On the back of two excellent wins, United hosted bottom side Staines Town on a Tuesday evening in Maidenhead looking for a third consecutive victory and more points towards safety, it was however to be a dour battle that failed to produce a goal but did produce a third consecutive clean sheet for United and another vital point in the effort to avoid the drop.

A long punt forwards by Jack Turner was knocked down to Josh Cooke for the visitors but his shot on the turn was kept out by the diving Grant Smith who covered his near post well and then for United a deep cross from the right was met by George McLennan at the far post but he could not keep his header down.

The Swans went close again when a Michael Freiter low centre from the left found Jamal Fenelon, he set the ball perfectly for Ashley Lodge who saw his drive from the edge of the box tipped over by Smith at full stretch.

Elliot Benyon’s shot on the turn was then well swept up by Turner after good approach play involving Lewis Ferrell and Dominic Green before Jim Fenlon’s cross flew right across the middle of the six yard box and just out of the reach of the arriving McLennan.

The Swans, looking a much improved side from earlier in the season, fed the ball up the left channel to Fenelon, his low shot being kept out well by Smith who blocked with his legs before grasping the loose ball.

The second half opened with both trying their luck from range, Swans’ Lodge volleying just wide and United’s Williams seeing his 25 yard free-kick gathered comfortably by Turner in the Swans goal.

Emmanuel rose at the far post to meet a United corner but he also couldn’t keep his effort down and then at the other end another long Lodge throw caused chaos in the United area with a succession of defensive blocks protecting Smith before the ball fell to Lodge on the edge of the box and he screwed his shot well wide of the target.

Monthe’s long ball upfield was flicked on by the hard working Benyon into Williams’s run, the United midfielder being met by the on-coming Turner with the ball ricocheting off the United man and going wide of the Swans goal.

A flick on down the right saw the ball drop nicely to Freiter who tried to loft the ball over Smith from a wide position, the United ‘keeper being forced to tip the well hit shot over the crossbar and this was to be the last real chance of the game as both sides took away a point.

Report by Kevin Watts.

United Man of the Match: Grant Smith