06:09PM, Saturday 04 November 2023
Oxford United 2, Maidenhead United 0
Maidenhead United bowed out of the FA Cup this afternoon after a first-round exit against League 1 Oxford United, but they do so with their heads held high after a competitive performance.
Sixty-six league places separate the League 1 promotion chasers from the Magpies in the lower reaches of the National League, but you wouldn’t have known that on the strength of the visitors’ performance at the Kassam Stadium.
They were undone by two moments of clinical finishing from Oxford striker Billy Bodin, however in between those goals in the 15th minute and 81st minute, the Magpies could lay claim to being the better side.
They didn’t exactly knock down Oxford’s door as they chased an equaliser in the first and second halves, but they created more than enough decent chances to have found themselves level and, had they done so, this tie could easily have been flipped on its head.
Cheered on by 663 supporters on the far side of the ground, the Magpies began the game reasonably well, compact in defence while limiting their hosts space and opportunities.
Assistant manager Ryan Peters thoughts after @MUFCYorkRoad’s FA Cup first round exit at the hands of @OUFCOfficial pic.twitter.com/AKv17m6UW4
— Daniel Darlington (@Darlington10) November 4, 2023
However, that defensive diligence crumbled in the 15th minute when the hosts moved the ball well onto the right and Stanley Mills sent in a low cross that Bodin converted via the help of the left hand post. Craig Ross in the Maidenhead goal had little chance of saving it.
There followed a worrying spell for the visitors as Oxford pressed and probed for a second goal. Had they found one, this tie might have been over before it had really begun. Mills sent in a number of dangerous crosses which the Magpies defence managed to scramble clear and in the 19th minute Mark Harris was played through on goal, but Remy Clerima managed to get back and make a last ditch challenge.
The Magpies improved, however, as the game wore on and they created their first big chance in the 26th minute when Tobi Sho-Silva escaped down the right and sent in a low cross that Jayden Mitchell-Lawson scooped over the bar. More pressure followed from the Magpies, with Ashley Nathaniel-George going over on the edge of the Oxford penalty area -neither a penalty nor a free kick according to the referee. Minutes later he fired another speculative effort at the home side’s goal. It was blocked and Mitchell-Lawson turned the rebound wide, but those chances gave United’s supporters real hope as half-time approached.
There was just a sense that Oxford were going through the motions a little, and that sense was strengthened in the second half when the Magpies had a spell of pressure which could have turned this first round tie in their favour.
First Alan Massey, on as a half-time replacement for Will De Havilland, saw his curling shot from the edge of the box blocked in the 47th minute. From the resulting corner, Smith had a shot that was scrambled away by the home side’s defence and a couple of minutes later, Sam Beckwith whipped a dangerous low ball into the box that just eluded Sho-Silva.
Maidenhead looked the more likely scorers and Oxford, who had conceded equalisers at home in their last two games, were sitting back once again. Mitchell-Lawson got to the byline and pulled back a cross that missed everyone in black and white just after the hour mark, but the visitors started to flag a little as the game wore on.
Former Slough Town striker Tyler Goodrham looked to have been chopped down in the box as he attempted to run onto a through ball, but – like in the first half – the referee wasn’t interested in penalty appeals.
Then, in the 81st minute, Oxford scored the goal which killed the tie. Goodrham was involved on the left, bringing the ball into the centre of the field before a clever pass was slipped through to Bodin. The striker’s first shot was pushed away by Ross, but Bodin had the presence of mind to tap home the rebound from a tight angle.
Josh Murphy – the twin brother of Newcastle United player Jacob Murphy – could have wrapped things up but he was foiled by Ross who made a smart save late on.
The game petered out for a 2-0 win for the home side, but Oxford were more than a little flattered by the scoreline and afterwards, their boss Liam Manning admitted the result had been much better than the performance.
For Maidenhead, they’ll hopefully take positives from this display into their league form as they look to ensure their survival in the National League for another season.
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