Venue: York Road
Tuesday, February 22nd, 7.45pm kick-off
Conditions: Cold but dry
Pitch: Sandy in the penalty areas and cutting up everywhere else.
Attendance: 1153
Scorers: Olomola 18, Ferdinand 44
Bookings: Wilkinson, Williams, Massey, Clerima
Referee:
Yeovil Town : (4-4-2)
Grant Smith
Mark Little, Luke Wilkinson, Ben Barclay, Morgan Williams
Lawson D’Ath (Jordan Barnett 62), Josh Staunton, Alex Bradley(Adi Yussuf 87)
Charlie Wakefield, Olufela Olomola (Reuben Reid 54), Tom Knowles
Substitutes: Matt Worthington, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton
Maidenhead United
Gyollai, Beckwith, Blissett (Smith 77), Clerima, De Havilland, Donnellan, Ferdinand, Kelly, Massey, Sheckleford, Sparkes (McCoulsky 83)
Substitutes: Adams, Parry, Upward
Match Report
A first half goal for both sides saw Yeovil Town earn a point on the road at Maidenhead United this evening.
The Glovers had two goals disallowed on the night, but Olufela Olomola’s 18th minute opener. Kane Ferdinand levelled things up before half time and neither side could find a winner in the 2nd half. Although, Reuben Reid was denied a late winner by an offside flag which our man at the ground, David Coates couldn’t understand.
Here’s how he saw the game…
First half
It was Maidenhead danger man Josh Kelly who had the first opportunity, the ball breaking to him inside and Grant Smith was equal to his effort from a tight angle.
Shortly after Olomola was found from a long throw by Tom Knowles but could not get an effort in on goal.
The first opportunity half-chance for the Glovers as Tom Knowles’ long-throw escaped everyone and fell to Olufela Olomola who couldn’t get a clean connection on the ball.
But on 14 minutes, the visitors had the ball in the net when Alex Bradley (released from incarceration) found Luke Wilkinson at the back post and he headed home.
A pint went up from the away end but it was in ruled out for climbing – seen a lot worse.
The officials levelled it up on 16 minutes when Maidenhead were denied by the offside flag. Smith pulled off a fine save before a barrage of shots with the ball in the net from Remus Clerima, but the flag denied him.
The deadlock was broken on 18 minutes when Knowles’ persistence saw the ball broke to Olufela OLOMOLA whose effort took a deflection on its way in to the net. If Adi get the one against W*ymouth, they one belongs to Fela. 1-0
A free-kick from Dan Sparkes came rattling back of the back off the bar and, from the second ball, a superb intervention from Ben Barclay denied the home side on 24 minutes.
For the remaining 20 minutes, neither side threatened with the combination between Olomola and Lawson D’Ath proving fruitful without carving out a meaningful chance.
The punishment came a minute from the break when a corner from Sparkes appeared to be missed everyone including Smith for Kane FERDINAND to prod home the equaliser. 1-1
Nathan Blissett put a header wide for hosts moments later, but the game was level at half time.
Half time: Maidenhead United 1 Yeovil Town 1
Second half
The first action of the second half saw Olomola hit with a heavy tackle. The loanee got up and carried off, but went down in the 55th minute replaced by Reuben Reid.
In only his second match, Olomola again showed flashes of what he is about and his desire to have a shot shows a lot of what we have been missing up front. Let’s hope the change was precautionary.
Sparkes had a free-kick deflected wide, which Smith may have got a touch on, it was hard to see from the away end. But there was no doubt the keeper did superbly to deny Sparkes with a smart stop on 63 minutes.
D’Ath was replaced by Barnett and he took much of the quality out of midfield, and at the other end it was Sparkes versus Smith.
The Magpies’ number 11 fizzed in another effort from the edge of the box which the keeper turned wide with another stop.
In the away, the supporters broke in to a burst of The Great Escape and there was a feeling of holding on.
Knowles had a free kick deflected wide before another effort from the edge of the box was dragged wide.
Three minutes from the end we threw Adi Yussuf as a Hail Mary, but there was no sign of divine inspiration.
It almost came when a minute in to stoppage time a corner was met by the head of Wilkinson and broke to Reid and whose stabbed it in, only to be denied by the the offside flag.
The linesman had his flag up early but, for the life of me, I don’t see how he can be offside from there.
Three points for either side would have been an injustice, so perhaps there was a divinity involved.