Devonshire delighted to see Magpies stop the rot but understands frustration of fans

Alan Devonshire was delighted to see the Magpies finally stop the rot with Saturday’s impressive draw against leaders Chesterfield, but admitted afterwards he could understand the frustration of fans at the side’s poor recent form.

Maidenhead came into Saturday’s game against the National League title favourites having slipped into the relegation zone off the back of five straight defeats, however, they produced one of their bravest and best displays of the season to rock the Spireites to their very core.

Chesterfield haven’t won at York Road in the National League and although they had the upper hand in terms of possession and territory, they rarely looked like breaking down the Magpies well drilled back-line.

Their hosts were also brave in possession and committed men forward in a manner that’s been missing from their game in recent weeks.

After the final whistle, Devonshire said: “I’m pleased because we’ve stopped the rot and picked up a point. I feel the frustration of the fans, I understand their frustration, and I’ve been just as frustrated as them, but we can’t do anything about injuries and, at the moment, it’s dictating my team.

“We’ve had another couple pull up at half-time, but it’s just mounting up now. Tobi struggled on for a little while but it’s mounting up and mounting up. I’ll be glad to get the game out of the way on Tuesday and then hopefully get a few boys back.

It’s hurting us, but getting back to the game, I can’t ask for more than that. We attacked them rather than sitting off and we got our reward. We scored and I was really pleased.

“To be fair, when they equalised, it looked like they were the only team that was going to win, but we dug in, and we pushed forward, and we created a couple of more chances. I’m delighted to get a point and stop the rot. I do understand everyone getting frustrated. I’m more frustrated than anyone.”

Full highlights from Saturday's draw with Chesterfield are now on our YouTube channel.

— Maidenhead United (@MUFCYorkRoad) October 2, 2023

The returning Ashley Nathaniel-George and Jayden Mitchell-Lawson marauded down the wings while Reece Smith - who returned to the line up in the midweek defeat to Altrincham - glided around the turf and linked up play to give the hosts more of a threat in the final third.

Tobi Sho-Silva also scored his first goal since moving to the Magpies and recovering from injury when he turned home Mitchell-Lawson’s low cross after 30 minutes, but - for all of Maidenhead’s good work - Chesterfield did eventually manage to find an equaliser when Michael Jacobs curled home in the 58th minute. It was, on balance, about right on both sides and although the Spireites shaded the game on clear-cut chances, the Magpies fully deserved their point, which in the context of their season, felt more like a win.

He added: “We should have done better on the build up to their goal. We’re young, there are seven or eight boys under the age of 23 out there. That’s the first time we’ve had those three fit together. I’m pleased with that. Tobi has been out for nine months with an injury, but he got his goal, and we hope he's going to be fit for the next game.”