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Magpies soar to sixth as Gosney's heroics spare Totton an even heavier defeat

10:03AM, Wednesday 04 March 2026

Magpies soar to sixth as Gosney's heroics spare Totton an even heavier defeat

Josh Popoola. Credit: Darren Woolley/MUFC

Maidenhead United 2, AFC Totton 0

Maidenhead United lifted themselves back into the play-off places last night after overwhelming AFC Totton with one of their best home displays of the season.

First half goals from Josh Umerah and Josh Popoola put the home side in full control at the interval and only a fine goalkeeping display from Ryan Gosney prevented the home side from winning more comfortably.

Interim boss Ryan Peters had called for a response after Saturday’s disappointing 1-0 defeat at bottom club Chippenham Town, and their performance against the Stags last night was like night and day in comparison.

The Magpies were on their game from the first whistle, winning the first and second balls to force their visitors onto the back foot. With Liam Dulson and Jayden Mitchell-Lawson troubling the Stags defence with their direct running, and Umerah holding the ball up well and linking play, they created a host of chances and should really have come off at half-time with more than a two-goal lead.

Totton can count themselves lucky they were only 2-0 down at the break, and though they improved considerably after the interval – and forced Jordi Van Stappershoef into a couple of good saves – they were still second best to the hard-working Magpies.

The hosts controlled the opening 10 minutes, with Matt Robinson firing over and Dulson forcing a couple of early corners. But the supporters – many of whom were also being entertained by a Youtuber called Jensen – didn’t have to wait long for the Magpies to register.

The opener came in the 11th minute. Dulson turned well on the edge of the area and got a left-footed shot away. It deflected and held up for the alert Umerah who reacted well to turn a shot over Gosney, and it just bounced over the line before a covering defender could hack clear from underneath the bar. The referee Dan England and his assistant were both in agreement the ball had crossed the line even though the ball didn’t touch the back of the net.

Dulson should have made it 2-0 in the 22nd minute. Running onto a through ball from Popoola, he tried to carry the ball around Gosney, but the keeper stayed on his feet and got a touch on the forward’s shot, taking the power off it and enabling a covering Stags’ defender to clear.

Totton simply couldn’t pass their way through Maidenhead’s press in the first half and the chances continued to come for the hosts. Mitchell-Lawson was desperately unlucky not to pick out a teammate with a couple of excellent crosses around the half-hour mark. But the second goal their dominance deserved arrived in the 40th minute from another player Totton simply couldn’t get to grips with.

Robinson played a pass into Popoola, who checked back onto his left as the defender went to ground and then fired a peach of a left-footed shot into the top corner.

At that stage, you sensed the Stags might wilt before half-time, but they managed to scramble through to the interval without further punishment.

There were no signs of a let up from the Magpies at the start of the second half as they looked to kill the game.  Umerah couldn’t profit after a mad scramble in the penalty area in the 49th minute and Mitchell-Lawson was played in by Jordon Ragguette in the 58th minute. Again Gosney  came to Totton’s rescue with Ragguette turning the rebound over the bar.

Will de Havilland appeared to be pulled back in the area in the 64th minute as he attempted to get on the head of Remy Clerima’s knockdown, and Dulson’s determination to get on the scoresheet continued when he turned his man in the centre circle and drove towards goal before seeing a deflected drive pushed behind by Gosney in the 68th minute.

By this stage, Totton were beginning to threaten Maidenhead’s goal. Christie Ward saw an acrobatic scissor kick volley brilliantly saved at his near post by Van Stappershoef in the 58th minute, while Malachi Linton also raced clear from a flick on, but the Dutch keeper got down well to save his side again in the 66th minute. Had either of those gone in, the final half an hour might have looked a little different, but instead, Maidenhead took the sting from the game and saw the final minutes out in relative comfort.

Dulson had two more opportunities to make it three, cutting inside his man and onto his right before forcing Gosney into a full stretch save with a powerful strike in the 80th minute. He was denied again in stoppage time when Alfie Pendlebury laid the ball into his path in the box, but Gosney was off his line smartly to save at his feet.

Gosney has a justifiable claim to the man of the match award which tells you everything about how dominant the Magpies were.

Having been bumped down to 10th by Saturday’s defeat at Chippenham, they rise to sixth on goal difference off the back of this encouraging win. They’re also now just a couple of points off fourth placed Torquay United with a game in hand.

They’re also level on points with Saturday’s visitors Maidstone United and will go into that game hoping to reproduce this sort of performance to knock back one of their promotion rivals.

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