Maidenhead Progress To Face Newbury

At the Dolphin ground, Slough last Saturday, the above teams met for the right to meet Newbury in the Divisional final of the Amateur Cup. Slough, who were at full strength had disposed of Caversham St. Andrew's (5-2) in the previous round, and Maidenhead had defeated Cowley by 3 goals to 1.

Maidenhead had one change, C.Smith displacing T.Garrett, who was ineligible. The heavy rain of the morning seriously affected the gate, but £50 was taken, and there were several hundred supporters from Maidenhead.

George Copas beat Glover in the spin of the coin, and on a rain sodden turf elected to kick to the Uxbridge Road goal. Maidenhead opened well, and Payne stopped a promising raid by Copas and Hewitt. Boreham was fouled by Wells, and taking the kick himself, sent the ball into Bruce's hands. Work by Copas and Hewitt paved the way for Simmons to give Maidenhead an early lead, after 2 and a half minutes' play, with a shot from about 25 yards out, which sailed just under the bar.

Slough responded strongly, and Richens had to save from Morris. Cridland and Spooner stopped a dangerous move by Glover and Harmon, but Slough came again, and Harmon gave Leslie an opening which the centre forward missed, chiefly through the mud.

Then Wells had a good shot deflected for a corner, which Morris sent behind and Maidenhead returned to the attack with a good move by Copas, Gibbins and Hewitt, but Rose fouled Evans when in the goalmouth. Hewitt got going but Payne applied the closure to the movement, and set Slough on the move; Wells shot hard, but Richens cleared his lines.

A raid by Simmons and a long pass put Rose away, and a centre was dropped in the goal-mouth, where Evans checked Hewitt at the expense of a fruitless corner. Maidenhead were penalised for hands, and Evans put the free-kick to Copas, who sent out to Gibbins; again the ball was put in the goalmouth, and Rose scored at 15 minutes.

Slough went straight down from the centre and Harmon headed past Richens from a centre by Morris who had neatly tricked Taylor. Both goals were subjected to pressure after this; Bruce saved from Gibbins, Boreham shot inches wide, and Rose headed just over from a corner kick by Gibbins.

At the other end, Richens saved from Wells and Poole, while both Morris and Glover missed possible scoring chances and Leslie shot inches wide with a good effort.

Maidenhead's third goal came after 33 minutes play, and was led up to by a brilliant run up the wing by Rose, who put a neat pass to Copas; that player forced Bruce to put the ball against the bar, and from the rebound Gibbins scored with a hard drive.

Slough responded with shots from Poole and Glover, and Richens put the latter shot for a corner, which was cleared. Then Morris received, and when cutting in for goal was fouled by Taylor, and from the resultant penalty kick Glover easily scored.

Play continued exciting, and Hewitt missed a possible chance made by Copas while at the other end Poole placed a free-kick given for hands against Simmons into the goalmouth, where Richens saved on the goal-line from Harmon. At the interval Maidenhead led by 3 goals to 2.

The second-half opened even more sensationally than the first, for straight from the kick-off Hewitt put to Copas, who sent a long pass to Rose; the winger dashed away, centred, and the ball skidded off Hewitt's foot to Simmons, who tapped it into the net.

Slough then put in a long spell of pressure, forcing several corners, while Seymour struck the bar with a good drive and several shots went wide of the mark. Richens was never seriously extended, so well did his men in front cover him, aided by the forwards, who repeatedly dropped back to help the defence.

Maidenhead kept threatening to break away, and eventually when the second half was 19 minutes' old, a through pass from Boreham was accepted by Hewitt, who took the ball in his stride and registered Maidenhead's fifth goal.

Maidenhead were more or less content with their lead, and set themselves to prevent Slough from scoring again, a task which they easily accomplished. Slough were played out before the end, and Maidenhead enjoyed the upper hand in the last ten minutes, when Rose and Copas both narrowly missed scoring, and Bruce effected a fine save from Hewitt. Maidenhead thus qualified to meet Newbury, at Maidenhead, on December 4th.