Maidenhead United

0-2

Stafford Rangers

 

 

Murray 8, 78


The FA Cup sponsored by E.ON
First Round Replay
Tuesday 21 November 2006
£16,000 to each winning club



Maidenhead United hosted their first match in The FA Cup's First Round Proper for 43 years on Tuesday night.

A Bath City side managed by Malcolm Allison beat them 2-0 in 1963 and the Magpies went down by the same score to Stafford Rangers at a chilly York Road in last night's replay.

The visitors, currently 11th in the Conference National, dominated the opening exchanges and had barely let Maidenhead out of their half before taking an 8th-minute lead.

The evergreen Neil Grayson, now 42, had missed with a couple of early efforts when off balance and Kevin Street's free-kick had cannoned into the wall.

Then Danny Edwards curled in another free-kick from the left side and centre-back Liam Murray jumped highest of a cluster of players at the far post to nod the ball across Chico Ramos and into the far corner of the net.

Stafford seemed to lose their momentum after that and Maidenhead began to have a lot more possession, full-back Mark Nisbet shooting a yard wide of the right-hand post and David Clarke's cross-cum-shot being turned over by 'keeper Danny Alcock as he struggled to move backwards before the home side were awarded a spot-kick for a push in the box on 28 minutes.

Top scorer Craig O'Connor was clearly up for the task and ran up purposefully before blasting his shot against the bar. Unfortunately for his side, the ball rebounded to a couple of Stafford defenders who between them managed to hack the ball away.

But the Magpies continued to hold the upper hand until half-time, apparently not too deflated by the penalty miss.

O'Connor and Lee Newman were still busy around the box in the second period but Stafford were particularly solid in central defence and gave them little scope. A second Stafford goal on 78 minutes, again by ex-Shrewsbury defender Murray, virtually ended the match as a contest.

There was still time for a male streaker to brave the bitterly cold last few minutes and race cross the pitch (yes, a criminal offence) and for Stafford's Grayson to be knocked out in a collision with Ramos.

For a club whose average home gate is around 250, last night's attendance of 1,934 was outstanding.