A second goal in 48 hours for Alex Osborn was not enough for United to take anything from the “Landlords v Tenants” fixture on a dreary Bank Holiday Monday as two early strikes for Maidenhead from former United striker Ben Wright won the day for the Magpies.

Tristan Lewis made one enforced change from Saturday’s victorious side as injury ruled out Ben Gerring at the heart of the United defence, his place being taken by Lewis Ferrell who slotted in alongside former Magpie Devante McKain.

After a cagey start to the fixture, it was United who went close first, Osborn collected the ball out wide and fired in a curling centre that was met powerfully by Ismael Ehui but his header went wide of Carl Pentney’s goal.

Just a minute later the home side went ahead. A rushed clearance from Dan Lincoln in the United goal gave the impressive Harry Pritchard the chance to slip past Jim Fenlon on the Magpies left, he then burst into the area before pulling the ball back to Wright who had the simple task of firing home from 6 yards.

Eight minutes later the same pair combined for number two for the Magpies, Wright not being picked up at the near post whereby he volleyed home Pritchard’s corner kick, again from about six yards.

Play started to even out after this and United slowly pulled themselves back into the fight. The only time either side got close to goal however for the remainder of the half was when Pentney went full stretch to tip away a curling Jake Nicholson free-kick with former United skipper Dean Inman clearing away the loose ball before anybody in a blue shirt could pounce.

A change at the break by United saw the ineffectual Tyrell Miller-Rodney replaced by former AFC Wimbledon winger Brendan Kiernan and it was he who almost got United back into the game just four minutes later. Kiernan collected an Adam Everitt pass on the right and carved his way into the box before hitting a shot that only just cleared the Magpies goal.

Just before the hour mark United were indeed back in the game. Alex Osborn collected the ball in the middle of the park and danced through three attempted tackles before unleashing a shot from the edge of the box that with the aid of a slight deflection flew into the top corner beyond Pentney’s grasping fingers.

Just a few minutes later it could have been all square, Osborn sliding Elliot Benyon through on goal only for the striker to be denied by the outstretched boot of Pentney with Osborn collecting the loose ball but from distance his effort went wide of the upright.

On a breakaway at the other end the Magpies thought they had killed off the game when another former United man in the form of Jake Reid netted a Pritchard centre from close range but to his obvious amazement he was denied by a raised offside flag.

United continued to have much of the possession as the game drew towards its conclusion. A cross from the right flank saw the ball bounce around in the Magpies area before Ehui got a shot away that went narrowly wide and then the same player stooped to meet an in-swinging Nicholson corner although sadly with the same result. The final effort of the game came from Magpies substitute Sam Barratt who was also just wide of the target, this time with a well hit 25 yard free-kick.

And that was that, three points to the “Landlords” although the “Tenants” will feel that their efforts, especially in the second half, deserved something out of the game.

Report by Kevin Watts.

Photos by Ray Peploe.

United Man of the Match: Alex Osborn.

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