It was smiles all round for Berkshire’s Vanarama National League sides – particularly Maidenhead United who gave themselves a points worth of breathing room in the battle against the drop.
The Magpies don’t have the best record away to Gateshead (6th) in the North East having lost 3-0 and 4-0 in the last two visits, but Maidenhead don’t have the luxury of time this season with nine games left to preserve their top-tier non-league status.
After wins against Southend United and Oldham Athletic in February either side of a draw with Hartlepool United, Maidenhead slipped into the relegation zone after a run of four defeats and a draw, so the travelling contingent could have been forgiven for thinking the odds were stacked against them as the teams walked out at the Gateshead International Stadium.
Manny Onariase – on loan from Hartlepool – settled the visitors nerves after 15 minutes with a quite brilliant looping header from a free-kick and Shawn McCoulsky was alert to a dreadful lack of concentration by Gateshead defender Dan Jones to latch on to a pass back and score with ease in the 84th minute.
The impressive result means Maidenhead are now out of the relegation zone by a point, but it will mean precisely nothing if Alan Devonshire’s side can’t now replicate the form they’ve shown against the division’s top sides, against the five sides around them they are due to face in the run-in.
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Watch Gateshead vs Maidenhead United highlights
In the National League South, Slough Town are back to winning ways on the road after coming from 2-1 down at the break to beat Hornchurch 3-2 in Essex.
Ex-Maidenhead midfielder Charlee Adams had given the home side a 1-0 from the penalty spot before the break but David Ogbonna levelled on 45 – only for Darren McQueen to make it 2-1 in first half injury time.
The Rebels early season promise has perhaps fallen away as the season draws to a close, but Scott Davies side have still delivered plenty of high’s this season and Slavi Spasov will certainly be amongst those.
The Bulgarian former Oxford United forward pulled another match winning goal out of the bag after Jeanmal Prosper’s 73rd minute equaliser.
Spasov’s 16th of the season came three minutes later, a long throw wasn’t dealt with and Spasov pounced to give the Rebels a first away win since November.
