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    • Alan Devonshire's final game: Maidenhead United 3-0 Chippenham Town

    02:37PM, Saturday 29 November 2025

    Alan Devonshire's final game: Maidenhead United vs Chippenham Town

    That's it. The curtain comes down on Alan Devonshire's time as manager with a 3-0 win over Chippenham Town. Like Dev, it was unflashy but well deserved! 

    90' GOAL Sam Barratt (Maidenhead United 3, Chippenham 0). Barratt smashes home the penalty, probably the last goal of Alan Devonshire's reign

    90' PENALTY Maidenhead. Caine Bradbury is sent off after bringing down Jayden Mitchell Lawson who had skipped past the keeper and had an open goal

    We have five minutes of additional time here. 2-0 

    The Bell Street End shouting 'Alan Dev's black and white army' in unison! 

    They're going to continue to the final whistle and beyond you would expect! 

    84' Popoola nearly scored a brilliant third for the Magpies after dancing through the Chippenham backline. His final shot looping over the bar! 2-0 

    81' Dulson's fabulous header from Yearwood's cross bounces off the top of the crossbar. So close to a second there for the Magpies forward 2-0 

    79' Time is running out for Chippenham to get something from this game. Maidenhead have almost hit them on the break for a third, Asher Yearwood slipping the ball in for Popoola on the left but his low shot was saved by Will Henry 2-0 

    At the other end, Robinson has tested Will Henry with a strike from distance, 

    74' Chippenham have had a few half chances to report. Ed James saw his splendid low strike well saved by Jordi Van Stappershoef, while they've also had a handball claim for a penalty that the referee waved away 2-0 

    64' GOAL Josh Umerah (Maidenhead United 2, Chippenham Town 0)

    Josh Umerah doubles the Magpies lead with a towering header from Owen Cochrane's cross. That was a fantastic header under pressure from the centre forward. 

    57' Tom Mehew's  shot from the edge of the area is deflected behind for a corner. Decent spell of passing from the visitors there. They look a little more ambitious this half and it's making for a more open game! 1-0 

    54' Popoola has sprung into life this half. He's already gone on a couple of lovely runs and has been a real threat. He's just been booked for diving though on the edge of the Chippenham area. 1-0 

    50' First chance of the second half goes Maidenhead's way. Popoola with a clever turn to get away from his marker threads the ball through to Dulson. He's forced to check back, but swivels and gets a shot away that Henry saves. 1-0 

    Back underway at York Road. Maidenhead will attack the Bell Street End in the second half. 1-0 

    Maidenhead United 1, Chippenham Town 0

    And that's half-time! Maidenhead dominated the half without creating much of note, however, they've snatched the lead at the break thanks to Dulson's cracking finish! 

    45' GOAL! Liam Dulson (Maidenhead United 1, Chippenham Town 0)

    Maidenhead make the breakthrough a minute before half-time. Dulson collected the ball and strode forward with purpose before arrowing a low shot beyond Will Henry into the bottom corner! 

    44' Robinson heads tamely wide under pressure after getting onto an Umerah flick. 0-0 

    42' Chippenham have just had the chance of the half. Anointed Chukwu cut inside his man in the area and looked certain to fire past JVS, but De Havilland slides in to make a goal-saving block! 0-0 

    41' Having dominated the whole half, Maidenhead very nearly gave away a calamitous goal. Popoola badly underhit his backpass to the keeper and JVS had to be out quickly to slide in and take the ball off the toes of Vaughan. 0-0

    36' A couple of half chances to report. First Maidenhead swung a dangerous ball into the box through Cochrane and Umerah looped a header goalwards which the keeper saved comfortably. At the other end, Chukwu has just turned and smashed a shot way over the bar from inside the area. It remains goalless. 0-0 

    34' Well, so far, Dev's final game hasn't exactly been a classic. The game is crying out for one of the two teams to take a risk. Chippenham have defended very deep, but they've defended well, while Maidenhead haven't looked under threat on the counter 0-0 

    28' Maidenhead managed to play their way through Chippenham, with Robinson threading a ball through to Dulson, but the flag goes up to spare the visitors and the keeper saved Dulson's shot anyway. 0-0 

    17' A rare break for Chippenham down the right through Bradbury. He sweeps in a low cross that De Havilland clears fairly comfortably. Maidenhead are generally controlling this game but are yet to create any real chances. 0-0 

    14' A fairly cagey start to the game. Maidenhead have been increasingly penning Chippenham back in their own half, but are yet to create an opening of note. 0-0 

    An interesting lineup for the Magpies today. They're playing a back five, with De Havilland, Onariase and Welch-Hayes as the three centre halves and Bartley and Cochrane as the wing backs. Clerima is playing further forward as a defensive midfielder. Interesting structure. I wonder if Devonshire has made that call or whether it's Peters and Aaron O'Brien? 

    4' Chukwu has an attempt from distance for Chippenham, but it's a comfortable save for JVS! 0-0 

    1' We're underway in Alan Devonshire's final game as manager. 

    Maidenhead are kicking down the slope in the first half. 

    The miserable rainy weather of earlier has passed over us and there are blue skies for kick off here at York Road. 

    The Magpies u11s Diamonds will give the players and Devonshire a guard of honour onto the field. 

    Devonshire's tenure as Maidenhead boss will end at the final whistle after 3681 days!

    Ian Waterhouse outlines Devonshire's legacy as Maidenhead United boss! 

    Reflecting on Alan Devonshire's second spell as Maidenhead boss. The club's greatest ever manager, twice over! '

    Chairman Peter Griffin called Devonshire the 'greatest non-league manager of many a generation' when he reflected on his decision to step down this week

    Maidenhead United have been paying tribute to Dev all week. 

    Here's a montage of some of his best moments from the past 10 years

    Chippenham line up at York Road as follows: 

    Devonshire's last team selection is as follows:

    Welcome to York Road where Maidenhead United take on Chippenham Town in what is Alan Devonshire's final game as manager after 10 years at York Road.

    Devonshire will rightly be regarded as the club's greatest ever manager, having led them to promotion from the National League South as champions, and kept them there for eight seasons against the odds.

    Relegated last season, he wanted to guide the Magpies back to the National League in what was always likely to be his last season as manager, but last week he stood down from the role after suffering a seventh defeat in eight winless matches. 

    As if released from the shackles and pressure of the situation, Maidenhead responded in brilliant fashion to thrash Salisbury 6-0 on Tuesday evening and chairman Peter Griffin hopes a large crowd turns out this afternoon to help Devonshire bow out on a high with a victory over Chippenham.

    This is the first of three home matches for the Magpies, with Hornchurch the visitors next Saturday before Ebbsfleet United come to York Road the following Tuesday. 

    Second bottom Chippenham have only won one of their last  12 matches in all competitions, however, that came at home to Tonbridge Angels on Saturday and they backed that up with a 2-2 draw with Farnborough on Tuesday. 

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