Season so far and key men - lowdown on Chesterfield's next opponents Maidenhead United

The Spireites are unbeaten in six, including five wins, and are only behind third-placed Woking on goal difference.

But they have not won at York Road in four attempts since dropping down to the National League so it has not been happy hunting ground for the Blues.

We spoke to journalist Joshua Browne, who covers the Magpies for the Maidenhead Advertiser, to get the lowdown on Town’s next opponents...

How would you sum up Maidenhead United’s season so far?

Maidenhead United’s season has been mixed – some real highs, some real lows. Throughout their time in the National League, the Magpies have pulled off some stunning results and this season was no different. For example, they won at Chesterfield, who were at the league leaders, in October. Alan Devonshire’s men also gave Notts County a mighty scare, with County narrowly triumphing 4-3, when the sides met in December last year. More recently, the Magpies men denied Wrexham a win not when the Hollywood-owned outfit visited York Road, Shawn McCoulsky scoring at the death to spark incredible scenes, the final score 2-2.

In terms of lows, losing 3-0 to Scunthorpe United led to the Magpies’ management apologising to fans and I have heard they had to do the same after this weekend’s disappointing 3-1 defeat to Dorking Wanderers. There were also a few too many winless runs and streaks earlier in the season where they were unable to find the back of the net.

Are you confident that Maidenhead won’t get dragged into a relegation battle?

I am confident the Magpies have done enough to stay up this season. Alan Devonshire has often made survival his part-time team’s primary objective every season and said 50 points is the target to reach. They are on 47 as it stands thanks to 13 wins and eight draws to go alongside 19 defeats.

Who have been the key players this season?

The Magpies’ wide players have been instrumental this season. Reece Smith and Ashley Nathaniel-George have tormented many defences with their quick feet and fearless dribbling, and they have scored five and four goals respectively. Nathaniel-George has also formed a great relationship with Idris Odutayo on the left side. Emile Acquah is the Magpies’ top scorer with 13 goals and was in action for England C not too long ago. Finally, Charlee Adams deserves a shout for his consistency on set pieces. His free kicks are a real handful for other teams to deal with and he has been prolific from the penalty spot this season.

Chesterfield have never won at Maidenhead, and many other big clubs have lost there, so why are they so good at York Road? Is it fair to say they raise their game?

Maidenhead United certainly raise their game for the big clubs. They utilise their pitch very well and have a loyal support who get behind them when a high-flying team comes to York Road. It helps that the Magpies’ squad is made up of experienced heads (Alan Massey, Will De Havilland, Remy Clerima) aswell as young players (Smith, Nathaniel-George, Acquah).

How do you think they will approach the game against Chesterfield?

I think the Magpies will look to exploit the wide areas this weekend and deliver some crosses into the box for Acquah to attack. That tactic has been mostly effective this season, particularly at home. Bruno Andrade has joined the club recently too and I’m sure he will be deployed on one of the flanks.

Any injuries or suspensions for Saturday?

Apart from Dan Gyollai (goalkeeper), I don’t think there are any injuries to report. Remy Clerima was thrown back into the starting XI at the weekend after a spell on the sidelines. He’s a great footballer who can play pretty much anywhere so was certainly a miss when he picked up an injury earlier in the season. Nathaniel-George didn’t feature against Dorking Wanderers but I believe that was due to international duty.

Likely line-up?

4-3-3: Andre Jr, Odutayo, Massey, De Havilland, Asare, Barratt, Adams, Ferdinand, Smith, Acquah, Nathaniel-George.