Penalty sends Magpies stumbling to defeat

Another depressing afternoon for Maidenhead United and their supporters on Saturday. A goal from the penalty spot sent them sliding to defeat by their old rivals Slough in what must have been one of the least inspiring of the many local derbies between the clubs.

Slough came to York Road looking for a win to keep themselves in the Isthmian League promotion hunt. They got the victory they wanted — but there was no promotion form in this game. It was littered with mistakes and misplaced passes with both sides equally guilty.

There was some excuse for Slough who were without two of their star players, Anthony and Williams, wo were playing for Wales.

For Maidenhead things look bleak. This was their third successive defeat and the third successive game in which they have failed to score.

So feeble have been Maidenhead's attempts at scoring in recent games that one seriously begins to wonder if they will get another goal this season. Certainly there was little or nothing for ex-Maidenhead goalkeeper Peter Spittle to bother about.

The fact that the games only goal came from a penalty just before half-time just about sums up the general lack of scoring punch on both sides. The penalty was rather unfortunate for Maidenhead. There was no disputing the fact that Vince Faulkner brought down David Kemp, but it was only just inside the box and there was little immediate danger to the Maidenhead goal. Right-back Tim Turl stepped up to bang home the spot kick.

This blow, coming only five minutes before the interval, knocked much of the fight out of Maidenhead. It was as if they realised their own shortcomings in the matter of scoring and felt that a one goal deficit was too great a burden to carry.

Until they went a goal down Maidenhead were doing reasonably well, putting plenty of effort into their work and more than holding their own.

A miskick by the Slough defence let Williams clear on the right and his centre floated right across the goalmouth without anyone getting a touch. Woolley gather the ball on the opposite flank, and again a centre went clean across Spittle's goal without a Maidenhead man able to force it in.

Quite the best effort by Maidenhead came in a flash of Chatterton skill that has been seen all too rarely this season. Working himself cleverly into a shotting position on the edge of the Slough penalty area, he hit a left foot shot that fairly whistled past the post. Unfortunately for Maidenhead this was just an isolated incident.

Maidenhead escaped once when Williams headed out from under the crossbar, then came the penalty. And after that Slough might have had two more goals before half-time. Lane got past Whitlock, then stumbled over the ball when all he had to do was run it into an empty net. Again Lane was clear, but this time Whitlock advanced to thwart him.

The second half was a dreadfully dreary affair with Slough comfortably hanging to their narrow lead and Turl and Cannon always a move ahead of anything the Magpies forwards could do.

Twenty minutes from time Chatterton limped off after being injured in a heavy collision with O'Sullivan which obviously shook up both players. Mounteney came on and took over Chatterton's striking role.

Long before the end it was obvious no more goal would be scored, although Slough nearly increased their lead in the last minute. Turl suddenly popped up in the penalty area and it required a splendid diving save by Whitlock to stop the Slough man's shot.

At the end of it all the crowd melted silently away. They had been silent all afternoon for there was so little to shout about.