Match Report | Maidenhead United 1-1 York City

Image by Tom Poole

The Minstermen drew 1-1 against Maidenhead United at York Road in the Vanarama National League on Saturday afternoon.

A late Callum Howe equaliser grabbed City a point on the road after playing the vast majority of the fixture down to 10-men.

Neal Ardley made two changes to the side which breezed past Oxford City on Tuesday evening, with Dipo Akinyemi (injury) dropping out for captain Lenell John-Lewis.

Thierry Latty-Fairweather also dropped to the bench as new loanee Luke Daley made his Minstermen debut.

Opening exchanges of the fixture were largely plagued by medical treatment as City took some hits inside the open

Hosts Maidenhead showcased positive spells when the ball returned to play.

Ashley Nathaniel-George snuck in at the far side of the box to strike a firm deflected effort towards goal in the 13th minute, after being picked out from the left wing.

Alex Woodyard was handed a good opportunity to strike in the 17th minute after the ball was poorly cleared to the midfielder in space, who struck well but wide.

The midfielder was then sent off just three minute later, after putting a challenge in that referee Richard Aspinall deemed severe enough to show red.

A uphill battle commenced for the Minstermen as hosts Maidenhead pilled forwards to dominate the fixture.

Sam Beckwith drilled an effort through bodies in the 25th minute, seeing his strike sneak past the far post.

The left-back went again five minutes later, however that time on his weaker right-foot, which saw the ball up and over after being sliced at.

Pressure continued in abundance as the Minstermen retreated, with Sam Barratt hitting a strike which deflected out for a wasted corner in the 32nd minute.

Nathaniel-George was next in line to try his luck at breaking the deadlock, looking up and firing wide from outside the area in the 38th minute.

Despite the wave-after-wave of Magpies attacks, City entered the half level.

A double substitution followed at the interval as Ardley turned out Olly Dyson and Paddy McLaughlin for John-Lewis and Olly Green.

Despite the man difference, City looked somewhat comfortable in the opening 15 minutes of the half.

Nathaniel-George continued to cause some problems when cutting in down the left-hand flank however, stinging a shot off Ryan Fallowfield’s body before aiming high in the 63rd minute.

Referee Aspinall pointed to the spot in the 69th minute after the on-rushing George Sykes-Kenworthy clipped the Maidenhead substitute Shawn McCoulsky down in the area.

The shot-stopper picked the right way to deny Maidenhead’s Nathaniel-George an opener from the spot in the 70th minute, however the winger two minutes later pinged a deflected shot off the City defence and past the ‘keeper.

Defender Callum Howe dropped a header just wide of Craig Ross’ net after latching onto Burgess’ set-piece, as City looked to salvage something from the tie in the 74th minute.

The game spung further into life when Casey Pettit crashed a dipping long-range effort off the crossbar just two minutes later.

York notched a hard-earned equaliser in the 87th minute. Burgess crossed in a pin-point ball from the right which Howe connected with brilliantly at the back post in front of the away end to snatch a point on the road.

MAIDENHEAD: Ross ©, Asare, Beckwith, De Havilland, Nathaniel-George, Ferdinand, Sho-Silva, Pettit, Smith, Clerima, Barratt (54‘ McCoulsky).

UNUSED SUBS: Keetch, Omilabu, Massey, Kinsella.

YORK CITY: Sykes-Kenworthy, Fallowfield, Cordner, Davies, Kouhyar (41’ Latty-Fairweather), John-Lewis © (46’ Dyson), Howe, Daley, Burgess, Woodyard, Green (46’ McLaughlin).

UNUSED SUBS: Stockdale, Kennedy.

ATTENDANCE: 1,525 (No York City supporters figure provided)