Magpies waste chances and then collapse late on in defeat at Ebbsfleet United

Ebbsfleet United 3, Maidenhead United 0

Maidenhead United delivered a disappointing performance at both ends of the field as they were beaten 3-0 by promotion rivals Ebbsfleet United this afternoon.

The Magpies headed to Kent hoping to get one over their play-off rivals and move above their hosts on goal difference.

Instead, they wasted several decent opportunities before conceding three times in the final 20 minutes to go down to a deserved defeat.

United’s form in the league has been indifferent of late. Having played well in the second half of their 3-0 win over Enfield Town, they struggled to find the same fluency in last weekend’s1-1 draw away at Chesham United.

Those results left the Magpies a handful of points off the top seven ahead of this afternoon’s game against a team who were demoted alongside them last May.

The visitors were without the influential Josh Popoola for the game at Fleet, while Jordon Ragguette, Josh Umerah and Kane Ferdinand all came into the side.

They were arguably the better of the two teams in the first 45 minutes. Liam Dulson very nearly continued his recent goal scoring form but was denied by Matt Hall in the Fleet goal in the 17th minute after good work from Jayden Mitchell-Lawson and Umerah to tee him up.

Umerah then forced Hall into another stop at his near post in the 21st minute as the game sprang into life.

Former Magpie Josh Coley caused the Magpies problems on a few occasions, and he went close just before the half-hour mark but Will de Havilland slid in to make a crucial intervention.

But the chance of the half fell to the improving Asher Yearwood in the 40th minute. Having latched onto a perfect ball from Raguette, he tried to lift the ball over Hall who stood tall to deny him. The Magpies had one further chance to take the lead before the interval after Mitchell-Lawson was upended on the right edge of the box. Raguette’s free kick to the far post appeared to be on target and Hall managed to paw it away before Matt Robinson’s follow up shot was blocked.

Interim boss Ryan Peters would have been happier with his side’s attacking intent in the first half, however, that impetus fizzled out in the second half and they switched off defensively in the closing stages. They created one more stand out chance in the 68th minute for Mitchell-Lawson, who ran at the Fleet defence before pulling his shot narrowly wide of the post.

The Magpies have been known to finish games strongly this season, but the opposite was true on this occasion. In the 71st minute they switched off and allowed Ronny Nelson a free header at the back post, and he made it 1-0 to Ebbsfleet.

Worse was to follow with Dominic Samuel making up for a first half miss by making it 2-0 in the 77th minute and the Magpies misery was completed deep into injury time when Kwesi Appiah made it 3-0 to the hosts.

Maidenhead will be scratching their heads and wondering how they’ve lost this game so comprehensively. But, after three unbeaten matches in the league, Peters and Aaron O’Brien will have to look at how they’re going to revive their sides play-off hopes this season.

This result leaves them in 12th place, now six points off the top seven ahead of their next game at home to Bath City on Tuesday evening (February 3).

"If you're not going to take your opportunities at one end, at least be hard to beat at the other - and we weren't today."

Ryan Peters talks following a 3-0 defeat at Ebbsfleet United ️ pic.twitter.com/OdUlVCHETE

— Maidenhead United (@MUFCYorkRoad) January 31, 2026