Maidenhead United searching for 'X-factor' after frustrating back-to-back defeats

It can be a fine line between winning and losing in football and Maidenhead United continue to find themselves on the wrong side of some tight clashes.

When the Magpies rattled off six straight league victories earlier this season, confidence was flowing and things just appeared to be falling their way.

But a run of four games without a win, with just one goal scored, has left Alan Devonshire’s side out of the play-off places and searching for answers to reverse their form.

Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Farnborough left assistant boss Ryan Peters apologising for the team’s ‘dreadful’ performance.

The Magpies improved for Tuesday’s trip to promotion-chasing Dorking Wanderers but still couldn’t the elusive spark to prize open a resolute backline.

Boss Alan Devonshire told the Advertiser that while he couldn’t criticise the effort of his players, they paid the price for a lack of creativity.

He said: “We’re just not creating as much as we should. I can’t knock them, they’re working their socks off and there’s a thin line between winning and losing.

“They’ve put one away and we haven’t. It’s disappointing, frustrating and hopefully we can put it right as quickly as possible.”

Tuesday night’s game at Dorking hinged on one moment of quality which saw Frank Vincent deliver a devilish swinging cross from the left hand side which was turned in at the back post by the late-arriving full back Brennan Camp.

Once the Wanderers had taken a first half lead, the onus fell on the Magpies to find a way back into the game.

The visitors had moments and winger Josh Popoola saw appeals for a penalty waved away on the half hour mark as he cut inside and unleashed a fierce drive which appeared to hit an arm.

Neat interplay from Matt Robinson and Popoola minutes later eventually released lone striker Liam Dulson in the penalty box but he couldn’t find the half yard of space needed to release his renowned hammer shot.

Popoola’s withdrawal at half-time, following his own mis-timed challenge, didn’t help Maidenhead’s goal threat but the major chance of the second half still fell to the visitors.

Just after the hour mark, Sam Barratt propelled a long throw into the Dorking box which dropped to the feet of Kane Ferdinand in prime position.

But he could only drag his shot wide and there was a sense another chance of that quality would not fall Maidenhead’s way again.

And so it proved to be as the dogged hosts held on, leapfrogging Alan Devonshire’s side in the National League South to sit just outside the play off places.

“We know the division is strong but we know that we’re better than that,” Devonshire said.

“We know what we can do, we’re frightened of nobody in this league but we’ve got to go out and prove it.”

Assistant boss Ryan Peters added: “The only way we can get back to winning ways is to dig deep, find that X factor, find that clinical edge that I know we have.

“At the moment we seem to be overhitting a few things and dragging a few things.

“When we went through the run of six wins on the trot, everything was effortless. At the moment, it’s a little bit more difficult.”

The Magpies will be back in action on Tuesday when they face another tricky test on the road away at third-placed AFC Totton.

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