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    • FT: Oxford United 2-0 Maidenhead United

    12:50PM, Saturday 04 November 2023

    Live Blog: Oxford United vs Maidenhead United

    Maidenhead United may well have bowed out of the FA Cup this afternoon but they did themselves proud. Two well taken goals from Billy Bodin the difference on the day. 

    All over at the Kassam Stadium. The Magpies are beaten 2-0 but are far from disgraced. They were the better side in the second half and the tie might have had a very different outcome had they taken one of the chances that fell their way, particularly at the start of the second half. 

    90' Four additional minutes for Maidenhead to find a miracle. 2-0

    89' Josh Murphy is played through on goal but Ross gets out well to save with his chest. 2-0

    84' They were just beginning to tire a little but this scoreline flatters Oxford a great deal. If only they could have converted one of their chances from earlier in the half! 2-0

    81' Goal for Oxford United. Bodin with his second of the game. He taps home after Ross saved his initial effort. That should be that for Maidenhead's FA Cup run this season. 2-0

    78' Tame header from Bodin is comfortably gathered by Craig Ross. United appear to be flagging just a little. They've given their all but still need one last push! 1-0

    76' Jayden Mitchell-Lawson is replaced by Charlee Adams for the Magpies. 1-0

    75' Former Slough Town striker Tyler Goodrham is squeezed out in the penalty area. The home sides scream for a penalty but the referee isn't interested. 1-0

    73' Maidenhead have got themselves into good positions today but their final ball or shot hasn't quite been good enough. Can they find their clinical edge in the closing 15 minutes. 1-0

    67' Tobi Sho-Silva is replaced by Harry Parsons for the Magpies. Would be a great time for Parsons to get a goal! 

    65: Maidenhead United are doing their fans proud this half, 

    63: Maidenhead looking really disciplined in defence. Oxford struggling to play through the lines right now. 1-0The visitors are also looking lively going forward. Mitchell-Lawson has just got to the byline and pulled back a dangerous cross but there was no one in black and white to turn the ball home. More good play from the visitors. 1-0

    62' Over an hour gone and for my money Maidenhead United should probably be level. They've been the better side this half and the hosts have responded by making a couple of substitutions. 1-0

    Substitution for Oxford United. Josh Murphy and Ruben Rodrigues come on for the home side. 

    The local BBC commentator says this game has the feel of Oxford's last two home matches, where they've sat back on a narrow lead and have conceded to draw against Blackpool and Wycombe Wanderers

    53' Reece Smith shows his quality with another fine run, but his cross comes to nothing. Still good signs from the visitors 1-0

    50' Maidenhead look the more dangerous team now and the more likely scorers at this stage. They had their hosts on the rack for a few minutes at the start of this half but the rub of the green has been with the home side who still lead 1-0

    48' Great chance for Massey after the ball falls kindly for him on the edge of the area, but his side-footed effort is deflected wide. From the corner there's a scramble in the Oxford area with Smith getting a shot away at goal but the hosts manage to get the ball clear. Great pressure from the visitors and the players are roared on by the Magpies' fans! 

    47' Magpies win a free kick on the far touchline, next to their supporters. A good chance to put the ball into the box. They do, but it's cleared away 1-0

    46' Mitchell-Lawson goes into the book after clattering into Eastwood. 

    46' Attendance: 4,094 (663 Maidenhead followers)

    The two teams are back out. Maidenhead have made a change. Alan Massey comes on to replace Will De Havilland. I would imagine that is injury related and not tactical?

    We await the sides for the second half. Will be interesting to see if either side makes a change or two. 

    Half-time: Oxford United 1, Maidenhead United 0

    45: Approaching half time and Oxford still lead thanks to Billy Bodin's finish off the post in the 15th minute. There will be one additional minute to play here

    42' Maidenhead fans frustrated as a couple of decisions go against them. The first saw ANG tripped from behind but nothing was given. The Magpies just came alive on the edge of the Oxford area, with Jayden Mitchell-Lawson testing Eastwood with a stinging shot from 20 yards. It remains 1-0 to the hosts. 

    32' Half an hour in and the Magpies have come back into this tie really well. They had a poor five minutes but they're responding well at the Kassam Stadium. They now have a dangerous free kick on the right which Beckwith whips into the box. No one touches it but it whistles past the post. That must have missed by inches. The home fans around me are getting a bit restless with what they're seeing here, despite the scoreline. 1-0

    28' More chances for the Magpies. First there's a huge penalty appeal from Maidenhead fans as ANG goes down on the edge of the area. The referee waves play on. ANG then weaves in from the left and strikes at goal, but his effort is blocked and Mitchell-Lawson turns the rebound well wide. It's 1-0 to Oxford but the home side are giving up some chances which should give the visitors some encouragement 

    26: CHANCE. Another great opportunity for the visitors. Sho-Silva escapes down the right and pulls the ball back for Mitchell-Lawson in the area but the midfielder scoops the ball over the bar. Huge chance to level the scores but it remains 1-0 to Oxford. 

