Maidenhead 1 King's Lynn 1
26th August 2006
Visitors Lynn were given a gift of a goal head-start,
but Maidenhead played their way back into the game to
earn a 1-1 draw on Saturday. The Linnets were the second team with championship pretensions to visit York Road this week, but were pale in comparison to the tough Chippenham outfit who also took a point from the Magpies on Tuesday night.
Linnets boss Tommy Taylor said: "We scored nice and early and had a couple of chances to increase our lead.
"Maidenhead didn't really hurt us and Shaun (Marshall) and the defence were unhappy about not keeping a clean sheet."
Maidenhead put the ball in the net for the first time in the third minute.
Unfortunately it was at the wrong end.
A searing run down the right wing from Paul Atkins ended with an incisive cross into the six yard box which the hapless Dominic Sterling could only turn past his goalkeeper Chico Ramos (the Portuguese player who spent six seasons at Benfica) to give a goal away.
The Bell Street faithful could be forgiven for thinking this was the prelude to another humiliating defeat along the lines of several during last season's relegation.
But the Magpies' heads did not drop and instead United began a determined fightback into the game.
Within ten minutes Lynn keeper Shaun Marshall had to be at his best to palm wide a Sterling effort who almost made amends for his earlier lapse.
With Lynn adopting a direct approach they troubled Ramos just once before half-time when a long ball was flicked onto Jack Defty, whose shot was well saved.
With the interval in sight Marshall again came to Lynn's rescue, parrying a wicked free-kick from Dwain Clarke.
It was Ramos' turn to show off his goalkeeping skills midway through the second half when a snapshot out of nothing from Shaun Carey drew a flying save to tip the effort over the bar.
The equaliser came with less than a quarter of an hour left on the watch, right-back Mark Nisbet making a rare foray forward.
He dribbled the ball through the Lynn defence before picking his spot to score a virtuoso goal.
With both sides lacking a cutting edge up front there were no further chances, with perhaps the Maidenhead manager Carl Taylor a little happier at the final outcome. Magpies: Ramos, Smith (Haule 79), Parsons, Bunce, Sterling, Lewington, Witt, Nisbet, O'Connor (Beevor 87), Hughes (Romeo 66), Clarke. Subs not used: Burnell, Howard.
Goal: Nisbet 76.
Lynn: Marshall, West, Smith, Warren, Cooper, Carey, Atkins (McMahon 56), Camm, J. Defty (O'Halloran 69), Frew (Nolan 74), Toms. Not used: Kennedy, C. Defty. Goal: Own goal (Sterling) 3.
Referee: J. Comley (Windsor). Attendance: 257.