Recap
Report
David Duru’s second half equaliser provided the Peacocks with another bite of the cherry against their National League visitors. After breaking the deadlock just before the break and appearing in relative control, United found themselves having to dig in and defend for the final quarter as a resurgent Taunton mounted late pressure looking to claim a notable scalp.
The scene was set for an intriguing encounter, with both sides in a vein of form. Maidenhead had won their last three National League fixtures whilst Town were defending an unbeaten 10 game run but having to make a number of changes from their last outing against Basingstoke a week earlier. The familiar defensive faces of Ollie Woodhouse and Jake Hodgson were restored to the starting line-up along with forward Aysa Corrick while Adam Parkes returned in goal.
The visiting Magpies soon set about asserting their higher level status, enjoying much of the early possession without unduly troubling the Taunton defence. In fact it took until just before the 20 minute mark before the first serious attempt materialised, Jayden Mitchell-Lawson’s dangerous cross falling for Casey Pettit whose drive at goal was defended and recycled for Reece Smith to fire over. Smith then darted in from the left and when his shot was blocked, it looped up for Mitchell-Lawson to head down to Tristan Abrahams whose effort from ten yards was stopped by Parkes and scrambled away.
The Peacocks were finding it difficult to pose a meaningful threat at the other end, Tom Smith’s lobbed ball briefly raising hopes that Corrick could capitalise until a defender’s intervention. The flow of the tide though was very much toward the home goal. A neat turn and advance from Shawn McCoulsky were not matched by a woeful finish before he did much better, getting on the end of Smith’s cross from the left and seeing his close range header clawed away superbly by Parkes. Maidenhead keeper Craig Ross made his first real save of the match when comfortably holding Woodhouse’s volley after the initial long throw had been cleared but the momentum remained with United, and it was the reliable Woodhouse at the other end whose foot ensured Pettit’s shot had the sting taken out of it to roll benignly to Parkes.
The stalemate was broken five minutes before the interval. A run across the edge of the box from Mitchell-Lawson broke down and fell to Smith whose shot found the fingertips of the diving Parkes but not enough to prevent the ball nesting in the bottom corner. The half ended with Town winning their first corner during stoppage time which Owen Brain delivered straight out, encapsulating an opening 45 minutes in which the hosts competed well but knew an improvement would be required if they harboured any hopes of causing a cup upset.
The 1364 crowd, the highest at the Cygnet Health Care Stadium this season, witnessed a slow start to the second half with little to report. Abrahams’ free kick was touched in by Kevin Lokko just past the hour but nothing to see here as a raised flag ruled it out for offside while the visitors posted another couple of efforts, Owen Cochrane ballooning into the car park after a corner had been headed down and Pettit coming much closer with a strike from 25 yards which dipped narrowly over.
A free kick for Taunton gave Alfie Moulden an opportunity but when his first attempt hit the wall, his follow-up sailed high and wide. A double switch promptly followed, with Archie Ferris and Duru replacing Corrick and Tom Purrington, and the change paid dividends. Ferris was soon involved, heading an Eddie Jones’ cross into the mix before a Woodhouse long throw from the right caused a momentary scramble and Duru was there to slot home from inside the six yard box to ignite wild celebration.
The shift in the game was palpable as the Peacocks began to believe. Intensity towards the Maidenhead box ratcheted up and Opi Edwards took over from Jones to add fresh legs towards the cause. After Brain had seen a shot blocked, it took United keeper Ross to keep his side in the competition four minutes from time. Brain seized on a loose ball to try his luck from 20 yards, but Ross was down quickly to parry his strike and did well to block immediate follow-up efforts from Ferris and Edwards. Could four added minutes produce final drama? Well nearly, Town’s final sub Harris Feltham finding Brain who was just unable to connect, leaving the sides to resume the fight for a place in the 1st Round Proper in three days’ time.
Line-Ups
Taunton: Adam Parkes, Eddie Jones (Opi Edwards 80), Ollie Woodhouse, Toby Down, Tom Purrington (David Duru 69), Tom Smith (captain), Owen Brain, Jake Hodgson, Alfie Moulden (Harris Feltham 87), Morgan Lewis, Aysa Corrick (Archie Ferris 69). Unused subs: Steve Murray, Liam Harding, Ethan Selway
Maidenhead: Craig Ross (captain), Will De Havilland, Kevin Lokko, Shawn McCoulsky, Jayden Mitchell-Lawson, Casey Pettit, Reece Smith, Owen Cochrane, Miles Welch-Hayes, Tristan Abrahams (Sam Barratt 87), James Golding. Unused subs: Thierry Latty-Fairweather, Ruben Carvalho, Toby Sho-Silva, Tariq Uwakwe, Alan Massey, Harvey Collins
Officials
Referee: Niall Smith (Rugeley)
Referee’s Assistant 1: James Collins (Bristol)
Referee’s Assistant 2: Adam Wilson (Bristol)
Attendance
1364
Reaction
“We were so good for half an hour and that half hour spell should have been enough for us to win the game…..” watch the reaction of manager Richard Luffman and goalscorer David Duru on Peacocks TV HERE
Highlights
Match highlights can be seen on Peacocks TV HERE
Photos
Match photos from club photographer Debbie Gould can be viewed HERE
Taunton Town MOM
Alfie Moulden receives the Taunton Town Man Of The Match award from Chairman Brian Pollard
Many Thanks To Our Match Mascots
Ruishton Under 10’s