    25: First big moment for the Magpies. Reece Smith skips past a couple of challenges into the area but can't pick out a teammate in the middle. That was much better from the visitors who trail 1-0

    22' Maidenhead are also struggling to break forward. Beckwith just played the ball out wide for Sho-Silva but his ball into the middle was easily intercepted. 1-0

    21' Maidenhead are just going through a really slack period. They're giving the ball away cheaply and Oxford United are playing through their lines far too easily. Starting to feel like a comfortable afternoon for the home side. 1-0

    19' Mark Harris is played through on goal for Oxford but Remy Clerima gets back to make the challenge and the combination of him and Ross clear up the danger. Maidenhead living dangerously here. A second goal would surely kill this tie early on. 1-0

    18: Oxford have really settled down after scoring the opener. They look dangerous every time they break forward. Particularly through Stan Mills who has put some fantastic balls into the box. A real handful for Sam Beckwith today. 1-0

    15' Goal for Oxford United! Billy Bodin.  The home side work the ball well to the right side of the area and a low cross is side-footed home by Billy Bodin. It clipped the post on its way into the net. Shame for the Magpies as they had started well, but that's the quality League 1 sides have. You'll get punished for a momentary lack of focus! 1-0

    14' Sho-Silva very nearly chases down a backpass to Oxford keeper Simon Eastwood. That was almost a very sticky moment for the home keeper. 0-0

    13: Maidenhead win a free kick just inside the Oxford half but Ashley Nathaniel-George has strayed offside in the build up. Still, not a bad opening from the visitors here. 0-0

    10' Ten minutes in and I'd describe this as a fairly slow start to the game. Oxford are being patient, passing the ball around but are yet to really test the Magpies' back line. That may just suit the visitors. 0-0

    7' First real moment of danger from Oxford. Mark Harris tries to pick out his teammate Billy Bodin in the area but Craig Ross comes out and gathers fairly comfortably. 0-0

    5' Maidenhead don't look at all overawed here. They've seen enough of the ball and Reece Smith has had a couple of little runs toward the Oxford area. 0-0

    4' One corner of the pitch is currently bathed in sunshine. Conditions are pretty good. Alan Devonshire isn't in the dug out this afternoon as he's suspended following the red card he picked up in the closing stages of Maidenhead's 3-2 defeat to Barnet last month. 0-0

    3': Little of note to report so far. Neither side has had any meaningful spell of possession or territory. 0-0

    3pm: Here come the two teams! We're underway at the Kassam Stadium

    14.50: The Maidenhead players are getting a final pep talk from Alan Devonshire. 

    14.40: 20 minutes to go until kick-off. Oxford United's players are also out and warming up.  They'll have made a few changes for today's tie but will no doubt want to progress and look to push on to the second and third rounds at the very least

    14.39: The timely return of Kane Ferdinand to the starting line-up could help Maidenhead kick on this season. They've played pretty well in recent weeks without always getting the rub of the green, but last weekend's win over Eastleigh was well deserved and felt big in terms of the side's survival hopes! Alan Devonshire has felt Ferdinand's presence has been missed in recent months. 

    14.35: Maidenhead United's players look relaxed as they go through their pre-match routine.

    14.26: Oxford United sit second in the table, three points behind Portsmouth and currently look a good bet for promotion to the Championship. However, their recent form has been a little mixed. After four straight wins in the league they've drawn their past couple of games at home to Blackpool (1-1) and Wycombe (2-2), were beaten away at Wigan Athletic (2-0) in between those matches before bouncing back to form with a 2-0 win at Lincoln City on Tuesday night. 

    14.20: Ian Longthorne is pitch side this afternoon snapping the game for the Maidenhead Advertiser

    14.15: They're not expecting a big crowd here today. Perhaps not surprising as most will be expecting a reasonably comfortable home win, however, this is a special competition. There will be some surprises this afternoon and perhaps we'll have one here. 

    Here are today's teams. 

    14.10: The Magpies fans are starting to filter into the stadium on the far side. They applaud the visiting players as they come out for their warm up. Timmy Mallett is here today, but is he sitting with the home fans or away fans. It's hard to tell who he's supporting from this photo

    14.00: Have arrived at the Kassam Stadium. Great vantage point from the press box. The drizzle from earlier today has abated for the time being and the pitch looks immaculate. We're all set for a great afternoon of FA Cup football!

    12.45: Here are some famous Magpies' FA Cup moments from recent seasons to whet the appetite for today's clash. 

    12.45: This game is jokingly being referred to as the Timmy Mallet Derby, or the 'El Malletico!' due to the TV personality's affection for both clubs. Timmy has been cycling along the Hebridean way in Western Isles so I'm not sure if he's able to make it to the Kassam Stadium today? 

    12.40: Fans are already making their way to Oxford on supporters' coaches or under their own steam

    12.30: Maidenhead United travel to League 1 high flyers Oxford United looking to reach the FA Cup second round for the first time in 137 years! However, they have reached the first round in seven of the last nine seasons under Alan Devonshire. Before that they managed it just seven times since the Second World War. They'll be huge underdogs at the Kassam Stadium of course, however, maybe, just maybe they'll set off a few fireworks of their own on Bonfire Night! 

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