For the second time this season the Magpies of Maidenhead faced up to Phil Babb's Hayes & Yeading side and came away with maximum points.
United made one enforced change to the side that lost narrowly to Sutton on Boxing Day as Huw Johnson came into the side for the suspended Adam Everitt, the only other change seeing Jack Thomson-Wheeler take Johnson's place on the bench.
Things could not have started worse for United as with just five minutes played and a couple of clearance attempts missed, former United pair Leon Solomon and Richard Pacquette combined to open the scoring. The full-back collected the ball on the left and curled a deep cross to a virtually unmarked Pacquette who headed back across Jamie Young and the ball crept just inside the far post.
The Magpies almost and maybe should have doubled their lead as early as the 11th minute when a punt upfield was flicked on the Reece Tison-Lascaris who bore down on goal and placed his shot wide of Young's dive only for the ball to go an inch wide of the far post much to his managers vocal annoyance.
United started to find some forward movement with two good chances within as many minutes going begging as former United reserve keeper Elvijs Putnins dived onto a close in effort from Dean Inman before the United skipper got his head to a Steven Smith corner that Putnins had misjudged only for his effort to go wide of the Magpies goal.
In the 24th minute the United defence got in all sorts of trouble as they all seemed to leave the ball to each other and when Tison-Lascaris was nudged over by Charlie Wassmer right on the edge a free-kick was awarded to the visitors. Danny Green took charge and curled the ball over the wall and out of Young's reach to double the Magpies advantage.
United should have been back in the hunt a few minutes later when Geoff Mitchell's cross picked out Huw Johnson but his shot was mistimed and Putnins gathered comfortably. Shortly after Pacquette had a perfect opportunity to extend the visitors lead even further when a chip over the United defence left the striker one on one with Young who stood up and happily grabbed the weakly chipped effort.
In stoppage time United had another great chance to pull one back, Tom Bird crossed from the right, Inman nodded the ball back into the mix but Johnson blasted over from just outside the six yard box.
Although the second half took until around the hour mark to get going, chances were to be had for both side in the final half hour of the game, many for United being influenced by the arrival from the bench of Kamaron English.
United's first sight of goal saw Bird collect a deep cross and move neatly past defender Devante McKain only for his shot to fly across goal and wide of the far post. English, who had only been on the pitch three minutes, then went as close as United had all game when he collected a Dan Thompson pass, cut inside and hit a curling shot that beat Putnins only to go wide off the base of the post.
Magpies substitute Harry Pritchard dragged down a Green cross and fired wide at the far post before Inman again went close for United as he controlled a Thompson pass and hit a shot on the turn that went straight into Putnins midriff.
Still United pushed on in an attempt to get back into the game, English saw a shot deflected wide by Mark Nisbet and then from the resultant corner Inman volleyed a poor clearance goalwards but Putnins grasped his effort at the second attempt.
Four minutes remained when United finally got a lifeline and not surprisingly it was English who found the net after Thompson had done well in the box to lay the ball left to the United winger who coolly slid the ball past Putnins.
Two final chances came United's way in the search for an equaliser, Wassmer nodded a Smith corner back into the middle but Mitchell could not keep his header down, Jack Mills advancing from right-back saw a drive from just inside the area well charged down by Solomon and then in the dyeing embers it was United's Young that was forced into action as Pritchard broke through only to be denied by the United keeper.
Report by Kevin Watts.
Photos by Ray Peploe.
United Man of the Match: Dean Inman.
Print the Teamsheet: Here.
