Eubank delivers knock out blow as Maidenhead beat Salisbury and climb to seventh

Maidenhead United 2, Salisbury 1

Maidenhead United moved into the National League South play-off places this evening after coming from behind to beat Salisbury 2-1 at York Road.

The Magpies have been chasing a top seven spot in the league for the past few weeks, having shown a general improvement in form under interim management team Ryan Peters and Aaron O’Brien.

United have also now completed the double over the Whites having beaten them 6-0 in one of Alan Devonshire’s last games in charge back in November.

Maidenhead have been grinding out results of late, and on the face of it this victory under the lights at York Road was no different.

Dillon De Silva was handed his first start for the club after joining on loan from Sutton United and laid on the second goal for Liam Dulson in Saturday’s win over Dagenham & Redbridge. Manny Onariase and Will de Havilland also returned to the starting line up in central defence, replacing Remy Clerima and David Mantle.

The hosts, however, got off to a rocky start, falling behind after only 11 minutes when Tommy Willard fired home after following in Hedges. The goal had been coming for the visitors after Noah Coppin went close to connecting with a dangerous low cross in the eighth minute.

United had the ball in the back of the net in the 17th minute but their celebrations were cut short by the linesman’s flag after Dulson converted Josh Umerah’s cut back.

The hosts continued to threaten, with Asher Yearwood’s low strike kept out by Buse in the 33rd minute. They then came within inches of an equaliser when Yearwood’s attempt from 20 yards struck the back of Umerah and bounced wide of the post with Buse wrong-footed.

When Umerah sent another headed effort wide it seemed the Magpies would head into the break trailing. But in stoppage time Manny Onariase scored with a towering header at the near post, just reward for a half of probing and pressure.

United continued in the same vein in the second half, with Peters making three changes before the 64th minute. First Josh Popoola and Alfie Pendlebury came on for De Silva and Umerah in the 59th minute before Ryan Bartley replaced Jordon Ragguette a few minutes later.

Pendlebury came within inches of turning home Popoola’s delivery as the two substitutes combined in the 66th minute, before Dulson nodded over the bar from Jayden Mitchell-Lawson’s cross in the 69th minute.

The home side continued to search for a second, and it came in the 83rd minute from another substitute, Cameron Eubank. He’d only been on the field for five minutes as a replacement for Mitchell-Lawson but he grasped his opportunity to impress. Dulson deserves huge credit for the part he played in the goal, chasing down a long ball before squaring for Eubank to side-foot home.

Maidenhead still had to negotiate eight minutes of stoppage time, but they did this relatively comfortably to claim a hugely important win.

The result moves the Magpies into seventh place on goal difference. They leapfrog ninth Hemel Hempstead and Chesham who both suffered 1-0 defeats in midweek to Chelmsford City and Dagenham & Redbridge respectively.

It’s also now three wins in four unbeaten games for the Magpies ahead of Saturday’s trip to bottom of the table Chippenham Town.

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AFC Totton 1, Slough Town 1

Slough Town were also in National League South action this evening and came from behind to draw 1-1 at AFC Totton.

The Rebels fell behind to Christie Ward’s strike in the 39th minute but drew level through Reiss Greenidge’s finish from a tight angle in the 59th minute.

They stay in 15th place but move 13 points clear of the relegation zone. Next up the Rebels host Dover Athletic at Arbour Park on Saturday. Dover sit just behind them in the table but are level with Scott Davies’ side on points.

Totton stay  two points above both after tonight’s 1-1 draw.