Magpies out to prove they’re no longer underdogs in cup final showdown

Maidenhead United Women are making strides this season. Towards their best-ever points total, perhaps even their highest ever finish in the FA Women’s National League Division 1 South West. And on Sunday, they can lift the Berks & Bucks Senior Cup for a second consecutive season, provided they find a way to get the better of league rivals Ascot United at Holloways Park.

It won’t be easy. Sunday’s 1-1 draw between the two sides at the Racecourse Ground illustrated that as Ascot snatched a late equaliser at the death, Kate Fox stealing in to steal a point for the hosts in the 100th minute.

It was cruel on the Magpies, who’d taken the lead through Katie Akerman’s curling free kick which bounced past bodies and into the back of the Ascot net in the 70th minute.

But these two teams fought and scrapped for every ball across the 90 minutes and they’ll no doubt give their all again with silverware on the line at Beaconsfield Town’s Holloways Park on Sunday afternoon (March 15, 2pm kick-off).

Manager Dave Kitson knows his close-knit team of hardworking players can achieve all the above, and the injustice they might have felt at Ascot’s late leveller may yet serve them well this weekend.

Kitson wants to mould a team of winners.  Gone are the days of Maidenhead being the plucky underdog in women’s football.  That image is being ushered out in favour of a team who believe they can win every time they step out over the white line.

Kitson, and his assistant Sean Hillier, were parachuted in on the eve of the current season, following the departure of Ed Jackson-Norris, who took up the chance to join Reading FC. Results and performances didn’t come immediately, but they’ve recruited well and had ‘buy in’ from the talented group who were already there. They now look like a team capable of challenging the very best in the league. Recent results have lifted them to fifth in the table, and they’ve handed title challengers Swindon Town Women their only league defeat this season. Worthing were dispatched 6-0 away from home prior to their county cup semi-final win on penalties against Milton Keynes Dons.

“Given where we were in the summer. We had to completely rebuild the squad, and we didn’t have much time to do that,” said Kitson.

“We were fortunate in that one of the first things we did is bring in a recruitment team and so we now have a huge amount of data, literally on every single player who plays in tier 3 and tier 4.

“Who they are, who they play for, if they’re under contract, what their strengths and weaknesses are, if they fit with the Maidenhead way and what a Maidenhead player is.

“The biggest thing for us is also retaining players. It’s all very well having great recruitment but we’re at the mercy of this ridiculous seven-day rule.

“Which is the bane of everybody’s life. We have a policy of not going for a seven-day approach for anyone else’s players. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop other clubs doing it to us because our recruitment is very good. We haven’t lost a single player this season, which is testament to several things.

He added: “It’s testament to what an incredible group and how closely knit the girls are. How much they enjoy training and the way we play. We try to attack games and win every single game we play. We encourage effort over results. If we applaud and recognise effort, the result will often take care of itself. If we’re all about the result, when it gets hard, players hide and that’s not what we want to encourage. We’re all about the effort and everyone has bought into it.

“Usually, it takes a couple of years to do but we’ve done it in half a season and it’s helping us. Training is one of the things in my week that I look forward to most, because they’re such a great bunch.

“It’s the buy in from the girls, first and foremost. We put forward the ideas and clear instructions. We want them to be a part of this, but there must be the buy in. That comes from the players and we’ve got that. What helps us is that we profile the players that we sign. We know about them and know what their characteristics are. No one coming in negatively impacts the group, they only add to it.

“There had been a plucky Maidenhead vibe and that is a culture that needs breaking.  I want us to view ourselves as the favourites to win every game, I want us to embrace the pressure that comes with that. If we can, then we’ve overcome an enormous hurdle in what is needed to become successful. 

“If you can’t embrace pressure or carry yourselves as a plucky underdog, you’ll lose more than you win.  Collectively we want to be the best.”