Mill Hill 3 - 3 Maidenhead It was a comeback so dramatic that even the Take-That management would have been stunned. When Ryan Sclanders rounded the third covering defended and smashed the ball home from a tight angle the Mill Hill team were left in a state of disbelief. Three minutes remained, enough time for a little nervousness in the home defence but so far had the game turned that it was Maidenhead who were left hanging on.

The first half had been abysmal for Mill Hill, ranking among the sort of performances that would not have yielded a result in the lower division. Despite lacking the classy movement and pace built into some of the other sides in the premier division, Maidenhead recovered from an early setback to take a 3-1 lead into half-time. Captain Pete Lazlett had warned they wouldn't be a push over, although pushing over did appear to be a central part of thir strategy. However, the situation looked bright when jobless Dan Stockhill, familiar with travelling long distances in vain, made the exhausting journey into the opposition area. Once there he showed no signs of wanting to leave as he appeared to start digging the foundations of a house in front of the Maidenhead goal. His tenacity paid off and on the third attempt, he squeezed the ball into the net.

From then on Mill Hill's threat disappeared as fast as the frost in the bright winter sunshine . Like an overlaiden juggernaut, crawling up the inside lane of the M4 they were unable to either stop or pass. Maidenhead were served a string of simple chances as the defence opened up repeatedly like a set of faulty automatic doors. Little Dave, covering in goal for the absent Mike Ellis was powerless as the shots rained down - the only surprise was that the newly constructed goal stood up to the punishment.

Heads were down and tails between legs as the blue-shirted home players listened meekly to Lazlett's half-time rockets but they responded with venom. Stockhill, having recovered from his early game exertions, pushed forward, relieving the pressure on the two beleaguered centre-backs. Craig McIntyre, meanwhile, ably supplied by Ian Namey on the right, ran the opposition defence ragged, launching raid after rain down the right touchline. He won short corners, presented Apay Oway with an open goal and sowed the discomfort and frustration that led to a decisive sin-binning for a Maidenhead defender.

Mill Hill would have taken all three points if their short corners hadn't shown the organisation and incisiveness of Roger Casper at 11am on a Saturday morning. Nevertheless Mike "dead-eye" Solomon did just enough to poke one home and set the scene for Sclanders' decisive finish.