Van Stappershoef stood up well to make a crucial save from Karl Oliyide as he raced into the area from the left in the 33rd minute.

But in truth, there was little to choose between the teams as the game approached the interval.

It was therefore a big kick in the teeth for Maidenhead when Chesham took the lead in the 43rd minute.

There looked to be little danger when a ball into the area was headed clear to the edge of the box, but the onrushing Esan managed to get to the ball first and hook a shot goalwards. It was flying wide of the target, but Mitchell Weiss managed to deflect it back on target and Van Stappershoef was wrongfooted as the ball bounced apologetically into the net.

Interim boss Ryan Peters felt Weiss looked suspiciously offside as the ball bounced off him and into the net, but the assistant’s flag stayed down, and Chesham managed to carry that advantage into half-time.

Maidenhead were improved after the break as they attempted to inject some urgency and tempo into their play. Again, Peters made early substitutions, with last weekend’s match winner against Enfield, Sam Barratt, withdrawn in the 52nd minute for Josh Umerah.

Umerah didn’t have the impact Peters would have desired from the front man, but the change did have a positive impact on the visitors, who’d already shown their intent in the second half when Liam Dulson cut inside his man and fired a powerful shot at Ben Goode in the 46th minute.

Maidenhead’s equaliser arrived in the 69th minute and it came from their only real moment of genuine quality in the entire match. The ball was worked wide on the right for Asher Yearwood whose cut back reached Josh Popoola. He laid the ball off intelligently for Dulson on the edge of the box and he rifled the ball past Goode. The keeper managed to get a hand to Dulson’s strike, but he couldn’t prevent it nestling in the far corner.

Having come from behind in similar circumstances to beat Horsham a few weeks ago, many felt the Magpies would press on and get a winner. But, if anything, Chesham, had the better of the final 15 minutes until their captain Callum Adebiyi was sent off in the 87th minute. 

There was a heart in the mouth moment for Mantle in the 74th minute when he stretched to reach a cross from the left with his head and very nearly sent the ball past his own keeper.

Then in the 82nd minute, Alfie Williams swung in a cross from the right that flicked off a head in a crowded area and appeared destined for the bottom corner. That was until Van Stappershoef launched himself to his left to get a big paw to the ball and divert it away from the Maidenhead goal.

Chesham’s Adebiyi was then dismissed in the 87th minute after a clash with Dulson in the right corner. There didn’t appear much wrong with his initial challenge, but the linesman started frantically signalling after spotting a further altercation or a kick from Adebiyi as Dulson lay on the ground.

Maidenhead managed to create a couple of openings against the 10 men in the closing minutes, one which went agonisingly close and one which went well wide.

The first came from the free kick awarded to the Magpies when Adebiyi was dismissed. Substitute Harry Pritchard’s free kick from the right was headed just wide by Jayden Mitchell-Lawson, the ball looping narrowly wide of the far post with no Maidenhead player close enough to turn it home.

Their second big chance came in injury time from the left boot of Pritchard. Running onto Clerima’s cut back the former Blackpool and Barnet player miscued badly, sending his shot from the edge of the box well wide.

United had missed out on the win they came for but picked up another decent point in their battle to finish in the top seven. The result leaves them in ninth, still three points off the play-offs heading into Tuesday’s home game with AFC Totton.

"It seems like every time we get an opportunity to potentially cement ourselves in the playoffs, we have an indifferent performance."

Ryan Peters discusses this afternoon's 1-1 draw at Chesham United ️ pic.twitter.com/TVGaYFjsf2

— Maidenhead United (@MUFCYorkRoad) January 24, 2026