Asare believes back-to-basics approach helped Maidenhead United against Chesterfield

Zico Asare. Photo: Darren Woolley

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Defender Zico Asare believes the Magpies back to basics approach helped them to a well-earned draw against National League table toppers Chesterfield on Saturday.

With the Spireites coming into the game off the back of a club record seven-match winning streak and sitting five points clear at the top of the table, few gave Maidenhead much of a prayer against Paul Cook’s pace-setting trailblazers.

However, right from the first whistle there was a sense that the Magpies weren’t turning up just to make up the numbers, and when Tobi Sho-Silva bundled them in front in the first half, a huge upset was in the offing. It didn’t quite materialise with Michael Jacobs sweeping home a second half equaliser, but this was much more like it from Devonshire’s side, a performance that should galvanise the squad and raise hopes that Devonshire and his coaching staff can keep this part-time club in with the big boys of non-league football once again.

The result keeps the Magpies in the bottom four but moves them level with York City and Oxford City in 19th and 20th positions on 11 points. They’ll now look to build on that positivity at Oldham Athletic on Tuesday - The Latics being the only former Premier League team to have fallen into non-League football.

“The boys worked so, so hard,” said Asare.

“We’ve been in bad form. Getting a result was just what we needed. It could have been a win, but we’ll take a draw.

“We need to get back to basics now. Five losses in a row isn’t good, but if we do the basics well, we’ll get our reward from there.

“Yeah, definitely, we feel positive, and we’ll take this onto Oldham next week. We’ll do the same thing. We’ll work hard and make it tough for Oldham and we’ll try and get a result.”