It was the higher placed visiting team who struck first in the early stages, taking a very well worked one goal lead. But Newbury then responded well, digging in and staying in the game. Maidenhead were unable to penetrate again or extend their lead, and in fact it was Newbury that had created the better scoring chances as the first half progressed. And with Newbury’s midfield growing into the game, it remained 1-0 to Maidenhead at the interval.

Newbury started the second period with renewed confidence and they sensed they could find a way back into the tie. First Ellie Reed and then Gabriely Da Silva forced the Maidenhead goalkeeper into an excellent double save, after the visitors back line had been breached. But then disaster struck for Newbury, when the Magpie’s striker latched onto a weak pass in defence, to race clear and finish clinically to double Maidenhead’s advantage just inside the hour mark.

It was a cruel twist of fate for Newbury, as they had been performing superbly as a unit up until then. But they were unable to recover and Maidenhead scored a third and final goal late on, as tiredness was beginning to set in to Newbury’s players. Three nil to Maidenhead United the final score-line, which sees Newbury bow out of the County Cup competition for another year.

Match report by Sue Hewett